Filipino skaters enjoy Vans' Go Skateboarding Day after two-year hiatus
MANILA, Philippines — The Filipino skateboarding community celebrated the return of festivities for Go Skateboarding Day after a two-year break on Saturday with activities organized by Vans Philippines at the Manila Skate Park.
An annual event first started in New York City in 2002, skaters from all over Metro Manila flocked to the affair highlighted by skateboarding challenges, performances, and more with their fellow Pinoy skaters.
Alphonsus Mandigma, marketing representative for Action Sports of Vans Philippines, said that there was much enthusiasm from the skating community to celebrate in-person after the COVID-19 pandemic affected skaters for so long.
"In terms of preparation [for the event], medyo mahirap. Kasi hindi kagaya nung dati... Iba pa rin, nasa pandemic pa rin tayo. But pansin namin, excited lang sila. Excited din ako. Sobrang dami ng tao," he told Philstar.com.
Festivities started as early as 8:00 a.m. at Liwasang Bonifacio where the skaters participated in a Push Parade to the Skate Park.
Vans Philippines skater Irone Ilagan mirrored Mandigma's sentiment, saying that skaters were very eager to return to what they loved.
"Naapektuhan 'yung skate community, especially dun sa mga lockdowns. Syempre, as athlete, dapat continuous yung progression, yung growth ng mga skater. Plus, yung bond nila with each other. Naging challenge yun but still, naging resilient yung mga skater," said Ilagan.
"Ngayon, as you can see, kahit biglaan yung Go Skate Day, makita mo na ang dami paring nagpaparticipate. Very excited sila and very enthusiastic sila sa pagi-skate nila at makasalamuha 'yung kapwa nila skater," he added.
'Giving back to the community'
The event, though held in partnership with local group One Manila Organization, was spearheaded by Vans as a brand.
Their commitment to holding events like Go Skateboarding Day, Mandigma says, is simply their way of supporting the community that has kept Vans alive.
"Since Vans [ay] nagstart talaga because of skateboarding, [kung] walang skateboarding, walang Vans," said Mandigma.
"In short, itong ginagawa naming activities, events, support sa mga athletes, it's a way of giving back to the community," he added.
Among those who receive the most support from the brand is Ilagan, who is actually handled by Mandigma as one of the brand's athletes.
Looking outside of himself, Ilagan hopes that more activities like this, and the growth of skateboarding as a sport in the international community -- especially with its inclusion in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics -- will lead to a better environment for skaters like him.
"Nababawasan yung stigma with regards to skaters na matigas ang ulo, at tinuturing na talaga siya as sport," he said of the impact of events like Go Skateboarding Day.
"Kasi 'yung iba, when they see skateboarding, very extremely dangerous at parang may stigma kasi na associated na sasabihin nila, 'di maganda 'yung ugali, walang pinag-aralan, things like that, pero as you can see, despite of the lack of facility, makikita mo na merong world champion sa Pilipinas. And what more kung magkaroon tayo ng world class na skate park dito sa Pilipinas?" he added.
In recent years, the Philippines has seen a number of skateboarding personalities steal the limelight in sports, like Tokyo Olympian Margielyn Didal, and her national team teammates Daniel Ledermann, Christiana Means, among others.
With the community being increasingly more open, Mandigma hopes that there will also be an uptick in the support of skateboarders who aim to make it professionally.
"Natural na sa mga Pilipino na tayo talaga ay magaling sa mga bagay. As long as may support at natututukan natin, I think 5 years, 10 years, meron na tayong Olympic gold," he said.
The Manila Skate Park, situated in Quirino Ave. extension, is one of the few skateparks that Filipino skaters can use.
It can be recalled that Didal and the rest of Skate Pilipinas called for better skateboarding facilities in the country in order to support athletes and churn out more elite skateboarders.
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