Sunday, January 27, 2013

Loud and Proud: Davao Skate Spots

Taking it out on the streets is one of the most awesome things that happened to skateboarding. Davao has been known as a home for lots of skaters and because of that, there are many spots around the metro to cater to our passion. It may not be like the skate parks that we see around the United States and Europe but we are proud of what we have, even the smallest and frailest ledge or rail. Here are some of the local skate spots down south:

Magsaysay Park. Located near Uyanguren Street, Davao City, Magsaysay or MP is the center of Davao skate scene. Almost all of us know that this is the spot where you can skate all day long, that's if you can handle the intense heat during noon time. The great thing about the spot is the awesome shade of trees in the afternoon. The place also has a ledge and rail and if you're feeling extreme, there's a stage just around the corner that you can skate. 


Matina Town Square or MTS is great destination for people who want are looking for a little bit of fun whether you are on a skateboard or not. Even though the management doesn't always allow skaters under the tent, the spot is still great especially if it's raining because of the huge tarpaulin canopies. MTS may be flatland but skaters from all over DC are building up several ledges, manual pads and rails to make it more "street". 


PBCOM. Fronting Quirino Avenue, Davao City, PBCOM is not a favorable spot for many skaters but because of lack of spots, people still flock here to skate. The area is road kill, literally since it's right next to a busy, main avenue. In addition, the pavements for flatland skate are coarse and it's not a large spot like MTS or MP. Since it is a bank during daytime, skaters only get to shred the spot after 8 o'clock. 


Victoria Plaza Carpark. One of my favorite spots in DC is the nearby mall carpark downtown. The spot had been home to many skaters for more than 4 years until one time, the mall management suddenly forbade skaters to shred the spot. Even though you can only access the car park at night, it was still a nice spot to be. It's quiet with enough lighting and it has a rail and a huge gap. If you love doing wheelies, the spot would be great for you too. 


Computer World or CW is located in Roxas Avenue and like PBCOM it's right next to a main road but with less traffic. The bad side about this spot is the uneven and coarse pavement but nevertheless, many skaters still come here especially the "underground" ones. I'm not sure what the term is but at least we know that it's a skate spot. There aren't ledges or rails but there's a little slope that you can practice your tricks on. One thing, there's a security guard on duty everytime so any monkey business is not welcome such as property damage (or drugs?). The area is a computer shop and can only be accessed at night. 


Claveria or better known as "Lawaan" because of the old theaters of the same name is also one of my favorite.It has a ledge, a small rail and is pretty close to a skateshop. But like in car park, it was closed down due to construction. The management wanted to make the property into a hotel and just last year, our favorite spot was gone. Today, even a single sound of a skateboard is forbidden even if you're just passing by. 


Narra Street or better known as Toyozu is one of the oldest and most visited spots next to Magsaysay park. When the Claveria spot closed down, most skaters would flock here to skate. It has a two stair down, long flat and smooth pavement and a huge gap facing the road. There are only two occasions in which you can skate the area, on Sundays and at night. It's an awesome spot in daylight but it sucks during the night due to lack of light. 

Today, the only main spots left is MP, Toyozu and MTS (if the management feels like it.) But at least, Davao Skaters are still able to enjoy the beauty of skateboarding. 

How's it been?

It's been a long time since I posted something here and it has been a pleasure to write about the skateboarding. I chose this topic because of the fact that Davao needs an official skate park. There have been musings about it and many of the senior skaters have brought it up with the local government but still there was nothing. But anyways, like I said, we are still happy that we can still shred the streets even if we lack the spots. 

See you next post! 

1 comment:

  1. hi...i have messaged one the city's recreation center to include a public skateboarding park..if you can make a letter as well with all the signatures you can muster to ask the city officials to consider building one in People's park? kanang naay area bitaw diha sa people's park nga karaan nga swimming pool dati...di man kaayo magamit kana kaha i convert to skateboard area...ngari sa ireland, halos tanang park dunay skateboard area...u dont need to pay for like in abreeza if you only ask the local govt to consider and im sure they will give it a thought as nindut for recreation/past time sa mga teenagers..

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