Tagbilaran Skate Diaries: Sweat, Sand, and Surfacing Concrete

okay so i rolled into tagbilaran with my board and a humidity problem. the weather here is...something else. 24.9°c but feels like 25.4, humidity 75% which is basically skating through soup. the pressure’s 1014 hpa, sea level’s the same but ground level’s 988-whatever that means. i just checked and it's exactly like this right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

i thought i'd be crushing smooth *concrete spots but nope-everything's either cracked or sandy. the air is so thick you can taste it. skate wax? forget it, melts in your pocket. i learned that the hard way.

neighbors? if you're feeling antsy, dumaguete's only a ferry ride away and totally worth the trip. also panglao has beaches that’ll make you forget about concrete. but honestly, just exploring this island on a board is its own thing.

overheard a local at the sari-sari store: 'the park near the cathedral gets cracked after midday, better go early.' and someone told me that the chili garlic oil at the market is a must, but watch out for the stray dogs that follow you-they're cool but will steal your socks if you leave them unattended.

i hit up the only skate shop in town (it's inside a hardware store-no joke). the guy, mang ben, sold me used wheels for cheap and muttered something about 'tourists breaking their ankles.' also, he warned me about the rain-it comes out of nowhere and turns the roads into rivers. duct tape became my best friend that week.

check out the TripAdvisor thread for secret spots. and this Yelp review about the only 24-hour mcdo that’s open (don’t ask why). also read the bohol skate collective blog for event updates-they’re planning a jam next month.

the vibe here is lazy but the concrete is smooth in some areas. just watch out for the sand that creeps onto the roads after a storm. i found a downtown plaza that’s empty at 6am-perfect for flatground. but by 7, it’s flooded with vendors and chickens.

food-wise, adobo is life. there’s a carinderia near the port that serves it with rice for 50 pesos. the owner, aling nena, told me i should try kinilaw but i’m not brave enough. bob marley plays on loop at the internet cafe-weird but fitting.

i met a filipino skater named jay who’s been riding these streets for years. he said the best session is during golden hour when the sun hits the bay and the humidity drops a bit. we skated until the mosquitoes ate us alive. worth it.

also, if you’re coming here, bring spare bearings. the salt air eats them alive. and lock your board at night-some kids will 'borrow' it for a minute and return it with loose trucks.

oh, and the ferry to cebu runs on philippine time-meaning it leaves whenever. don’t stress.

i’m writing this from a café that has wifi but the power cuts every two hours. generator noise is my new soundtrack.

anyway, tagbilaran isn’t a skate mecca but it’s real. the people are chill, the skate scene is tiny but loyal. if you want epic vert, go elsewhere. but if you want to sweat and laugh and maybe break a wheel on a random ramp behind a church, come here.

ps. the internet here is spotty-uploading videos is a prayer. i lost my phone charger and had to barter a skate tool for a used one at the market. classic.

pss. if you’re coming for the waves, the surf is crap right now but the sunset over the sandbar is free and magical.

psss. i almost forgot-watch your step on the sidewalks; they’re uneven and littered with chicken poop. seriously*.

okay, now i’m really done.

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