EDITORIAL — Where’s that stake park?

Skateboarding enthusiasts were given a treat by Cebuana skateboarder Margielyn Didal who headlined the Converge FiberX Xponentials Spotlight Tour at the never one to disappoint, Didal, who made history as the first Filipino to compete in Olympic skateboarding at the 2020 Tokyo Games, showed off the moves that earned her a podium victory at the Street League Skateboarding in Santa Monica, California, May of last year.

While Talisay City can boast of its own dedicated skate park where skaters can practice their skills away from hazards, Cebu City still doesn’t have its own until now. Where is the skate park long promised to residents of Cebu City?

The irony that Didal, who is a native of Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, could show off her skills in a skate park in Talisay City but not in her own city was not lost on some.

"Di ta maulaw ani? Si Didal taga Lahug, Cebu City, wa g'yud ta ka pasidungog niya? Kita wa ta ana compared sa ubang city diri (sa) Cebu," said Councilor Jun Alcover.

Every day we see youths on skateboards making do with whatever flat ground they have. They usually hang out and practice in closed gas stations and the like, but many of them also brave the streets where they can get into accidents.

While some adults may think of skateboarders as nuisances and truants, we have to remember that the great skateboarders, Didal among them, started out that way; as skaters just trying to hone their skills in whatever setting they find themselves in.

And for those who think of skateboarding as a useless skill, just look at Didal. Her skills have taken her to places many of us can only dream of and allowed her to compete in the biggest sporting event the world has to offer.

This goes without saying a city like Cebu should have its own dedicated skate park, one where kids who harbor their own dreams for skateboarding glory can practice without discrimination or fear of getting into accidents.

It’s not a problem of space; we have a lot of that. So what’s the problem?