Travel: Beyond Cloud 9

Elise Thompson's picture
By Elise Thompson

Travel: Beyond Cloud 9

Elise Thompson
Features

Butted up against the western end of the Pacific basin, popular wisdom says the Philippines receives its best waves down the eastern coast. Indeed it's where the Philippines best-known waves are located.

Yet the Philippines is an island chain surrounded by bodies of water, each capable of producing significant swell. Last month, for instance, the WSL's World Junior Championships were held on the Philippines west coast with waves up to six feet gracing the contest and much bigger again just after it ended.

Multiple swell sources send energy towards the Philippines: irregular typhoons, dependable monsoons, distant lows transmit long period energy, while diffuse highs provide bread and butter waves in between.

Photographer Elise Thompson is currently surfing and working in the Philippines where the colours and landscapes are a muse to her creativity - and the waves too of course.

The following words and photos are by Elise.

As a surfer, what draws you to a surfing destination? What is it about a wave that draws you to its energy?

As a surf photographer, I'm attracted to the beauty of empty barrels and surfers in motion. Yet it extends beyond that: I'm also drawn to certain communities that I come across on my travels. The combination of waves and an uncomplicated way of life is both humbling and exhilarating.

Recently I spent time on a stretch of coast in the Philippines that put those answers in perspective. The generous nature of the people was perhaps only matched by the raw nature breaking on the reefs and shoreline.

With numerous accessible breaks, I discovered fast lefts and rights that peel perfectly over the reef. When the swell is up the waves can easily go overhead, offering space for big carves and open barrel sections. They can also be powerful. Yet the mood changes between swells when more forgiving, laid-back waves crest the reefs.

One particular day last year, the morning brought small and wonky waves - not worth my camera’s time. Thinking that was it for the day, I was enjoying breakfast at a mate’s place, when a perfect, well-overhead, offshore wave stood up and barrelled across the reef. I’d never seen the reef break at that size! Next wave, a surfer, who I hadn't seen enter the barrel, came flying out the end.

Shocked at how good the waves were, I looked down the beach to see another perfect left and right powering over, again and again. The ocean had suddenly turned on. I was in awe. Breakfast could wait.

What started as an insignificant day unexpectedly turned into a total buzz as I was floating in wave heaven and feeling totally stoked.

// ELISE THOMPSON

As one surfer gets slotted, another gives the channel salute

The view from the channel as an empty one rolls through

The dividing line between land and sea

Decision time

The outer peak is both an indicator and a pressure release valve if the crowd - which currently stands at four - gets too much

Apparently the spit belies a makeable barrel - would you trust it and paddle deeper?

A goofys dream and a backsiders challenge

In between swells - on land

Staring at an empty space

The quiet corner of the reef

In between swells - on sea

Comments

Bnkref's picture
Bnkref's picture
Bnkref Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 11:13am

Nice pics

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 11:21am

Sounds like an advertorial,

Does look fun though.

Matlyn878's picture
Matlyn878's picture
Matlyn878 Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 11:25am

Reads like AI.don't thinks she's a real person.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 11:57am

More like ET then AI.

Few taps of the keyboard will kill your suspicion.

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 12:11pm

I agree. Weirdly written and over polished.

Gotta get some Freeride stories back.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 1:21pm

a few contextual paragraphs to accompany an established surf photographer's gallery? fark me, get over it. Great pics.

jetson.rover's picture
jetson.rover's picture
jetson.rover Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 2:46pm

