C
l
o
u
d
If it sounds like a mission, count us in. The Reef squad (including alana) take to the Philippines
“ There’s no charge for s u r f b o a r d s,” the attendant told us at the check-in counter. The last time he’d even seen boardbags was a couple months before, when Conner Coffin, Ian Gentil and I were checking in on our way to Indo. Well, damn. I guess people hadn’t been hitting Cloud 9 via LAX lately. It’s pretty interesting, the ebb and flow with surf destinations. Places you see in all the magazines will have their good run and then seem to get abandoned. Easier, cushier spots become the new target: Nicaragua, Salina Cruz, Tavarua, etc. But Heath “Nutty” Walker did not forget about Cloud 9, one of the world’s most perfect righthand reefs. He knew the Philippines was a fitting backdrop for Reef’s “modern gypsy” image, and as Reef team manager, Nutty got to make the call. Off we went.
PHOTO: jimmicane
PHOTO: jimmicane
A missed connection = the mission of a l i f e t i m e .
At this point we came to understand one reason people might not frequent the Philippines: Flights to Siargao only leave twice a week.
Opt ion
PHOTOs: jimmicane
1:
Wa i t
for
the
ne xt
fl ight
out
three
days
l ater .
O pt i o n
2:
The
Co k a l i o n g
EDITORIAL Editor in Chief
travis ferrÉ
Managing Editor
stuart cornuelle
Associate Editor
taylor Paul
Photo Editor
peter taras
Associate Photo Editor jimmy wilson Art Director
chato aganza
Art Director
Scott Chenoweth
Online Editor
jason miller
Intern
carly clements
Surfing by Nick Rosza
Jay Thompson
Thiago CamarĂŁo
Alana Blanchard
Paul Fisher
photography by jimmicane
cover photo: jimmicane
Russell Ord
F e rr y.
12
hours
Beds/rubber mats are about five feet long. Jay “Bottle”
Thompson is not a short man.
PHOTO: jimmicane
on
a
f e rr y.
Off one ferry, onto the next! Notice again how not-short Bottle is (with Rosza, Fisher and Nutty from left).
PHOTOs: jimmicane
Finally
PHOTO: jimmicane
arrive
at
the
Sagana
PHOTO: Russell Ord
Resort‌ and
be autiful
fl atness.
PHOTOs: jimmicane
Bottle + Alana Blanchard (left). Thiago “Shrimpy” Camarão (right).
The place is not uncrowded by any means.
The
PHOTOs: jimmicane
locals
get
their
waves,
an
nd
they
kn o w
how
to
surf,
too.
Nick Rosza and friends.
Alana
PHOTO: jimmicane
Blanchard
and
Russ e l
Ord
l in k
one
up.
E v e n w a i st - h i gh wav e s w ed ge up a nd b a rr e l a t Clo u d 9 .
PHOTO: jimmicane
Bottle in a mini shack.
PHOTO: jimmicane
PHOTO: jimmicane
Some of t h e cl e a r e s t water in the world.
PHOTO: Russell Ord
PHOTO: jimmicane
PHOTO: jimmicane
Alana brought her brother Dorian on his first-ever surf trip.
What a sister!
Clo u d
9
overv ie w:
Alana and Fish splitting peaks. Yes, the right is better.
PHOTO: Russell Ord
PHOTOs: jimmicane
Shrimpy (left) and Alana (so right).
PHOTOs: jimmicane
Alana in front of the Sagana Resort.
Flatness leads to boredom, boredom leads to drinking (beers and coconuts)‌
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‌dr ink ing
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le ads
to
hangovers
(beers
not
co conuts).
Mor e f l at n e ss l e a d s to
ex p lo r ati o n a n d ‌ PHOTOs: jimmicane
PHOTOs: jimmicane
‌g asoline
in
Coke
bot tles? And where did Fisher get a baby?
And you thought Chopes had lay-days.
PHOTO: jimmicane
S ome t imes
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the y
aren ’ t
so
ba d.
PHOTO: jimmicane
After th e
sw e ll
PHOTO: Russell Ord
f i n a lly
a
week
a rr i v e d !
•
B ottl e
of T ho m pso n
bull-shitting, “likes”
th i s .
•
Paul
F i she r
“ che c k s
in .”
Nu tt y m a d e the c a ll to e xt end e v eryo ne’ s t ick e ts f or the t y phoo n sw ell . He d e ser v ed to be r e wa r d ed.
PHOTO: Russell Ord
PHOTOs: Russell Ord
B ottle
while
f in a lly
Nick
ge ts
R os z a
to
(r ight )
sta nd
f ills
up
an
in
o ne
(lef t ),
empt y
bowl .
Shrimpy Camar ão, from a shrimp’s-eye view.
PHOTO: Russell Ord
PHOTO: Russell Ord
B ottl e
in
a
gl a ss y
jar‌
PHOTO: Russell Ord
‌ and
with
a
j a rri n g
h ack.
Nick
R os z a
c o cks
his
k nee .
Better than the other way around.
PHOTO: Russell Ord
B ottle
PHOTO: Russell Ord
dips
a
r ail
and
le t s
it
soak
fo r
a
w hile.
Paul Fisher and the definition of “fun-size.”
PHOTO: Russell Ord
PHOTO: jimmicane
reef