Dream come true for Marama Tokong as Cloud 9 hosts WSL Championship Tour

MANILA — Filipino surfer John Mark “Marama” Tokong will be in the spotlight this month as he represents the country in the World Surf League (WSL) Philippines Pro Championship Tour in Siargao.

Tokong was awarded a coveted wildcard to compete at his home break, Cloud 9.

“Getting the chance to compete in a CT event at my home break is one of my biggest dreams. I’m really grateful for the opportunity and excited to represent my hometown and our country,” said Tokong.

Tokong is very familiar with Cloud 9, which has long been a proving ground for international surfers. Since the Siargao International Surfing Cup joined the WSL Qualifying Series in 2014, Tokong has built an extraordinary record of five finals appearances and four victories (2015, 2019, 2022, 2023).

His dominance has earned him the unofficial crown as the “King of Cloud 9.”

But he will face a different challenge from October 30 to November 8, with some of the world’s best set to compete in his home turf.

Among the standouts who will see action in Siargao are: world No. 1 Yago Dora of Brazil, Italy’s Leonardo Fioravanti, Brazilian powerhouses Italo Ferreira, Miguel Pupo, Gabriel Medina, and Filipe Toledo, Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi, and American star Tyler Wright.

There is an equally formidable lineup in the women’s division, headlined by Australia’s top‑ranked Molly Picklum, U.S. sensation Caroline Marks, rising talent Erin Brooks, Hawaii’s Gabriela Bryan, and veteran Lakey Peterson.

But Tokong has reason to be confident.

“Honestly, I’d be happy to surf with anyone. Just sharing the lineup with the best surfers in the world is already an honor. If I had to choose, I’d love to surf against Gabriel Medina or Italo Ferreira,” he said. “That would be added to my core memories.”

“Marama has become synonymous with Cloud 9 over the past decade, and there is no better person to represent the Philippines in the country’s first Championship Tour event,” said WSL APAC President Andrew Stark.