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Riding the tides of life: Surf instructor adds board making to repertoire

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Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

<p>The rolling waves and salty air of Barangay Urbiztondo in La Union, the country’s surfing capital, open doors of opportunities for locals. For decades, these have allowed locals to rise through the tides of life, providing for their everyday needs through surfing and crafting surfboards.</p><p>One such local is 31-year-old Allan Ebueza. A surf instructor and surfboard maker for almost a decade, he says crafting boards combines passion and skill.</p><p>Each surfboard, meticulously shaped and tailored, carries a piece of the artisan&#x27;s soul. From selecting the finest materials to understanding the nuances of wave dynamics, makers embody the essence of surfing in every curve and contour.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2943141" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>ADDITIONAL INCOME</strong></div><p>Ebueza said he started making surfboards to augment his income as an instructor. </p><p>“Wala din kasi akong trabaho noon. Surf instructor lang ako dati. Kapag walang alon, walang kita.”</p><p>He adds “Kaya finocus ko ang sarili ko na matuto na gumawa ng surfboard para continuous ang income kasi hindi naman puwede na uupo ka lang na walang ginagawa.”</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-1.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>COSTS AND CHALLENGES</strong></div><p>While they may make surfboard shaping look easy, Ebueza says starting out and keeping the business going has its challenges. </p><p>“Okay naman ang kita, may kaunting kita din. Pero mahal din ang materyales, kaya doon din napupunta. Sa isang surfboard, gagastos ka ng P13,000 – P15,000. Kaya kahit papano may kita doon ng kaunti.”</p><p>He explains surfboard making requires several materials such as pieces of banana-shaped styrofoam, fiber cloth, and epoxy resins.</p><p>Finished products are priced starting at P18,000 for soft top surfboards while hard top boards range from P26,000 to P30,000 each. </p><p>Sometimes, money can also be hard to come by. It even reached a point when he had to sell his own personal board for medical expenses.</p><p>“Lahat ng gawa ko paborito ko, pero ang paborito ko yung gamit kong personal. Pero ginamit ko sa panggastos sa hospital nung manganganak na yung kinakasama ko.”</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-9.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>PIECE OF ADVICE</strong></div><p>For those who want to get into crafting surfboards, Ebueza offers some advice: “Madali siya panoorin pero mahirap gawin.”</p><p>He adds: “Kailangan natin aralin mabuti bago gumawa dahil mahal ang mga materyales. Practice, humingi ng payo sa mga may alam na gumagawa ng surfboards. Konting nood din ng online videos. Madami &#x27;yan sa Instagram o YouTube. Doon muna kayo kumuha ng idea kung paano gumawa.”</p><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-2.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-3.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-4.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-5.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-6.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-7.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-8.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/27/20240126-ebuerza-allan-surfboard-maker-mt-10.jpg"/></div></div><div class="media-content slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></div></div></div>

For surf instructor and surboard maker Allan Ebueza, crafting boards is both rewarding and challenging

Riding the tides of life: Surf instructor adds board making to repertoire

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Riding the tides of life: Surf instructor adds board making to repertoire

Maria Tan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 27, 2024 03:34 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 27, 2024 04:03 PM PHT

Read More:

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surfing

surfboard

surfboard crafting

surfboard making

surf instructor

La Union

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