CEBU, Philippines - A week ago, after secretly lurking in Facebook, browsing on photos of an “outlaw” competition held in an uphill spot (considered it the game zone) during Sinulog week, I finally brushed elbows with one of the local frontliners – the Grupo Nopo (Opon when spelled backwards) longboarders of Opon, Lapu-lapu City – whose members seemed unafraid of getting bruised. They are only one of the groups in the growing community of longboard skateboarding in the province who are currently forming the face of Cebu to the world.
Unlike trickboard skateboarding (skateboarding in layman’s term) that basically concentrates on aerial maneuver and precision, longboard skateboarding or simply longboarding is focused on speed and grace without the flips, ollies and of course, the tricks to impress. The name itself speaks of the general dimension of the board: longer than the trickboard, of course. “It’s a subculture of surfing,” shared Juan Duazo, one of the elders of Grupo Nopo. This is probably why Wikipedia equates longboarding as “surfing on concrete” sans the splash. According to Juan, if one is a surfer or a skimboarder, he’ll learn longboarding with ease and vice versa. “You sort of get the same feel,” he added.
Juan recalled that in the 80s, Cebuano enthusiasts experienced a “downhill” boom but due to reported accidents that resulted in bad publicity, it lost its appeal. In early 2000, longboarding gradually made a comeback with more disciplines this time, namely: freestyle (wood walking), slalom racing (minus the cars), push racing (with long courses) and cross-country, which takes longer to culminate since it requires multiple-day trips using only their cruisers. Their recent cross-country adventure was a taxing nine-day, 100 kilometer-trip around Cebu, Oriental Negros and Negros Occidental; drifters all with gears, backpacks and a huge amount of determination.
Grupo Nopo sprang from the idea of forming a club of sorts that shares the same passion for longboarding. Teens, majority are gents (only 20 percent are women), who can’t afford to go to school learn the ropes instead of wandering and doing drugs. So, unlike clubs in the big city, Grupo Nopo is non-exclusive in terms of society class and educational attainment. It’s all-embracing. These kids who are struggling financially strive to win in competitions to ace their skateboard gears that are mostly prizes during tourneys. Well aside from that, they wait at their porches for “product seeding” from renowned brands that are liquid enough to give out the appropriate sneaks and boards at 56 inches max in length.
Their recent win was in the downhill skateboarding competition at Whiskey Hill 5 in Bulacan where 21-year-old lad John Rey Ricablanca won best time in the 800-meter course, beating some of Manila’s best. John Rey gives credit to the countless days in the playground to improve on speed and master perfect control in curves and curbs, and of course the unwavering support of his Grupo Nopo family. Kara Marbe of Talisay also shares the same sentiment as John Rey’s after also bagging the winning title in the Freestyle category. The group is currently gearing up for the upcoming Sikad Siquijor downhill competition this May that will gather the country’s longboard buffs.
Social Responsibility
“Our longboards are used to travel or commute minus air pollution,” stated Juan. These longboarders are often spotted at the roadsides skating their way to their destination without the hassle of riding reckless-driven jeepneys or the comforts of an airconditioned smoke belching automobile. “There is a call to clean air,” he enthused. The group, apparently part of Free Energy Coop, which is an “alliance of businessmen, artists, athletes and concerned individuals that supports a local economic system directly benefiting a growing community that is committed to spread the critical message of sustainability,” had participated in the Earth Day Push Race for the past three years now. The race covers a 30-kilometer course from South Road Properties (SRP) to Mactan Shrine using only the boards. Grupo Nopo not only wishes to spread the GREEN potion in Cebu but is also poised to inflict many as they plan to skate on asphalt throughout the entire country.
There are quite a lot of skateboarding converts in Cebu. Just look around or browse the net to hook up with new playmates.
As I put on my helmet, with my protective gears clasped on my knees and elbows, a pair of sleek sneaks and my newly-bought board, I realized I missed on something – I need to find my balance. I must’ve left it in my dream. Tsk!