I was invited to cover the 2nd Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival (April 4-5) to be held in Daet, Camarines Norte, and I was to get there via an Air Philippines flight to Pili Airport in Camarines Sur.   At the NAIA terminal,  there was a long queue for this as well as other flights to Pili as the surf festival also coincided with  April 2-5 Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival to be held in Camsur.  Many participants brought along their packed bikes.  I was lucky to get on board my flight.  Flights were overbooked and other members of the media who were joining me had to move their flight for next day and would have to land in Legaspi City (Albay) instead of Pili. 

Camsur Watersports Complex

The flight to Pili took just 45 mins. and I arrived at the airport by 8 AM.  It seems no one was at the airport to pick me up as they must have thought that my flight was cancelled.  Luckily for me, I met up with Ms. Marife Nolasco-Maralit, the Camarines Sur Provincial Officer who I met previously at the 2002 Kaogma Festival of Naga City.  She contacted the Mr. Melvic Brinas, the driver who was supposed to pick me up.  Melvic was already on his way back to Daet when he received the call and he promptly turned back.  As I still had time to kill before his arrival, Mariefe offered to tour me around the nearby Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC).

 

The clubhouse restaurant

This unique, 6-hectare watersports park, opened in May 2006 (during the term of Gov. Luis Raymond Villafuerte, president of the Philippine Waterski and Wakeboard Federation), is the top tourist attraction in the Bicol Region.  It offers a 6-point cable ski system designed for wakeboarding, wakeskating, kneeboarding and waterskiing.  These are done in 2 large man-made lakes.  It is open even at night as the park is equipped with spotlights.  CWC also has a clubhouse restaurant by the lagoon, a swimming pool, sand bars, spa, pro-shops and a grandstand for guests.

One of the man-made lakes

On October 2006, the 1st Cable Wakeboarding Nationals were held here and, on July 2008, the complex hosted the 2008 World Wakeboarding Competition.  Accommodations in and near this provincial government-run complex include first-class hotel rooms, Tiki huts, airconditioned individual cabanas and refurbished container vans just meters apart from each other.

 

Camsur Watersports Complex: Provincial Capitol Complex, Brgy. Cadlan, Pili, Camarines Sur.  Tel: (054) 477-3344, 475-0689 and 477-3349.  Fax: (054) 477-3347.  Website: www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com.