Sure it gets good there ocassionally,but it ain't no replacement for Indo.
I've seen it 6-8 ft in the afternoon then 1 foot the next morning quite a few times.
Those typhoon swells don't last long and die quickly if the typhoon is moving fast to the north west like most of them have been doing in recent years.
It's more consistant in the amihan wind season but then it's mostly short period swells with a lot of onshore wind and rain squalls on the pacific side.
Not conditions that allow the breaks to get anywhere near their best.
A few years back i spent time at a
certain right hander that can get world class.
A car with 4 brazzos showed up and i cringed at the thought that that sight might become common there going forward,i'd never seen it anywhere in the Phills before.
They rocked up being pretty clueless about the intracacies of conditions for surfing in the Phills,thinking it was like a trip to Indo where you could still surf everyday while waiting for the next imminent bigger pulse.
Well they missed the last one by over a week,and the next one didn't come for another 2 weeks until after they left.
In between pulses in Phills usually means flat,almost lake flat.
They lasted 4 days before the boredom became too much and they bailed back to Manila then went to Indo.
And that was in September,considered the best month for combining typhoon swells with offshore winds on the east coast of Phills.
And since then i've never seen another brazzo there,let alone a car load of them lol.
You've gotta have a lot of patience for the good days in the Phills.
You can get more good days in a week in season in indo than a year in Phills if it's a below par year.
Hence why Indo is mobbed by the whole surfing world while Phills is still quiet,not counting Siargao,which looks to be where the pictures in this article are.

Gowsa's picture
Gowsa's picture
Gowsa Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 2:52pm

"Floating in Wave Heaven and feeling totally Stoked"
Hmmm - who speaks like that?

t-diddy's picture
t-diddy's picture
t-diddy Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 3:41pm

Donald Trump?

Smorto's picture
Smorto's picture
Smorto Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 5:03pm

Someone who ran it through Chat GPT first then slightly edited it to make it sound less AI. Young guys do it all the time now at work, even for emails. Get Chat GPT to prepare the bones of the email and set the tone of the language, make some minor tweaks and then press send.

dbut's picture
dbut's picture
dbut Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 3:03pm

Has anyone ever been in Sarawak, brunei, Sabah or any other Malaysian territory during monsoon season, heading there next week and would love to chat

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 3:35pm

Haven't been there but there's a lot of swell entering the South China Sea this coming week. FC for data point near north Luzon:

Would be pushing more towards Vietnam and down to Malaysian mainland - see Cherating. Not sure how much might filter directly south towards Sabah and Sarawak.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 6:48pm

Shit didn't know it got that solid short period swell though.

seaslug's picture
seaslug's picture
seaslug Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 4:32pm

All of the above including plus many more, normally was offshore on a construction/dsv/pipelayer/HLV though. You can get waves but typically very short lived, need to be on the spot when it happens

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 4:06pm

Seen some great vids of Vietnam surf.

When the conditions line up looks like a ton of fun.

seaslug's picture
seaslug's picture
seaslug Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 4:35pm

It is but typically need to be on the spot as short lived. Did 2 years there, 2003-2005 working for the Koreans.

velocityjohnno's picture
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velocityjohnno Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 4:51pm

Gra Murdoch's picture
Gra Murdoch's picture
Gra Murdoch Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 5:17pm

I don't reckon I've met a surf photographer who spends more time in the water per day than Elise. Great human, great photographer with a great eye, who gives everything 100 percent.

elise.thompson2's picture
elise.thompson2's picture
elise.thompson2 Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 12:29pm

Thanks Gra! Your the best!

belly's picture
belly's picture
belly Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 5:59pm

Great work Elise

elise.thompson2's picture
elise.thompson2's picture
elise.thompson2 Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 12:34pm

Thanks Mate!

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 6:49pm

Income inequality
Beyond Cloud 9

?si=L34hmh9Rxo86Cjce

Matlyn878's picture
Matlyn878's picture
Matlyn878 Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 9:10pm

I apologise unreservedly for doubting her humanity.did read a bit weird though.Chased a low pressure on the map to samar back in 2013,turned into typhoon yolanda, went to hide in tacloban and got a direct hit, worst experience of my life,typhoons are great when they out to sea but when they hit land it's not fun anymore.

Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 3:39am

Sounds hectic,
I have a buddy who was surfing and staying in Cabo with his fam when a hurricane hit, met up with him shortly after.
"Not fun with the wife and kids "
"Terrifying " he said.

bbbird's picture
bbbird's picture
bbbird Tuesday, 4 Feb 2025 at 9:33pm

Humanity amid chaos.

blackers's picture
blackers's picture
blackers Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 6:59am

Beautiful photos.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 10:55am

agree, these are very nice and real feeling. the ones on her site are pretty poppy (which is commercially sound, like rambo estrada's lightbox presets, https://ramboestrada.co.nz/products/unbound-vol-1-presets ) but amazing work, and very Horsies, I can see what Gra means about time-in-the-water; more absolute-corker shots than any one person has the right to have jagged, unless they are absolutely dedicated to being there: https://elisethompsonphotography.com/surf

sam_2's picture
sam_2's picture
sam_2 Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 7:13am

