Ronnie Esquivel is the surfing pro of San Juan, La Union with just one leg. (Photos courtesy of Tim Hain of StokedInc.)

Surfing is not an easy sport. Period.

But not for Ronnie Esquivel who rides the waves as if he was just walking in the park — with just one leg!

Only 25 years old, Esquivel has already ripped, maneuvered, and conquered numerous waves of different sizes, be it in his hometown in San Juan, La Union, or in the famous surf swells in Bali, Indonesia.

Esquivel is the famed one-legged surfer of La Union. A member of the Stoked Inc.-Billabong’s surf team, Esquivel is also considered as one of the best surfers in this surfing capital of Northern Philippines.

“Wala siyang katulad,” describes Luke Landrigan, one of the country’s top surfers and head of the Billabong Surf School in San Juan. “Matagal na kaming magkakilala, nung bata pa kami. Siya lang ang surfer na nakita ko na kakaiba. Kahit isa lang ang leg niya, napakagaling pa rin niya. He is also very competitive.”

RISE OF THE PRO

Esquivel was born with only one complete leg. But growing-up, he never felt different from everybody else, even if he had to use crutches as early as five years old.

“Normal ang pagtrato sa akin kaya’t nakalakihan ko na na normal ang pakiramdam at hindi kakaiba,” Esquivel says.

Esquivel started to learn surfing at age 13 just by watching foreign pro surfers ride the huge of waves in their coastal town. He thought he could do what they do, maybe even better. Armed with planks of plywood and sometimes dead tree trunks, Esquivel started to negotiate the waves with his friends.

When a group of Australian surfers left their used surfboards to him and his friend, Esquivel could not believe his luck. Now owning a real surfboard, he started his long- lasting love affair with the water sport.

In 2000, at 16, he started winning competitions. He was hailed champion in the Billabong Grommet Surfing Competition in La Union, a surfing competition for young surfers. This was the start of his official surfing career.

Because of his incredible surfing skills, people started to notice him and throw their support behind him. Paul Stranner, an Australian surfer, was so impressed with Esquivel’s skills and consistently sponsors his pro surfing activities. StokedInc.-Billabong also gives him the opportunities to surf abroad. In Bali, Indonesia, Esquivel got a lot of media attention not because of disability but because of his amazing surfing skills.

DOING HIS SHARE

Surfing in La Union has become an industry. Once a fishing village, the coast of San Juan has become one of the country’s premier surfing destinations, thus opening jobs to the town folk.

“Parang Boracay na dito sa dami ng tao, lalo na sa weekends,” Esquivel observes.

At present, Esquivel helps at the Billabong Surfing School, teaching young surfers and future enthusiasts. His disability has inspired so many young surfers to excel in the sport.

“Go lang. Habang may buhay, may pag-asa. Basta mahalin mo lang kung anuman ang gagawin mo sa buhay,” he says.

He is proud to be living his dream but he is even prouder to have served as an inspiration to surfers and non-surfers alike.