WSL Championship Tour adds Siargao stop

History beckons as the country serves as host for the prestigious World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour with Siargao welcoming elite athletes for the 11th leg of tournament from Oct. 31 to Nov. 10. Backed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the WSL Championship Tour has officially included the famous Cloud 9 of Siargao as a stop for its 13-leg calendar this season. The circuit opened in April and has already completed competitions in Australia, New Zealand, El Salvador, and Brazil. The Philippine stop, named as Philippines Pro, will see foreign bets and wild card John Mark Tokong headlining the annual meet that features 12 events across men’s and women’s categories. “This is our dream. Now it’s happening… I never thought that the World Tour would be held on Cloud 9,” said Tokong. “It is just something amazing and the waves are my favorite… and the community on the island is beautiful.” Also in the media launch was WSL Asia Pacific President Andrew Stark who formally handed the three slots – one for Tokong and two for the winners of men’s and women’s qualifiers in October also hosted by Siargao. This was part of the PSC’s sports tourism drive, led by chairman Patrick Gregorio, with full support coming from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose son Vinny serves as sports ambassador. “This event is something that never even enter their minds, this is something that they not even considered na one day na WSL will go to Siargao, ni hindi po pumasok sa panaginip ng mga taga-Siargao, ni sa posibilidad,” said Gregorio. “Dahil po sa pangulo, kay Vinny, ginagawa natin ‘to kasi it is the right to do… kayang gumaling ng Pilipinas, kayang gumaling ng Pilipino sa surfing,” he added. “Itong konsepto na ‘to it’s a great strategy to build sports tourism.”