Manibusan: Proud of surfers in Guam’s Ripper Classic

Ed Manibusan Jr., Marianas Surf Skate League chair, is proud of the three surfers that competed in the recent Guahan Bodyboarder Inc.’s Ripper Classic last weekend at the Boat Basin in Hagåtña, Guam.

Veteran surfer Frank Ramon clinched the masters division championship and won the Best Maneuver award over other Guam surfers.

Herman “Mä” Guerrero made it to the quarterfinals of the men’s open division, while Vicente “Te” Villagomez fell short in round 1.

Manibusan said of Ramon’s performance, “Frank surfed very well in the Masters Division and we are so proud of him. He challenged some very good surfers as well. It’s a statement for him to bring home a title to the CNMI. His Best Maneuver Award was very special because that included the entire competition. It’s a testament to Frank’s commitment and dedication to his craft.”

As for the event and the whole team’s performance, he said, “The Ripper Classic was an amazing event. There were so many talented Guam surfers in the competition and they brought the fire. We couldn’t be more proud of Frank, Herman, and Vincent. They gave it all they had and they all trained so hard for this event. The conditions were challenging which made the surfers’ technique and skill set major factors going into this event.”

The team’s strengths, he said, was technique. “When the swells don’t quite have the size, it becomes more important to be able to complete maneuvers and especially combinations as clean as possible… Frank was the only team member that has surfed at Hagatña Boat Basin before. The Guam surfers were very commendatory of all our surfers. That meant a lot to all of us. We look forward to [being] invited back again next year.”

In this year’s annual Boogie Down at Obyan surf event on Dec. 14, he said, “Now we will have a much bigger Guam contingent coming to compete in our competition The Boogie Down at Obyan next month in December. We will have two divisions this year: the Open Division and the Drop-Knee (DK) Division. If we can get enough female competitors to join, we may have a Female Division. Stay tuned and we will see you again this December at Boogie Down at Obyan.”

He then thanked Guahan Bodyboarders Inc. for “hosting this amazing event. We were overwhelmed with the hafa adai spirit and hospitality that Guam showed us. Thank you again to all our sponsors and those that supported our fundraiser for this event. Un dangkulo na Si Yu’us Ma’åse yan Ghilisow. One Marianas.”

Email marianas.surfskate@gmail.com or call (670)783-0754 if you are interested in supporting the Boogie Down at Obyan on December 14. 2024 at Obyan Beach, Saipan.

The Marianas Surf Skate League is a non-profit organization formed to promote the sports of surfing and skateboarding in the CNMI through events, competitions, and youth clinics.