The first thing that struck me about th
e CWC is the apparent pride its people has in working for the place. People are courteous. They're always smiling. And yes, there is an evident willingness to help, on top of a seeming inherent commitment to doing their jobs well. Kuya Ronald, the chief cablepark operator, came from Lago de Oro and he couldn't stop marvelling at how the CWC beats Lago in every single way. I didn't have to take his word for it. I can actually see why. =) Still, the truest testament for me of how well things are run in the complex would be the public shower rooms. This is a government facility for pit's sake, but quite impressively, the shower rooms and the toilet cubicles remained clean and dry throughout the day! No dirty footprints. No muddy puddles. No yucky
surprises on the toilet seats! Ate, the shower room attendant, always made sure that each cubicle is checked and cleaned after it is used by a guest--to make it perfect for the next guest who will use them! If only for that, I'd have to say, BRAVO!!! To the nth power. Haha. =)
The cablepark opens at 8:30 a.m. If you're a beginner, it would be best for you to pick yourself up and take advantage of the "slow-time" as the serious (also read as experienced wakeboarders) only begin to line-up at around 10:00 a.m. They take their sweet time, because unlike Lago de Oro where wakeboarding hours are limited to 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. with a 1-1/2 hour lunch break in between, the CWC cablepark is open until 10:00 p.m. That gives them a solid 12 hours to do their thing! =)
I suppose the generally more leisurely pace can also be partially explained by the fact that a lot of the CWC guests are foreigners who stay in the complex for about 1-3 months. It's winter in Europe, they say, so
they're staying put at the CWC until winter is over. Haha! =) Hubby Sweet marvelled at the idea of being able to afford to take 3 months off from work to live in a foreign country. Then again, heck, one 500ml bottle of Coke Light at the Vatican once set me back 7 euros (back then, that was equivalent to P475!). One bottle of soda in their country can buy them four full meals at the CWC! Hmmmmnnnn....maybe that's why they really like it here. =) (And, yes, since the entire complex is amazingly Wi-Fi enabled, some of them actually work and/or access their e-mails right there on the dock! Word of caution though. It might be a bit risky to do so because occasionally, waves of water either from the speeding wakeboarders or the splashing beginners do reach the dock. =))
Unlike in Lago, the CWC folks (cable operators and guests alike) are more willing to help beginners. You can laugh yourself silly soon after every unsuccessful try, and
have folks readily give you tips on what adjustments you should make as you make your way back to the line. If you're lucky, you can actually get free wakeboarding lessons from Reuben Buchanan (former world #2!) who decided to stay at the CWC as the cablepark manager soon after visiting it when it first opened. In addition, a beginner who repeatedly plops down head-first into the water, would also appreciate the CWC lagoon much better than that in Lago. If you ever dive into the Lago waters, close your mouth and spew out whatever water you may have in your mouth as soon as you come up for air! It will not get rid of the really awful, foul taste, but it will at least ensure that none of the germs will be swimming in your tummy. Haha! Unlike the Lago de Oro lagoon (which used to be a fishpond), however, the CWC lagoon was built specifically for the cablepark and was designed to give you the sensation of tumbling on a sandy beach, except that the water is fresh. =) I still wouldn't advise that you swallow it, but I suppose, it just makes diving head first into the water much more enjoyable. Haha. =)
Amateur hour (haha) ends at 10:00 a.m. While beginners are welcome to continue trying their luck at getting to actually stand on a
wakeboard in half-a-day (on the average, they say it usually takes 1-2 days), I decided it was time to just lounge around on the dock and take in the action. It was almost noon when I decided to hang up my vest and helmet. Time for lunch. Time to step aside and give way to the experts!
