00:00Scary!
00:11That's what these skaters are facing when they go through the narrow and winding roads.
00:18But our main target today, even if they crash again on the road.
00:30Oh, he's still fighting and continuing his race.
00:37Who is he?
00:46Here in Alegria, Surigao del Norte,
00:49at noon, people are lining up to witness these skaters.
00:55Downhill skateboarding is what they call it.
00:59It's crazy, right?
01:06Can you imagine that in the dangerous nature of this sport,
01:09there is a woman who is swimming here?
01:15Oh yes, my friends, you're not mistaken.
01:18She is Bridelle Grace Abarico, 22 years old.
01:23At her age, Bridelle is considered a champion in this sport.
01:27She was only in high school when she first jumped into skateboarding.
01:31And she first fell in love with street skateboarding.
01:35I started because my brother bought a penny board,
01:40which is a small longboard.
01:42When I tried it, I liked it right away.
01:44I didn't expect it to be my career.
01:47Because for me, it's just a hobby.
01:50I asked my dad if he could buy me a skateboard.
01:53He bought me one.
01:54The moment I tried it, I liked it right away.
01:57I love the adrenaline.
01:59I love how extreme the sport is.
02:01Downhill skateboarding, also known as gravity skateboarding,
02:05is a fast style of skateboarding on steep and winding roads.
02:09It is the fastest type of skateboard racing.
02:12You need a high-level skill to participate in this kind of sport.
02:21Bridelle's knowledge of gravity skateboarding in Surigao City grew.
02:26This is where she met the community of downhill skateboarders.
02:30Did you know that on her first competition, she learned how to spin?
02:36When I do that sport, I'm really happy.
02:40In competitions, of course, there's pressure.
02:43It's nerve-wracking and scary, but it's fun.
02:48No matter how fast her sport is,
02:50Bridelle's success in this sport is also fast.
02:54She became the fastest rider in the Nationals Games.
02:57In just one year, she won a bronze medal in the Southeast Asian Games in 2019.
03:05In 2022, Bridelle will get the third fastest in time trial in the World Skate Games in Argentina.
03:12She became the world's number five downhill skateboarder.
03:17It's your turn, Bridelle.
03:21Flat surfaces like sidewalks and empty swimming pools were the first games of skateboarders.
03:30In the 1970s, a new style of skateboarding emerged.
03:34It is now known as downhill skateboarding.
03:38In this style of skateboarding,
03:40you ride on steep and winding roads at high speeds.
03:45Special longboards were used to increase control and stability.
03:52In the 1990s, it evolved until new technologies emerged,
03:56such as slide gloves,
03:58and there were also downhill racing events.
04:02Now, in competitions,
04:03the first thing to do is to wear a full-face helmet,
04:06leather suit, and shoes.
04:09The race is by batch.
04:10Four per batch.
04:11With each batch,
04:12the players will speed up to reach the top of the slope.
04:26So, adrenaline junkies out there,
04:27have you tried skateboarding?
04:29Here's downhill.
04:30Let's go!
04:31Let's go!
04:40Within five years of Ridell's ride on the longboard,
04:43he has mastered various stunts and tricks,
04:47such as heelside puck downslide,
04:51toeside puck downslide,
04:54heelside stand-up slide,
04:56toeside stand-up slide,
04:59and heelside squat slide.
05:02Downhill skateboarding relies on gravity
05:06as the rider goes down the steep slope.
05:10Gravity pulls them down,
05:12so they run faster.
05:15While the center of mass of a rider is important for balance.
05:20Riders gain stability when they crouch.
05:25Every player in this extreme sport,
05:27like Ridell,
05:28runs at more than 85 miles per hour.
05:32In addition,
05:33the road is steep
05:35because from the word itself,
05:36downhill is the direction of the sport.
05:39That's why accidents are inevitable.
05:50Ridell was injured by a car accident.
05:54Just recently, this year,
05:55February, I broke my fibula,
05:58my left leg.
06:00I had a bone fracture.
06:02That was the major accident that happened to me.
06:06In Malaysia,
06:07his left ankle was dislocated.
06:10Four months after the bone fracture on my leg,
06:14I joined a competition in Malaysia.
06:17I was about to pass a rider from Thailand.
06:22He crashed behind me
06:23and hit me in the front.
06:25The two of us fell.
06:27Despite everything,
06:28if you ask Ridell,
06:29is he afraid when he rides a longboard?
06:33I don't think he will lose the feeling of being nervous
06:36and afraid when he skates.
06:39But when you ride your board,
06:41you forget the fear
06:43because you enjoy it.
06:46For now,
06:47he is preparing for his next competition in December.
06:50Ridell's inspiration in every competition
06:52is his parents
06:53who support him tirelessly.
06:56I'm very thankful that
06:58even though I get hurt,
07:00he helps me overcome my fears
07:03and challenges.
07:06He's with me all the way
07:07from the start of my journey until now.
07:09When I skate,
07:10I forget the stress,
07:12the problems,
07:13the suffering
07:14because it's like I'm flying.
07:16For now,
07:17I have one goal that I haven't achieved yet.
07:19I want to become the world champion.
07:23Extreme sports bring a different kind of adrenaline
07:26just like downhill skateboarding.
07:37That's why we always remind you
07:38to ride safely.
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