Seen Sarawak from the air when there’s swell. Looked like potentially good beaches but very dirty with lots of mud stirred up near shore.

seaslug's picture
seaslug's picture
seaslug Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 11:28am

Yep

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 10:55am

Gayatri A Surf Film


"This is a film about a local surfer in the Philippines. With a classic old school groovy style. Kim Dorado (Jivatma Bhakta). A soul surfer. He reminds us of the purpose of surfing, to enjoy, unwind and connect to the ocean. Surfing is a form of art and meditation. Gayatri is our mantra, surfing is our life.
This is the first full length surf film i have made, unplanned but the stars aligned for me and dream came true. So grateful to all our friends for your support and encouragement." Elise Thompson

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 11:04am

Sometimes crowded and consistent is better than uncrowded and not so consistent ,
But sometimes it isn’t .

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 11:10am

has your 'uncrowded secret spot' with the good memories for you appeared in these comments @jef?

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 1:04pm

Not saying, but handguns are legal,
poverty is the norm, but every time my car broke down, someone came out to help me .?
Probably one of the most dangerous things are the roads, with regular oncoming traffic, on your side of the road, overtaking and around blind corners,
Especially at night when their headlights aren’t working !

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 3:52pm

you know they drive on the right, right?

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 8:44pm

Yes they definitely drive on the right,
,some of the time, it just depends on how busy or how late they are.
Like they think pedestrian crossings are just the government’s art work.
And red lights mean go , and green lights mean go .

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 11:53am

I did a few months in the Philippines, travelling by ferry, boat, bus, oxcart, foot and motorbike from Siargao to Northern Luzon.

My stories would not make a suitable tourist brochure.

It's a hectic place with some insane poverty (miles and miles of slums heading into Manila harbour) and violence.

Northern Luzon at the time was still dealing with Maoist influenced New Peoples Army brigades and the whole of the area was chock full of heavily armed military and para-military units.
Lots of drunk karaoke sessions with these guys and nervous smiles as weapons were brandished freely by very intoxicated dudes.

Day drinking and singing is encouraged and it involves sitting around in a circle drinking straight spirits (rum in the north, gin in the south) until the bottle is emptied.

There were several times, if I'm honest, where I though I might end up in a shallow grave.
We were idiots abroad.

We did find perfect surf with no-one around, after a lot of searching.

The boat ride out there was death defying and the bus ride back across the mountain range was worse.

Northern Luzon is holding big-time if you can cope with being in the direct path of typhoons, armed insurrections, no infrastructure, no transport, little coastal access due to the Sierra Madres etc etc.

seaslug's picture
seaslug's picture
seaslug Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 12:14pm

Hi FR76, yep my wife is from Northern Luzon and some of her personal direct encounter NPA stories.... some of her relatives were NPA....Some still about but mostly all over. Access now that's another issue haha, spare Reg Grundies required and more than one

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 12:47pm

That's more like it FR. Phillipines aint a picturesque beauty like the author made it out to be.

Mindora's picture
Mindora's picture
Mindora Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 1:38pm

I recently got home from a 3 month trip and many parts of the Phillos are postcard perfect. Most of my trip was in rural areas that are "picturesque"...it's usually only while travelling, especially near the big cities that another side reveals itself.

seaslug's picture
seaslug's picture
seaslug Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 2:42pm

Agree many many beautiful places in Phillos just don't forget where you are

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 1:34pm

Not sure if I would have been having lots of karaoke sessions with drunk guys brandishing weapons .

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 1:56pm

Didn't have much choice in the matter.

we were the only white guys in the region- hard to avoid the drinking sessions.

seaslug's picture
seaslug's picture
seaslug Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 2:11pm

No you don't, more chance of living if they are pissed already and you refuse.

Drunk Thai Police with loaded revolvers is another one

Don't get me started on the Nigerian police and army

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 2:15pm

I think I would have stayed in bed
Lolo

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 2:43pm

It also depends on whether you are a better singer than them.
Try not to be .

