Rafael Rossel rides the waves

If anyone should be called the Ultimate Summer Boy, that would be Kapuso actor Rafael Rosell.

Why? Because this hunk is very much into the sport of surfing.

Rafael bared that he got interested in surfing 15 years ago while spending summer vacation in Bali, Indonesia.

“The natives there taught me how to surf. Since then, I’ve been into this sport.

“During my showbiz break, you can find me surfing either in La Union or Zambales where the waves are incredible,” he says.

One thing surfing has taught Rafael, he says, is to have patience in life.

“Patience is acquired as you practice it.

“In surfing, you really have to wait for a good wave. You’re just sitting there, in solitude, waiting for the perfect wave.”

The water sport is also one good way for the actor to commune with nature and to achieve the much-needed adrenalin rush.

“It’s a different kind of high. The connection you form with nature. It’s as if you are one with the ocean.

“With the pounding waves, You’d be paddling for dear life, so that you could reach the exact spot at the right time.

“You need to have impeccable timing. But once you catch the wave, the sense of fulfillment you get is incomparable.

“While in the sea, I would say a prayer. In soul surfing, you’re all alone. It’s just you and the waves. You’re able to connect with the ocean, find your soul and commune with nature.”

Rafael was born in Norway to Filipino parents. Every time he takes a vacation back to his birthplace, he makes sure that he gets to surf no matter how freezing the water is.

“There’s one great beach near my hometown Stavanger. The only thing is that the water there is cold. But Norway has one of the best surf spots in the world. Because of the freezing weather, you’d have to wear a wet suit and take special lessons. That’s why surfing in Europe can be quite expensive.”

In our country, Rafael has surfed in the best beaches such as Boracay, Puerto Galera and Pangasinan.

When the actor is on the beach, he literally shuts himself out from the real world.

“I want to disconnect whenever I go surfing – disconnect from technology, from people, from society – so I don’t take my cellphone or any gadget at all. I take my guitar instead.

“One time, I had the beach all to myself. No other surfers were there. So when I was done surfing, I just grabbed my guitar, sat on the beach, played a tune and enjoyed nature.”

Rafael will soon be seen in the upcoming GMA-7 teleserye Impostora.