Ronnie "Poks" Esquivel. A Filipino hero.
Posted on July 26, 2012 by Lui Tortuya
 |
Buhay Pinoy
For the hundreds of thousands of us who call him friend, the world was a very dark place Monday morning when Facebook lit up with the news of Ronnie "Poks" Esquivel's passing.
I don't exaggerate when I say that hundreds of thousands are mourning because at the tender age of 27, Poks had sealed his place in the history books of global surfing and was a Filipino icon who was filmed and photographed and celebrated in newspapers and on people's social networks since the time of Friendster. We all watched him grow and become one of the best surfers ever, and all with one leg. He was a phenomenon that people talked about all over the world. The kid who surfed really well with one leg.
Juice up your mobile device with the free Juice.ph Mobile App for iPhone and Android.
Poks was born with an underdeveloped leg which he never let hold him back from anything, from picking up chicks to making it to the finals in almost every surf competition he joined. He could ride shortboard and throw buckets with his turns and bust 180 aerials. He also handled a longboard better than most people, pulling off big beautiful roundhouses and dropping toes with his "modified" hang ten. I once heard another competitor complain about his "advantage" in a surf comp because he was kicking everyone's ass. In life he advanced as easily as he did in competitions making it as a sponsored rider for Stoked Inc. He was a great ambassador of the sport.
He enjoyed life and was a blast to bro-out with every time we all traveled to remote places like Cloud 9 or Baler to chase competitions and bikini opens. The latter he enjoyed more, as did we all. He was a good brother bringing up and guiding little JR, who is now considered one of the best surfers in Asia.
Good vision is definitely an advantage in surfing. Follow these 12 Tips for Healthy Eyes to keep your peepers seeing crystal clear.
We're gonna miss you Poks, in the same way one misses close family. You were a good example of how to just be a better human at everything. Your legacy will go long and your influence will continue to shape this budding surf community, and we who you left behind won't ever let you be forgotten. Even with one leg you really stood tall above us all, Bro.
Rest in Peace, Poks. One day we will all see you again in a better line-up.
Pictures take from Tim Hain, Kage Gozun, Stoked Inc., and some other people on FB. Thanks guys.
Juice Recommends:
Juice Sports & Hobbies: Keep your mind and body active
Juice Out of Town: Where will your next getaway be?
I don't exaggerate when I say that hundreds of thousands are mourning because at the tender age of 27, Poks had sealed his place in the history books of global surfing and was a Filipino icon who was filmed and photographed and celebrated in newspapers and on people's social networks since the time of Friendster. We all watched him grow and become one of the best surfers ever, and all with one leg. He was a phenomenon that people talked about all over the world. The kid who surfed really well with one leg.
Juice up your mobile device with the free Juice.ph Mobile App for iPhone and Android.
Poks was born with an underdeveloped leg which he never let hold him back from anything, from picking up chicks to making it to the finals in almost every surf competition he joined. He could ride shortboard and throw buckets with his turns and bust 180 aerials. He also handled a longboard better than most people, pulling off big beautiful roundhouses and dropping toes with his "modified" hang ten. I once heard another competitor complain about his "advantage" in a surf comp because he was kicking everyone's ass. In life he advanced as easily as he did in competitions making it as a sponsored rider for Stoked Inc. He was a great ambassador of the sport.
He enjoyed life and was a blast to bro-out with every time we all traveled to remote places like Cloud 9 or Baler to chase competitions and bikini opens. The latter he enjoyed more, as did we all. He was a good brother bringing up and guiding little JR, who is now considered one of the best surfers in Asia.
Good vision is definitely an advantage in surfing. Follow these 12 Tips for Healthy Eyes to keep your peepers seeing crystal clear.
We're gonna miss you Poks, in the same way one misses close family. You were a good example of how to just be a better human at everything. Your legacy will go long and your influence will continue to shape this budding surf community, and we who you left behind won't ever let you be forgotten. Even with one leg you really stood tall above us all, Bro.
Rest in Peace, Poks. One day we will all see you again in a better line-up.
Pictures take from Tim Hain, Kage Gozun, Stoked Inc., and some other people on FB. Thanks guys.
Juice Recommends:
Juice Sports & Hobbies: Keep your mind and body active
Juice Out of Town: Where will your next getaway be?
Juice Recommends:
Leave a Comment
Login first to submit a comment