Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Join Margielyn Didal at her private indoor skate spot in Cebu City!
Margielyn Didal is a 22-year-old skateboarding sensation from the Philippines – check out her custom training facility and read our interview with her now.
The story of Margielyn Didal is incredible. From starting out skating around the streets of Cebu city in the Philippines at the age of 12, she’s enjoyed a stratospheric rise and in so doing she’s raised the profile of skate culture not just in her home country but the entire region.
Contest victories at the Asian and Southeast Asian games in 2018 and 2019, respectively, turned Margie into something of a national hero, even as Cebu’s only skatepark (Concave) was closing down. Forced to practise at the picturesque but limited terrain underneath the Pahara bridge in neighbouring Mandaue, Margie’s ability to work on new moves was then further curtailed by the pandemic.
The solution was to build herself a small and private training facility where she could dial in her technique with a view to setting the global women’s contest circuit alight.
Margie's plan is to use her profile in a country which idolises sporting heroes to create a permanent indoor public skatepark to nourish the groundswell of interest in skating her success has helped create. All this, it might be added, before even her 22nd birthday (she turned 22 on April 19).
To celebrate that occasion, Margie invited us to swing by and check out her current training facility, where we took the opportunity to catch up with her about the twists and turns of her life story right up to this very unusual juncture in time.
Margie Didal- 360 Flip
© Dani Bautista
Margie Didal
© Dani Bautista
Margie Didal - Frontside Bluntslide
© Dani Bautista
Margie Didal - Smith Grind
© Dani Bautista
How’s life for you on a day-to-day basis these days, Margie?
Day-to-day life for me is good, but also you can't avoid the hard times. I'm looking on the bright side…
Could your success help create a public indoor skatepark in Cebu at some point in the future?
I hope so – I mean, since I started skating I always used to go to our local park, but they shut down and, since then, I’ve just been skating the streets – and getting kicked out. Until now!
New Balance are making a lot of moves in Asia – are they a good shoe team to be on?
Yup: New Balance Numeric have helped me a lot, I’m hyped to be part of their team here.
Who are your favourite people to skate with?
Everybody! I enjoy skating with everyone.
When international travel returns, where are you most excited to go skate?
I'm excited to travel again and excited to go everywhere! But, you always have to take double care – especially with this pandemic.
What are your thoughts on filming for video parts? Are you working on any, currently?
I have thought about making a video part, but as of now I'm more focused on the upcoming Tokyo games.
Any final words of wisdom, or shout-outs?
Shout out to all my sponsors! NB numeric, 8five2skateboards, Ace trucks, Red Bull, Bones, Go for Gold, MVP sports foundation, Ares Distribution, Mob Grip and everyone else: thank you for the love, and support!
