Stand-Up Paddleboarding

CEBU, Philippines - There's no question about Cebu being a city rich in history, culture and heritage. The first wave of Spanish explorers to reach our shores chose to colonize the islands from Cebu. Even with the death of Magellan at Mactan, the next group to come still preferred to start a settlement in Cebu. And Christianity then spread to the rest of the archipelago.

The Spaniards have left many traces of their stay in Cebu. Old Spanish structures, especially churches, stand in almost every town to this day. There is also a noticeable Spanish influence in the local culture. The local language is littered with Spanish words and phrases.

It would seem that Cebu's attraction never fades. These days tourists come to the island by the plane loads. The white-sand beaches and world-class resorts beckon everyone to come. With Cebu's kind of sun and sea, there are different kinds of fun to try.

The thrill seekers, for example, need not stick to the usual sea adventures. A good new activity to experience is Stand-Up Paddleboarding - SUP for short. Those who have tried it say it's really something else.

SUP started in Hawaii and is a growing outdoor sport activity in the world. It started when traditional surfers tried to give their surfing experience a twist - to paddle their surfboards farther in order to catch more waves and to have a better view of incoming sets. To do this, they needed bigger boards; hence, the paddleboards, enough to allow them to stand up and remain stable. As the name implies, a paddler spends most of the time standing on a flat board and paddle his way either to the open ocean, to a lake, river, mangrove forest, wherever he pleases. One gets a much better view and a feeling like walking on water.

SUP is now offered in Mactan. Buzzy Budlong, of Island Buzz, is the first Filipino to explore the whole Philippines in a kayak. He conducts SUP sessions for Cebuanos and visitors who want to learn it. Buzzy operates with co-host Johannes Leib, a German national who has been in the Philippines for more than a year. A session consists of two to three hours paddling towards Rock Island and the Mactan Lagoon, about two and three kilometers, respectively, from Kontiki Resort in Maribago, Mactan. The package comes with all the gears and, of course, good tutorial. (Details at www.islandbuzzphilippines.com.)

Everyone of all ages may enjoy SUP. It can even be done on a full-moon night, which is more romantic with a special someone. Even pets are also nice to bring along. For yoga enthusiasts, doing it on an SUP board is really a different experience.