THE Philippine skateboard scene is on a steady rise. Although skate parks remain scarce in the country, more people are getting into the sport. Thanks to the advocates for creating awareness and breaking the stigma attached to the sport. 

Perhaps, more than anything else, thanks to the spotlight brought by Asian Games gold medalist street skateboarder Margielyn Didal whose wicked grin and sportsmanship during the Tokyo Olympics captured global attention.

Where should people go if they want to be the next Didal or Tony Hawk?

Nothing beats word-of-mouth recommendations, said John Mikhael Sario, a 19-year-old street skater. But for those who don’t have skater friends like him, Sario got your back.

From one skater to fellow skaters, here’s a list of places you can go to if you want to skate.

GOMO Skate Park, Circuit Makati

Photo courtesy: Astig.ph

Pros: Perhaps one of the most well-known skate parks in the PH, Gomo Skate Park has a variety of ramps, ledges, stairs, rails, a funbox, half pipes, and other obstacles for both beginners and professionals. The park is wide and spacious, and many skaters admire the flow of the park as well. Events are often held here as well, like Circuit Makati’s Rekta sa Kalye Circus Music Festival last April.

Cons: Given its popularity, beginners may have difficulty navigating this park, especially if they’re on their own. They may also feel shyer, or more pressured to outperform other people at the park that they view as ‘better’ than them. Some skaters may also view the obstacles to be kind of basic because the tricks they can do there are limited.

Taytay Municipal Hall, Manila East

Photo courtesy: Foursquare

Pros: Open, flat space with smooth ground to cruise on. There’s an obstacle course available, courtesy of the Taytay Skate Crew. The skaters here are seldom told off, or asked to leave. It’s a great place to make friends and socialize with your fellow skaters.

Cons: Obstacles are only available on weekdays after 5 PM because of people going in and out of the municipal hall. It’s also harder to skate before 5 because of the number of cars parked. The place is mainly just flat ground, aside from the obstacles, so skaters who like transitions or ramps may not have as much fun here.

Lawton Post Office, San Pedro Manila

Photo courtesy: Skate Scene Philippines

Pros: It has a stair gap, which is great if you’re used to skating on it. You can skate around in the stars. The flat ground is decent for technical work, and the area is pretty wide. 

Cons: Not much to do if you don’t like or don’t know how to maneuver your way across stairs and gaps. The ledges on the sides are rough and aren’t suitable for grinds (save for one.) There are no obstacles present that you can play around with. The conductor here might ask you to leave.

Cainta Skate Park, Cainta 

Photo courtesy: One Cainta on Facebook

Pros: Very accommodating. There’s a dog park playground and gym set next to it, so it’s active in more ways than one. It’s one of the only skateparks in the Rizal Area, but it’s able to accommodate many different obstacles for different types of skaters. There are ledges for street-type skaters, ramps of different heights for beginners, and even a ring quarter pipe for transition skaters. 

Cons: The space is limited, so it may come off as tight and crowded. It isn’t very beginner-friendly, especially on the weekends, because of the number of amateur skaters going around, so there isn’t much space left for beginners. Some obstacles feel out-of-place, in that they block other obstacles or don’t make sense to play with.

Anywhere and everywhere! (with caution, of course)

Pros: You don’t have to limit learning new tricks to skate parks and parking lots. Take to the streets and use that as your starting ground to build new experiences, and to make new friends. It’s best to do this with people you can trust, so you can avoid emergencies if ever they may come.

Cons: Cops; you never know when they’re gonna chase you down and ask you to stop or tell you to take your business elsewhere. And you constantly have to watch out for random passersby to make sure that no accidents ensue.

Sario said those who do not live near these areas have the best option to just start somewhere.

On finding places to ride, Sario reminds skaters: “Mostly nahahanap ko yung places na yun through friends who skate rin, and some spots na-discover ko through exploring lang around areas.