Man’s Surfboard, Lost In Hawaii, Found 5,000 Miles Away In Philippines

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A surfer from Hawaii lost his prized surfboard in 2018 and it washed ashore in the Philippines more than two years later.

The awesome find was documented on Facebook by Douglas Falter, a commercial photographer and surfer in Haleiwa.

“[Feb. 3, 2018] I remember I counted seven good rides that session. After catching so many waves I finally wiped out on one and my @lylecarlsonsurfboards board floated away after the leash came off my ankle at around 6:00 pm,” Falter wrote in a recent post. “I swam as hard as I could to try and get to it.”

“I ran from one end of Waimea Bay across to the other side and scaled the rocks trying to get a visual until it was completely dark,” he added. “I was really upset as I managed to catch the biggest waves of my life on this board.”

Thirty-one months later, Falter shared with his followers that he had found out his lost surfboard had made its way to Sarangani, a coastal province in the Philippines, which is around 5,200 miles away from Haleiwa.

The person who found the elusive surfboard was Giovanne Branzuela, an elementary school teacher who aspires to become a surfer himself on day.

Giovanne purchased the found surfboard from a fisherman, as he wanted to learn how to surf. He eventually contacted the surfboard’s shaper, Lyle Carlson, since it still had a visible logo on its surface.

That’s when word got back to Doug about his board being found.

Now, this entire situation as unfolded a whole new chapter in Doug’s life. Doug is looking to raise as much money as possible between now and when COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted, so he can travel to meet Giovanne, bring surfboards, gear, and teach him and his students how to surf!

How awesome!!!

“I couldn’t imagine a better ending to this story than to see the sport of surfing begin in a place where nobody surfs,” Falter wrote. “I could teach him how to surf and hopefully a few of his 144 students. He is in charge of a school on the islands where my board is and I’m sure some of the kids would love to learn.”