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 2:44pm

No, they like good singing.

Heartfelt, emotional ballads sung at full throttle.

If you can pull off an Air Supply song, they love it.

I was always surprised to find, even in the most remote village, a genny and a karaoke machine.

john.callahan's picture
john.callahan's picture
john.callahan Saturday, 8 Feb 2025 at 12:44pm

I sang a version of "My Way" in a crowded karaoke bar - and survived!

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/world/asia/07karaoke.html

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Saturday, 8 Feb 2025 at 3:03pm

Wow lucky you’re a good singer ,
But then it depends on where you are,
You don’t get gun toting military , in most places in the Philippines.
Are you THE John Callahan , one of the early Philippines explorers. photographers ,
If so you’ve published some great photos over the years.
I certainly experienced some of that remote beauty and perfection, in my time over there.
Cheers , Sam Miguel , Pale Pilsen .

seaslug's picture
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seaslug Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 2:44pm

I've seen people been shot for singing My Way, by good old Frank, badly also the audience by the singer because they were giving him shit

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 2:49pm

hahaaha- it's serious business.

seaslug's picture
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seaslug Wednesday, 5 Feb 2025 at 3:15pm

Very very

clif's picture
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clif Thursday, 6 Feb 2025 at 1:18am

Very cool. I got to go far Northern Luzon - and a few islands - a few times and had a great time. Hard work at times but got around haha. Would love to go back one day to a few of the spots I stumbled upon but will never happen.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Thursday, 6 Feb 2025 at 5:34am

Get to Pagud.....d?

clif's picture
clif's picture
clif Thursday, 6 Feb 2025 at 8:53pm

Yes! Around to Pas ... n, whole coastline (well as much as I could) and over to Mt Lagit region. Went offshore islands (north) from Pag ... d too. All in, about 7 months over a few years. Lots of downtime. Got to explore several times with two local lads, which was what made it all possible. Adventures of a lifetime. Some of the waves ... holy moly. Nice away trips from China.

Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean Thursday, 6 Feb 2025 at 12:14am

Extreme karaoke.......
More stories@ freeride76 @ seaslug

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Thursday, 6 Feb 2025 at 3:06pm

For anyone familiar with the Goldie…the old Shogun restaurant/karaoke at Bundall once pretended to close to get rid of my brother and I after we refused to give up the microphones in a never ending Sinatra performance. Even turned off the lights…10 minutes later in the car park as the cab turned up and we drove off we saw the lights come back on and the staff come out of hiding.
I thought we were killing it…must have been my brother haha…

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Saturday, 8 Feb 2025 at 2:38pm

An old girlfriend and I came last in a Karaoke sing-off at Ocean Blue eons ago. We sang 'Summer loving' out of Grease terribly.

Walked away with a sixpack and two t-shirts as wooden spooners.

We felt like we'd won and in a way, we did.

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Saturday, 8 Feb 2025 at 9:43pm

One should never underestimate the currency of a six pack.
I have a mate that will bet 50 bucks on two flies crawling up the wall...but try getting him to bet a six pack on anything...

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Thursday, 6 Feb 2025 at 10:38am

The risks we take to belt out an Air Supply song in public,
FR s videoke (karaoke) tour of the Philippines!

JB1's picture
JB1's picture
JB1 Sunday, 9 Feb 2025 at 7:43pm

Nice work Elise... really enjoyed your writing, experience and photos.

Sorry to read those d$ckhead comments above. Ignore the little knobs.

Old white men,
huddling together,
against,
a changing world.

Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff's picture
Exxotixjeff Tuesday, 11 Feb 2025 at 11:28am

Overeactive wannabe Jb1
What changing world?
It’s always been like that, gregarious.

greg-n.williams's picture
greg-n.williams's picture
greg-n.williams Tuesday, 11 Feb 2025 at 5:39am

Can't help but enjoy ur work Elise.I'm planning a month or 2 surfing & touring some of the beautiful landscapes of the Phillos. Got a few close mates who have ljved there at various times over the last 10 yrs or so & have found GR8 waves & awsome people. landscapes etc in more remote islands than just Sirago. Taking the handbrake with me so things won't go to far off the grid! LOL