The ongoing National Surfing Competition in Borongan City in Eastern Samar is an opportunity to train local young surfers, an official has said.

Surf in the City chairperson Rupert Ambil said in a phone interview Wednesday at least 60 local youth participated in the Groms Grassroots Program for young surfers here from Nov. 24-25.

“Grom” is a shortened form of the slang term “Grommet” meaning a child. In surfing jargon, grom refers to a child or an adolescent surfer, according to Ambil.

“Though most of the participants are not joining in the Surf in the City competition, everyone was all ears as Philippine National Surfing Team Head Coach John Carby encouraged the young surfers to become athletes through discipline, goal planning, and passion,” Ambil said.

The official said the event is a window of opportunity for aspiring surfers to hone their skills and eventually create a name in the surfing industry.

Mike Breuker, strength and conditioning coach of the Philippine National Surfing Team also trained local young surfers on the “in and out of water training”. This was followed by surfing techniques and analysis training on the second day of the program.

The grassroots program of the United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA) focuses on training youth or those under 18 and educating them on the values of surfing at the grassroots levels, such as a healthy lifestyle, discipline and techniques or the athletic side of being a surfer for the future of the Philippine National Surfing Team.

Surf in the City 2022 is the 3rd leg of the National Surfing Competition sanctioned by the United Philippine Surfing Association, the national sports body for surfing in the Philippines.

The first leg of the competition was held in Siargao while the second was in Baler, Aurora.

Borongan’s surfing event from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, is dubbed Surf in the City because the competition is held along the surfing spot in Baybay Boulevard located within the city proper. (PNA)