Wake Park

Ela, one of my closest friends since UP CMC days, offered a spanking sideline last week (thanks, thanks!). A seven-day production for the 2009 WWA Wakeboarding Championships at Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) in Pili, Camarines Sur. Initial hurdle set in: I would be needing five VLs in a row--- and that would be too much. But my cool manager gave me a go signal right after my wInsight project was released last March 20 (woohoo!).

It had been a week of mixed emotions: fired up for learning a new sport (which, I sense, could possibly be a potential hobby), inspired for an out-of-town vacation going back to production, and glum for a weeklong unusual break without my buddy.

I met up with Ela and Giselle (another CMC batchmate) around 1AM at Starbucks in Morato. I wanted Kopi Roti or Seattle's that night but I realized I was wearing my charcoal Starbucks tee. So, out of respect to coffee (hehe) I waited for them at Starbucks. Luckily, I earned another complimentary beverage for my next visit.

Our convoy (an L300, an OB van, a Canter, and a Montero) left Manila at 2AM. The crew consisted of 25 individuals, including their ever reliable drivers. I didn't know what my job would be. Ela just told me they needed someone to help on the creative side. But in one of our stopover chitchat, Direk Bebs Francisco, a noted TV director for sports, started discussing scripts, segments, and AVPs with me and Giselle. Exciting na nakaka-tense. Parang college ulet, hehe.

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CWC is absolutely huge. It offers little cabanas, tiki huts, trailer homes, villas, and a mansion for accommodation. It also has two big man-made lakes for wakeboarding and waterskating: one using a cable system and the other using a motor boat. The newest addition is the World's first Winch Park (it looks like a skateboarding vert ramp with funboxes but this time with water). The Clubhouse also provides guests with a moderately good menu, free WiFi, a game room where you can play pool, foos ball and table tennis, and another area for air hockey and basketball. And the province has had a very hip and meticulous governor (thanks, Gov, for the interviews!). :)




The place, as expected, was stuffed with hot bodies, six-pack abs, trendy boardshorts and bikinis, funny commentators and DJs, and Mac laptops owned by a few riders. We had been feeding www.cwcwake.com and www.justin.tv/camsur with real time (although sometimes late by a few minutes) video coverage powered by Bayantel, and moderating a chatroom facilitated by our graphics editor Kuya Mond (who's been listening to podcast about Twitter, Microsoft, and Apple while editing).

Equally remarkable and chic was the event itself. Imagine a whole day of video and photo coverage taken directly from the Republik chopper for almost seven days. There were large, multihued, and visually striking posters and tarpaulins everywhere. There was a party with a unique theme each night, from Arabian Night to Retro Party to Masquerade Ball. There was a decent fireworks display before each party began. There were invited known TV and movie personalities, and there was a press conference that included Solar Sports, Sports Unlimited, and other members of the International press to its guests list.

Hitches? Undeniably, a number of them. Their constantly changing timetable; thus our relentlessly shifting camera setup. The sudden request for specific details and output by some people. The
misguided communication among team members (in a big event like this, everyone needs to carry compact handheld radio I think). And the sun. Graaah-- who can beat the burning sun? Super iniiit! For those who are moderately brown like me, what would you expect afterward aside from sunburn? :P

Good thing we discovered three literally cool hangout places, the OB van where we can listen to Direk Bebs demanding a smooth panning shot from camera 2 or saying "o sorry na" for his wrong call to camera 4, the Clubhouse where we can see everyone including event coordinators, roaming camera guys as well as riders, and the Melo's airconditioned booth where we can enjoy a watermelon shake or a brewed coffee with one or two small coffee buns.

By Tuesday, Ela and her dad left us for their Earth Hour prod prep in Manila. We didnt' know where "the calling" came from but Direk Bebs had been assigning me and Giselle as producers of the show. The last three days was not as busy and as stressful as the previous days, though. We were able to roam around, buy some souvenirs, and take photos. The exhaustion sank in Saturday afternoon. Giselle and I went for a short trip to Naga (lakas loob yan, commute) and desperately looked for a nice foot spa. We asked a saleslady at E-Mall, and she recommended Blips Spa Center, just almost a block away. Relatively pricey, parang pang-Manila na. But since we'd been walking for several minutes, we availed its foot spa with paraffin and pedicure (this one we didn't avail) for P500. The ambience is OK by the way; dimming the lights would be better.

Sunday was the sweetest-- a resounding "pack up". Ela and her dad, Tito Fernan, returned from Manila. We didn't finish the awarding ceremonies. After a bottle of Coors Light, a couple of quesadillas slices, and a barbecue stick, we headed home courtesy of the Penafrancia's lazy boy seats. We left some cameramen and Ela's dad to cover the last part of the event.

And I got a giant inflatable slipper-shaped raft, Flip-Float, from Havaianas! Thanks to the girl who spotted me. =)

*****

I missed you already at the end of the third day. Let's go back there one of these days, and try to bunny hop and sideslide. And when we get the hang of it, we can move on to ole and boardslide. :)