The Surf Is Their Turf

On the sun-drenched Filipino island of Siargao, a tight-knit community of wave riders is keeping it real in the face of change.

- Chris Schalkx

ON AN EARLY JUNE MORNING off the southeastern shore of Siargao, pro surfer Ikit Agudo skillfully maneuvers her board through the waves. This teardrop-shaped island, long a domestic secret but on the verge of becoming a hot spot, has always been home for Agudo, who was born and raised on Siargao, in a community she describes as uniformly friendly and thoughtful. During the morning we spend out on the sea, I see friends and strangers saluting one another on the lineups. Experts guide amateurs; fellow surfers extend invitations to break bread together after the session. All paddle out together to face the ocean as one.