Yes, beyond having vision enough to think of putting up such a place, and determination enough to actually get it done, Cam Sur's 38-year-old governor, LRay Villafuerte is a genius at marketing the place. To get the world's attention, he invited world-class wakeboarders to its opening. To build local awareness, he invited all the celebrities and even gets the complex regularly featured on TV. Throughout our stay, there always seems to be a camera rolling from different networks. Again, because the place is huge, you don't actually feel like you have to walk around in tiptoes around the shoots. Truth be told, it actually lends an air of excitement to the place; it gives one a feeling that you're part of something much, much bigger. It actually heightens the buzz within the complex as schoolkids and local visitors rush up to the celebrities (both major and minor, haha) to get their pictures taken. (How showbiz, I know. Yup, but how fun! Haha. =)
All told, the CWC is a worthy experience and one I wouldn't mind going back to. Even as I type this, the Hubby is busy making plans to go back (this time with his Lago wakeboarding buddies). The next time I go back though, I'd probably bring the fam and squeeze in a trip to Donsol and Mayon before going to the CWC. (To which the Hubby replied, "Can I just wait for you at the CWC?" Haha! Patay. =))
e CWC is the apparent pride its people has in working for the place. People are courteous. They're always smiling. And yes, there is an evident willingness to help, on top of a seeming inherent commitment to doing their jobs well. Kuya Ronald, the chief cablepark operator, came from Lago de Oro and he couldn't stop marvelling at how the CWC beats Lago in every single way. I didn't have to take his word for it. I can actually see why. =) Still, the truest testament for me of how well things are run in the complex would be the public shower rooms. This is a government facility for pit's sake, but quite impressively, the shower rooms and the toilet cubicles remained clean and dry throughout the day! No dirty footprints. No muddy puddles. No yucky
surprises on the toilet seats! Ate, the shower room attendant, always made sure that each cubicle is checked and cleaned after it is used by a guest--to make it perfect for the next guest who will use them! If only for that, I'd have to say, BRAVO!!! To the nth power. Haha. =)The cablepark opens at 8:30 a.m. If you're a beginner, it would be best for you to pick yourself up and take advantage of the "slow-time" as the serious (also read as experienced wakeboarders) only begin to line-up at around 10:00 a.m. They take their sweet time, because unlike Lago de Oro where wakeboarding hours are limited to 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. with a 1-1/2 hour lunch break in between, the CWC cablepark is open until 10:00 p.m. That gives them a solid 12 hours to do their thing! =)
I suppose the generally more leisurely pace can also be partially explained by the fact that a lot of the CWC guests are foreigners who stay in the complex for about 1-3 months. It's winter in Europe, they say, so
they're staying put at the CWC until winter is over. Haha! =) Hubby Sweet marvelled at the idea of being able to afford to take 3 months off from work to live in a foreign country. Then again, heck, one 500ml bottle of Coke Light at the Vatican once set me back 7 euros (back then, that was equivalent to P475!). One bottle of soda in their country can buy them four full meals at the CWC! Hmmmmnnnn....maybe that's why they really like it here. =) (And, yes, since the entire complex is amazingly Wi-Fi enabled, some of them actually work and/or access their e-mails right there on the dock! Word of caution though. It might be a bit risky to do so because occasionally, waves of water either from the speeding wakeboarders or the splashing beginners do reach the dock. =))Unlike in Lago, the CWC folks (cable operators and guests alike) are more willing to help beginners. You can laugh yourself silly soon after every unsuccessful try, and
have folks readily give you tips on what adjustments you should make as you make your way back to the line. If you're lucky, you can actually get free wakeboarding lessons from Reuben Buchanan (former world #2!) who decided to stay at the CWC as the cablepark manager soon after visiting it when it first opened. In addition, a beginner who repeatedly plops down head-first into the water, would also appreciate the CWC lagoon much better than that in Lago. If you ever dive into the Lago waters, close your mouth and spew out whatever water you may have in your mouth as soon as you come up for air! It will not get rid of the really awful, foul taste, but it will at least ensure that none of the germs will be swimming in your tummy. Haha! Unlike the Lago de Oro lagoon (which used to be a fishpond), however, the CWC lagoon was built specifically for the cablepark and was designed to give you the sensation of tumbling on a sandy beach, except that the water is fresh. =) I still wouldn't advise that you swallow it, but I suppose, it just makes diving head first into the water much more enjoyable. Haha. =)Amateur hour (haha) ends at 10:00 a.m. While beginners are welcome to continue trying their luck at getting to actually stand on a
wakeboard in half-a-day (on the average, they say it usually takes 1-2 days), I decided it was time to just lounge around on the dock and take in the action. It was almost noon when I decided to hang up my vest and helmet. Time for lunch. Time to step aside and give way to the experts!(Note: This pic is not mine. I think this one is from the CWC site.)
Now, you'd have to know that wakeboarders take their craft seriously. They talk about wakeboarding as soon as they wake up. They analyze where they went wrong and how they can do things right over meals. They stand around waiting for their turn, offering each other tips. A mere spectator can be easily impressed by the tricks, and want to actually learn the sport. From experience, however, I realize that it takes an extreme amount of dedication to actually get to that level. I, for one, did not have it. After half a day of diving head-first into the water, I had the sinking feeling that I will be a knee-boarder for life. Haha! That's fine. I could live with that. =) The Hubby, on the other hand, seems to have gotten the bug and seems to be hell-bent on learning every single trick in the book! He downloads wakeboarding DVD's and watches them repeatedly, the entire time jumping around like a loon in our sala (I suppose, the entire time, simulating how he should be maneuvering on water, haha). The DVD and sala simulations can be equated to classroom lessons; the CWC would be practicum. Haha!
For a time, I stayed by the dock, watching all the tricks. I can't describe them--as I wouldn't know the difference betwee
n riley and a surface 360 (let alone know if I actually spelled riley correctly, haha!) so I'll just let the pics speak for themselves.
