- WSL / Thomas Bennett
- WSL / Thomas Bennett

Over 64 WSL Qualifying Series (QS) competitors have arrived in the beautiful Island paradise of Siargao in the Philippines ahead of the 25th annual Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup QS1,500.

Iconic Cloud 9 Tower at the Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup The Iconic Cloud 9 Tower - WSL / Matt Power

After two spectacular events throughout the Asia region over the last month, competitors hungry for QS points will shift their focus this week to the hollow righthand barrels of Cloud 9 for the third and final stop. With 6 days from the 4th till the 9th of October, WSL Contest Director Will Hayden-Smith is liking the look of this week's forecast.

"The first few days will see medium waves with perfect offshore winds and great tides for Cloud 9," said Hayden-Smith. "We've got plenty of time up our sleeve so can really pick the eyes out of the best conditions which is comforting to know. There is a typhoon developing to the North East of the Philippines towards the end of the window so we will definitely be keeping a close eye on that as we move closer to the final day. We've got an awesome field of internationals along with the always dangerous local surfer's so this is bound to be a really exciting week of surfing."

John Mark Tokong at the Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup Local favourite John Mark Tokong. - WSL / Matt Power

Although the event will play host to a massive international field, it is the exposure and experience it will give to the Filipino surfers that Congressman Bingo Matugas is most excited about, particularly now that surfing is an Olympic sport.

"As part of the World Surf League Qualifying Series, the annual Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup draws the world's most outstanding surfers to this beautiful island of ours. Through the years, they've given Siargao's best surfers world-class competition to make them potential Olympic gold medalists," Congressman Matugas said. "For the first time in 2020 in Tokyo, surfing will be an Olympic event. I've said this before and I will say it again. The country's first Olympic gold medalist could be a surfer who first rode the waves in Cloud 9, one of the world's best surfing spots. All of the field has arrived on our Island home now and we can't wait to watch the competition commence this weekend."

The Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup will run from October 4 - 9 2019.

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