Tags: Extreme Sports, Outdoor Sports
By Marjorie Gorospe
LAOAG, ILOCOS NORTE – What is remembered as a setting for foreign films like “Mad Max” and Born on the Fourth of July is now being promoted as a destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts.
It was some time last year when the Laoag Eco-Adventure Development (LEAD) Movement, a group that seeks to promote ecotourism sites in Ilocos, thought of an activity that suits the 85-kilometer sand dunes in La Paz.
Reny Tan, who co-founded the LEAD Movement, and Glenn Guerrero ended up with sandboarding, inspired by what they saw in the desert of Dubai in the Middle East. Sandboarding is like snowboarding but done in a different setting.
Glenn himself designed the board they use, using locally sourced material. For safety, the board has straps for both feet. His group also provides helmets and padding for added protection.
The sand dunes offer areas where you can try sandboarding depending on the level of difficulty, or how steep you would like to go down. I tried it myself but in an area that is relatively not too difficult.
You just need to know the trick in balancing and proper posture, which Glenn and his group would be more than welcome to demonstrate.
There are three ways of riding on the board as you glide down. You can choose to ride it like how a skateboarder does or in a sitting position, the latter is advisable for the not-so- adventurous. Or lying down in the board, which I thought was more dangerous since your head might bump into something along the way.
The trick is to crouch a bit and find your balance first before you can afford to stand up. It takes practice and becomes more challenging and addictive as you go along.
The exciting part isn’t limited to sandboarding; to get to the top, you can hop on a 4×4 vehicle and go off-roading. You have the option of going up and down the slopes – best experienced by screaming your lungs out.
Tina Tan, Reny’s wife and also a co-founder of LEAD, says they themselves tried sandboarding first before introducing it to friends and those visiting Laoag looking for something to do. A number of television shows have also featured the sand dunes.
“Since we introduced sandboarding, we always have clients especially during summer,” says Tina, whose team also collaborates with the Department of Tourism and local government to promote the sand dunes.
For a fee of P2,500, a group of four people can ride the 4×4 and explore the sand dunes and try sandboarding.
“We are still working on innovating adventure activities here but so far, it has been getting attention. We hope that more people can appreciate Ilocos Norte more than the white sand beaches that we have here,” says Tina.
For those interested to schedule a visit to the La Paz sand dunes, you may get in touch with the Laoag Eco-Adventure Development (LEAD) Movement through Reny or Tina at 0919.8735516
(This story also appears on Yahoo! Fit To Post)
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