Beyond wakeboarding, however, there are other things to do at the CWC. Actually, the major difference between the CWC and Lago de Oro--beyond the obvious difference in the facilities--is the endless energy that seems to flow through the entire
complex. People actually come in droves (but since the entire complex is huge, you don't actually feel like you're in a sea of humanity). During our stay, several shoots were going on. On our first day, a "wakeboarding exhibition" was staged over lunch by Reuben and several of 
the European wakeboarders as 10-busloads worth of people lined the lagoon shore. It was quite amusing, actually, to have all these world-class wakeboarders flip and fly and whatever-else-you-call-the-things-they-do, only to have them land in front of the crowd and shout (along with the crowd, of course), "COME SOUTH, CAMSUR! WOW-WOW-WEEEEEEEE!!!" HAHAHA!!! 'p
n riley and a surface 360 (let alone know if I actually spelled riley correctly, haha!) so I'll just let the pics speak for themselves. Beyond wakeboarding, however, there are other things to do at the CWC. Actually, the major difference between the CWC and Lago de Oro--beyond the obvious difference in the facilities--is the endless energy that seems to flow through the entire
complex. People actually come in droves (but since the entire complex is huge, you don't actually feel like you're in a sea of humanity). During our stay, several shoots were going on. On our first day, a "wakeboarding exhibition" was staged over lunch by Reuben and several of 
the European wakeboarders as 10-busloads worth of people lined the lagoon shore. It was quite amusing, actually, to have all these world-class wakeboarders flip and fly and whatever-else-you-call-the-things-they-do, only to have them land in front of the crowd and shout (along with the crowd, of course), "COME SOUTH, CAMSUR! WOW-WOW-WEEEEEEEE!!!" HAHAHA!!! 'p
Yes, beyond having vision enough to think of putting up such a place, and determination enough to actually get it done, Cam Sur's 38-year-old governor, LRay Villafuerte is a genius at marketing the place. To get the world's attention, he invited world-class wakeboarders to its opening. To build local awareness, he invited all the celebrities and even gets the complex regularly featured on TV. Throughout our stay, there always seems to be a camera rolling from different networks. Again, because the place is huge, you don't actually feel like you have to walk around in tiptoes around the shoots. Truth be told, it actually lends an air of excitement to the place; it gives one a feeling that you're part of something much, much bigger. It actually heightens the buzz within the complex as schoolkids and local visitors rush up to the celebrities (both major and minor, haha) to get their pictures taken. (How showbiz, I know. Yup, but how fun! Haha. =) 
Families of the serious wakeboarders need not fret as the women and the kids spend their time either frolicking on the "beach" or getting wrinkled like prunes in the gigantic infinity pool. It looked great and inviting, but sadly, I was not able to try it during the visit. Still, everyone who was in it looked like they were having fun. =) Other things the kids can do.....well, they also have a gigantic trampoline (really meant for wakeboarders who want to work at their flips, but yes, other guests are free to use it =)), a gigantic rubber bounce and slide castle and bikes for touring the place.
My personal favorite, however, would be getting a full body massage in one of the cabanas after stressing every single muscle in my body at the cablepark! For P250.00 (yes, P250!!!), one can get a one-hour full-body massage already! Complete with oils and stuff. While any of the masseuse (may plural ba ang 
masseuse? =)) can give you a decent massage, the regulars would advise you to ask for Ate Paz if she is available. Having been trained in the traditional art of hilot, her style goes beyond the usual massage to one of healing. Man! I didn't know I had "hidden aches", but as soon as Ate Paz's hands ran through my body, it was as if she was unknotting every, single knot there is! Truth be told, there were times I wanted to scream, but the initial pain was always almost immediately replaced by a wave of relaxation. Just when I wanted to go, "OWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!", I magically transitioned to "Aaaaaaahhhhhh...." Haha. =) Magic hands! =) Ate Paz told me that as part of the CWC's continuing programs for improvements, the other masseuse will eventually be trained in this ancient art of hilot. Good! I actually miss Ate Paz. I wish she were in Manila. =(
masseuse? =)) can give you a decent massage, the regulars would advise you to ask for Ate Paz if she is available. Having been trained in the traditional art of hilot, her style goes beyond the usual massage to one of healing. Man! I didn't know I had "hidden aches", but as soon as Ate Paz's hands ran through my body, it was as if she was unknotting every, single knot there is! Truth be told, there were times I wanted to scream, but the initial pain was always almost immediately replaced by a wave of relaxation. Just when I wanted to go, "OWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!", I magically transitioned to "Aaaaaaahhhhhh...." Haha. =) Magic hands! =) Ate Paz told me that as part of the CWC's continuing programs for improvements, the other masseuse will eventually be trained in this ancient art of hilot. Good! I actually miss Ate Paz. I wish she were in Manila. =(
All told, the CWC is a worthy experience and one I wouldn't mind going back to. Even as I type this, the Hubby is busy making plans to go back (this time with his Lago wakeboarding buddies). The next time I go back though, I'd probably bring the fam and squeeze in a trip to Donsol and Mayon before going to the CWC. (To which the Hubby replied, "Can I just wait for you at the CWC?" Haha! Patay. =))Next visit would also probably find us at the Caramoan (Ka-ra-mo-an) Peninsula which is The Governor's next big project. Imagine Boracay when it was still unspoiled by the influx of tourists and the set-up of concrete hotels on the beach! They say Caramoan is beautiful. I must go and see for myself! =D
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P.S. - For more information and pics on the CamSur Watersports Complex, visit http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/ !
