Saipan, Guam surfers and skaters aid families; MSSL events on hold

In the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, small acts of coordination are helping fill urgent gaps across Saipan—especially among tight-knit groups like Saipan and Guam’s surfers and skaters.

The effort was a collective one, involving Saipan’s Marianas Surf and Skate League, along with Guahan Bodyboarders, Guam Skate Network, Lotus Surf Shop, and Fokai.

The shipment from Guam included a few pallets of water and several boxes of reusable ice packs. With limited time and supplies, organizers focused on immediate needs. Some of the water was distributed directly to families within Saipan’s surfing and skate community, who then helped pass along remaining donations to others in their villages who needed them most. The ice packs were reserved for residents with medical needs.

“The reusable ice packs we focused on those individuals who needed to keep their medication cold. So for like individuals with diabetes for example, their medication needs to stay cold, so we prioritized those individuals that we were aware of for the ice packs,” said TJ Deleon Guerrero, chair of MSSL.

“Everything happened so fast we didn't have any time to plan anything or have enough to do pick up spots or any of that,” he added.

When asked if it will be a daily thing, he said it’s unfortunately not.

“We did the most we could with the supplies we had. It only lasted for 2 days and we ran out. There is a lot of ground to cover and so little supplies.”

MSSL would also like to thank the surfing and skating community on Guam for sending the supplies.

“They have their own battles with the storm and they still found time to help our community. I would also like to thank all the surfers and skaters on Saipan who gave their time to help those in their village.”

As recovery continues, Deleon Guerrero’s message for the community is “to stay strong and dig deep! We have a long road ahead of us and it’s not gonna be easy. So be patient, stay kind, share what you can, help with what you can, and stay off Facebook “speak up” groups as much as possible. We all have to move forward and we can get there faster if we all do a little bit to help.”

As for MSSL’s events, the opening of their Capital Hill skate park and their annual Skate Series Competition are on hold.

“We need to set new dates for those events once our board members can get together and meet. And as always just follow us on IG @Marianas.surfskate.league for updates,” said Deleon Guerrero.