PHILIPPINES – The dates for the Philippines’ most looked-forward-to classic single fin logging event and beach party have just been announced, so ready those logs and handfuls of tropical wax but leave the leggies behind, as the 8th annual Single & Unattached Invitational will be getting underway on the 1st of February at the seaside surfing mecca of San Juan in La Union.
Originally started as an end-of-the-north-swell-season Valentine’s Day fun and flippant surf comp/party by Buji and Nikki Libarnes (definitely not single and definitely attached) for their smallish group of loggers and friends, the event has grown steadily and each year draws the most stylish and soulful loggers from many points of the globe including Australia, Hawaii, Japan, Indonesia, and the USA.
Last year’s event saw notable international women including Rosie Jaffurs, Kirra Molnar, Carla Zamora and Amy Hewton joining locals Daisy Valdez, Maricel Parajes, Nikki De La Paz-Libarnes and others in the Women’s Invitational, and Kai Takayama, Keoki Saguibo, Sean Nettleton, Brendan Simmons, and Arip “Mencos” Nurhidayat sliding around with local logging aficionados Jay-R Esquivel, Jefferson Ganuelas, Junior Ventura, Luke Landrigan, Marven Abat and others in the Men’s Invitational.
This year, as customary, there will be a Men’s Longboard Invitational, a Women’s Longboard Invitational, a Single Fin Shortboard, and Tiny Toes (Junior) divisions, and perhaps even a “Senior & Unattached” 40-year-old and up division if there are enough participants.
The organizers have already sent out invitations, but are keeping a tight lid on exactly who has committed to coming. However, they have offered this by way of explanation on what type of surfer would have received said invite:
“With Single & Unattached growing every year, it makes the task of selecting the participants even harder, given the fact that we only have a limited number of slots available. Since it’s a logging contest, the team agreed on some basic criteria for the invitees, which we are still trying to fine tune and are transitioning to, starting with this year. The core criteria are something like this: The invitee should exude friendship, respect, and positive vibes in and out of the water, should love and live the logging lifestyle, and whose board of choice when longboarding is a log.”
You’ll want to get here by February 1st in order not to miss the kickoff party at Makan@ Eliseos that will start things off in the evening, then on the 2nd will be the surfer’s registration and briefing, with a dinner and film night at Clean Beach to follow.
The six day competition waiting period will start on February 3 and run through February 8th in order to allow for the surfers to compete in the best waves possible and allow for any flatness that may appear, with the two venues being the primary location of Mona Lisa Point in San Juan and the secondary, fickle yet fabulous Carrille “Jesus Point,” just down the road towards San Fernando.
February 8th will see the Awarding Party happening at Clean Beach, where trophies, cash and other prizes will be handed out to the finalists, and on the 9th will be a massive Beach Clean Up to ensure that San Juan Beach is returned to its usually pristine condition before everyone heads home.
“I can’t believe it’s our 8th year already!” said event co-creator Buji Libarnes, who with his wife Nikki is expecting their first child any day now. “We’re really blessed and thankful to have a solid team and awesome roster of sponsors behind S&U 2020, and that’s why Nikki and I are really looking forward to all the fun to be had by everyone in Elyu during the event. See you there!”
So yes, indeed we’ll see you there for the 8th edition of this fun-filled and festive celebration of logging, together with all our like-minded friends, and have an absolutely epic time with an abundant overload of authentic Filipino hospitality.
For detailed information on transportation, accommodation, event schedule and surfer registration and more, please send an email to : singleandunattached@gmail.com (*)
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