Water World

A wakeboarder and kiteboarder’s dream destination and ultimate playground lies in the heart of the Bicol region

By Denise J. Mallabo / Photos by Rafa Itchon

Countless water sports have surfaced here in the Philippines and people, regardless of gender and age, have embraced it. Who would have thought that surfing would really be that big in the Philippines; that you can actually surf almost every week? Aside from surfing, there are two water sports that have grown close to most Filipinos’ hearts: wakeboarding and kiteboarding. When you say wakeboarding in the Philippines, the first venue that comes to mind would be the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC). Situated in Pili, Camarines Sur in the Bicol region, it is safe to say that the CWC has turned the province into a full-blown tourist destination, especially for both local and foreign wakeboarding enthusiasts. A huge factor in the province’s growing recognition is the massive support of its present governor, Hon. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr. who has been obsessed with wakeboarding for four years and counting. In fact, local celebrities have been flocking to CWC for their wakeboarding fix, and also, to probably make good use of their quick breaks from busy schedules.

Wind or No Wind Kiteboard Jam

The province of Camarines Sur has been the haven for sporting events of late, which includes the Cobra Ironman 70.3, Cobra CamSur International Dragonboat Festival, World Wakeboard Championships, and CamSur Marathon. An event called Wind or No Wind (WONW) Kiteboard Jam was recently concluded. It lured some of the top kiteboarders to CWC.
The WONW was a dream come true for Brazilian-born, U.S.-based kiteboarder Mauricio Abreu, known by his peers as the “godfather and Wikipedia of kiteboarding.” He and fellow kiteboarder Andre Philip designed the obstacles of the kite park for the WONW Kiteboard Jam. “I was invited by Gov. LRay to visit Camarines Sur to promote kiteboarding in his province to the world. One of the first places I visited was CWC, and it was like a dream come true. CWC is a well-known cable park worldwide and in person it is ten times better,” admits Abreu.

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