Tokong, Alciso bow out after brave stand in Siargao

FILIPINO wildcards John Mark “Marama” Tokong and Jayuard Alciso gave the home crowd something to cheer about but saw their campaigns come to an end in the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro at Cloud 9 on Monday in Siargao. Tokong bowed to Australian world No. 7 Ethan Ewing, while Alciso suffered a setback against familiar rival Kanoa Igarashi of Japan. Fresh from a memorable win in his previous heat, the Siargao native known as the “King of Cloud 9” tried to keep his momentum going but found himself up against a tough opponent in Ewing. Tokong came away with 11.54 points, short of Ewing’s 14.50, as the Australian moved on to the next round of the prestigious event presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), with the support of Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, General Luna Mayor Johnson Sajulga and Vice Mayor Romina Sajulga. Still, the defeat did little to take away from Tokong’s experience of competing against one of the surfers he had looked up to for years. The Filipino admitted he felt surprisingly at ease sharing the lineup with Ewing, whom he considers one of his idols. He was also pleased to discover how friendly the Australian was...