Keeping The Subculture Alive

By: Moujeck Cabales/Photos by: Moujeck Cabales/Article 3 of 7

Not minding the scorching summer heat, Bogart Revilla and his skater friends had gone on to a dull-looking playground in Marikina, geared with nothing but their trusty skateboards. They were dressed in their skater’s best: worn-out skate shoes, band shirts or long-sleeved polos, low-waist pants showing their boxer shorts. A week before, their Facebook accounts had been tagged with the event poster “Project Jordan: Skate for a Cause – Skate Jam and Competition”. Word of the event spread among the followers. Longing to play again under the sun, Revilla and his so-called Marilag Skate Crew trooped from Quezon City to Parang, Marikina, for the benefit skate jam.

Held last April 21, around a hundred skateboarders from all over the Metro came to the place. It was a spectacular sight to see, but there were not much audiences to cheer for those who perfected the awesome tricks.

The skate-for-a-cause event was for the immediate operation of the skater Ryan Roy Jordan, 'who sustained a blood clot from a severe head injury in a skateboarding related incident'. The event had no big name sponsors, much less a true skate park. Organizers instead brought their own makeshift ramps and rails so they can do tricks. During the skate jam they passed donation boxes. Being in election season, they also gave out free yellow baller bracelets with 'The Filipino is worth dying for' written on it. They didn't have skating apparels nor Tony Hawk nor electioneering politicians for sponsors, only their own efforts.

An Underground Affair

Being a low-profile subculture, skating events and competitions are only passed around through word of the mouth. Posters are made and gingerly pasted on walls and light posts, then uploaded on Facebook (today's top social networking site ). Every skater is tagged. Thanks to the Internet, anyone not living in caves can be informed. Venues for events are but wide, open spaces and organizers bring their own ramps and rails.

Hence it would be quite lucky if they can get international sponsors, like the Republ1c’s Summer Grind held last April 17. Held together with the launching of the XVIB Skate Park, the all-Filipino skateboarding company had big name global brands like C1RCA, Girl, Chocolate, Zero, Skull Candy and other lifestyle and clothing companies. Sweet deals, really.

Rica Santos, Marketing Manager of the Republ1c, stated that sponsors and investors for skating competitions are hard to come by. “Skateboarding is not a profitable venture, however. And there are few people who invest on it.”, she said. So that’s why skaters themselves go the extra mile just to hold events to keep the hype alive.

“Minsan may sponsor, minsan wala. Pag ganun, eh di ako lang (Sometimes there are sponsors, sometimes there are none. If there’s none, I’d do it myself)”, Jack Nonato said. Nonato, who also organizes contests for the Hampaslupa Skateboarding, shells out his own money when there are no big-shot patrons. He feels that talented skaters shouldn’t go unnoticed, so events should be held from time to time.. “Sayang ‘yung talent eh. Kung may malaking pera lang ako susuportahan ko silang lahat eh (Talents could go to waste. If I only had much money, I’d support them all), he added.

Go Skateboarding Day

Just recently, skateboarders across countries however had done tremendous efforts to promote the skateboarding subculture. In 2004, the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) declared the Go Skateboarding Day as an unofficial annual holiday. Celebrated every June 21, they do nothing but skate all day.

No Talk Of The Town

But more often than not, skateboarders organize events and competitions the underground way – no sponsor, no media coverage, no ads and out from the mainstream public attention. Though everyone is invited, there would only be a handful of spectators.

Bogart can do a lot of death-defying tricks but sadly, there aren't a lot of people who'd appreciate it. For as long skateboarding remains in the underground scene, Bogart's and his friends' talents would remain unnoticed and unappreciated.