Aurora Longboarding

An Open Letter About the Recent Lipata Hill Incident

As someone who has represented the Philippines in international downhill skateboarding competitions, I feel that it’s important to share my thoughts regarding the recent video circulating from Lipata Hills.

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the concern of the driver. If someone is unfamiliar with downhill skateboarding, seeing riders descending a mountain road can understandably be alarming. Safety should always be everyone’s priority—not only for the riders, but for every person using the road.

However, what saddens me is not the concern itself, but how it was presented. Instead of simply expressing concern, the video included laughter and jokes about “bumping” the riders. Whether that was the intention or not, it came across as mocking the athletes rather than opening a meaningful conversation about safety. As a result, it divided people online instead of encouraging understanding.

I also want to explain something that many people may not know.

Downhill skateboarding is a legitimate sport practiced in many countries around the world. It has World Championships, international competitions, and athletes who dedicate years of training to represent their countries. I was fortunate to represent the Philippines internationally and achieve a World No. 4 ranking. Many of the riders that train on these roads share the same dream—to improve, compete, and one day represent our country as well.

The challenge is that, unlike many other sports, downhill skateboarding has almost no dedicated facilities in the Philippines. Street skateboarders have skateparks. Basketball players have courts. Swimmers have pools. But downhill skateboarders need long mountain roads with the right terrain to train.

This is why you see riders on roads like Lipata Hills.

They’re not there because they want to inconvenience motorists, create traffic, or put anyone in danger. They’re there because, for most of us, there simply isn’t another place to practice.

That doesn’t mean we ignore safety.

Experienced downhill skateboarders understand that public roads are shared spaces. We don’t own them, and we don’t expect motorists to adjust everything for us. We ride during lighter traffic whenever possible, use spotters to warn riders of approaching vehicles, communicate constantly with one another, wear proper protective equipment, and follow safety practices that have been developed through years of experience. Lipata Hills has been a training spot for the local downhill skateboarding community in Surigao City for many years, and the riders there are familiar with these protocols.

Of course, I also understand why some people believe skateboarders shouldn’t be on public roads at all. That concern is valid. Every road user deserves to feel safe.

This is exactly why many of us have been advocating for dedicated downhill skateboarding venues in the Philippines.

In Alegria, Surigao del Norte, we’ve been fortunate to work with our local government to develop Rydelle’s Hill—a venue that has become home to national downhill skateboarding events and training. While it remains a public road, it has shown what is possible when a community, local government, and athletes work together to support the sport while promoting safety and responsible use of the road.

My hope is that this becomes the beginning—not the end. That more communities will recognize our sport and eventually create more places where athletes can train responsibly, reducing the need to rely on public roads.

I’ve also read comments asking what skateboarders contribute to society compared to truck drivers.

Personally, I don’t think this should be a comparison.

Truck drivers deserve our respect. They work hard every day and play an essential role in our communities. Athletes deserve respect as well. We are simply pursuing different paths. We train, we compete, we represent our hometowns and our country, and we inspire younger generations to dream beyond what they thought was possible. Neither profession diminishes the value of the other.

This issue shouldn’t be about choosing sides between motorists and skateboarders. It should be about understanding each other’s perspective.

As athletes, we also carry the responsibility to ride responsibly and continue improving our safety practices. At the same time, I hope the public can understand that these riders are not reckless individuals looking for trouble. They are athletes chasing a dream in a sport that has allowed Filipinos to compete on the world stage despite having very limited resources and almost no dedicated training facilities.

At the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing: to get home safely.

I hope this situation becomes an opportunity to educate people about downhill skateboarding rather than create more division. Through understanding, respect, and cooperation, I believe we can find better solutions for both motorists and athletes.

Let’s choose understanding over assumptions, education over ridicule, and respect over division.