John Mark ‘Marama’ Tokong gave the Filipino crowd plenty to cheer about after beating Brazilian World No. 11 Samuel Pupo to advance to Round 2 of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro at Cloud 9 here Sunday.
Tokong put up 16.60 points on waves of 8.60 and 8.00, while Pupo could only manage 11.00 in their opening-round heat.
Surfing before a big home crowd, Tokong handled the pressure well, making the most of the six-to-eight-foot waves under light conditions.
He admitted that competing in front of his fellow Filipinos was not easy, but he tried not to think too much about the pressure once he got into the water.
‘It’s crazy and amazing. There was a lot of pressure, but I just told myself to relax, keep things simple and enjoy the waves,’ Tokong said.
He could hear his family, friends and supporters cheering from the shore whenever he came out of a wave. For the Filipino surfer, that made the experience even more special.
‘I’m not doing this just for myself, but also for my family, friends, fans and especially the Philippines. Representing my country is very important to me,’ he said.
With one round behind him, Tokong is now looking forward to his next heat, hoping to give the Filipino fans another performance to cheer for.
Surfers who lose in the opening round will still receive US$13,000 (around P830,000), while the champion will collect US$80,000 (approximately P5.1 million).