Bigger, Badder, Better

Way back in 2006, I mounted a surf event for beginners in San Juan, La Union. It was called “Surf’s Up!” and it was an event of GO! Travel Magazine (R.I.P.). The event was a unique concept then because it was a surf trip specifically for beginners and anybody could sign up. It was also on that particular trip that I met Tikoy and Leia who would later on become my good friends and business partners at Travel Factor. At that time, I thought that the event was a huge success, getting heaps of city dwellers to get hooked on surfing. Looking back, I realize now how mad and wild the event was. We were struggling with logistics, accommodation, bus assignments and all the small little things associated with a group tour. As imperfect as it was, the event set the precursor for the creation of Travel Factor, and subsequently all the similar adventure tour groups in the market today.

Travel Factor started offering surf tours to La Union in 2006 and did it almost on a weekly basis, mostly because of the owners’ own addiction to the stoke. From there we began exploring other places and diversified into all these adventures. Today, Travel Factor remains as the leading adventure travel company in the Philippines. Sure there’s lots of competition now but we’ve proven that determination, originality, continuous innovation and a whole lot of passion allows us to stay on top.

In 2008, Travel Factor introduced the SURFVIVOR Challenge. Having organized dozens of surfing trips, we thought of raising the experience to a next level by creating a surfing competition for beginners. We did the first year and second year in La Union, both events we count as great successes. It’s even inspired others to create their own beginner competitions. We outdid ourselves last year when we hosted the SURFVIVOR Beach Games in Baler, Aurora and received a record number of participants.

This year, we are so excited and proud to bring to you the Aloha Boardsports & Travel Factor Surf & Music Festival 2011. It’s going to be our biggest event ever and we can’t wait for it to happen. We’ve never thought that we’d be able to invite you to an event of this scale, mashing together two of life’s most awesome things: surfing and music.

Registration is now doing exceedingly well! We’re now scouring and exhausting even all the little places in Baler where we can put people in. It’s crazy. It’s stressful. It’s all good.

Travel Factor was born because of surfing and so surfing and the SURFVIVOR series will always hold a special place in our heart (Cheesy!). So join us on October 29-31, 2011 and let’s have an awesome, awesome time.

Surf’s up!