A female skater practices inside a bowl-shaped ramp as others watch and wait their turn at Backyard Skatepark in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Photo by: Chris Quintana

A throng of what could be the country’s best skaters has gathered on a Saturday afternoon, August 29, 2015, at Backyard Skatepark in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Elder skaters perched on the adjacent bar drown the humidity with cold beer as they cheer and jeer the young ones arriving and doing practice runs.

The bouncers keep the registration line organized, and the medical team and their ambulance have just arrived, in case they would be needed.

This is the Philippine leg of the Wild in the Parks skate tournament, organized by Volcom, Inc., a youth-oriented clothing line from the U.S.

The spirit and energy are high as this is one of the few, if not the only, prestigious skate tournaments in the country today. The winner of this comptetition gets an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles, California to represent the country in the Global WITP Championships.

Other skaters view the field and wait for their turn as a skater has already taken off and does a side grind on the incline at Backyard Skatepark in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Photo by: Chris Quintana

A skater takes off and attempts to skid down the inclined rail at Backyard Skatepark in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Photo by: Chris Quintana