Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Why "skating is everything" for Margie Didal
Skateboarder Margie Didal talks to us about her hometown of Cebu and what skating means to her.
Experienced photographers often get asked to talk about their work, or teach concepts behind their work to others. One of the questions asked most is how to approach people to model for portraits or action photos. In those moments, what's talked about is vulnerability and putting yourself 'out there', to make that effort – as it often ends in a personal connection as well as a photograph.
When we got to talking with Margie Didal, we tried to approach it that same way – through a personal, intimate lens. Margie is currently located in a different time zone in Cebu, Philippines, so we exchanged questions and answers that actually turned into late- night conversations via audio messages for the past few weeks. While she's a part of the Red Bull family, these conversations really showed us more of Margie’s heart, as well as her drive and passion as a skater. Check out her episode of the Field Day series above, then read on for the interview.
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Të ngjashme
Hey Margie! We're excited to talk to you. You recently joined the Red Bull team? Congrats!
They actually surprised me! They invited me to go skydiving on the Bantayan Islands! As we landed on the ground after skydiving, Red Bull gave me my hat and welcomed me to the team. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, I was so excited. I’m looking forward to going on more adventures with Red Bull!
Margie Didal – Ollie
© Zorah Olivia
When did you first start skating and what inspired you to pick up a board for the first time?
I started skating when I was 12 years old! That was back in 2012. I was curious about how it felt to ride on a board.
We know you're home in Cebu right now – are you enjoying the time at home?
I’m not used to it. I've been travelling a lot, but with most competitions postponed, I get to stay home and hang with my family. It’s been cool, we’ve had more time to hang with each other. But, it’s also been hard for me having to stay inside: I can’t skate much so I’ve been trying to skate inside my house.
A lot of people have been trying to keep creatively busy with projects. How have you been passing your time at home?
I wake up and eat breakfast – or sometimes lunch, depending on what time I wake up! I don’t have much to do, so sometimes I go to bed late and wake up late. I usually do some stretching, work out, and hang with my family. Sometimes I go live on my Instagram or Facebook just to let everyone know we’re safe and everything will be fine soon. Everything is going to be OK. It’s been inspiring me more, because I’ve been hanging with my family for two months straight without leaving the house. It inspires to do good in the future and to do well next year.
What have you been eating most while stuck at home?
Rice! But anything my mom cooks is amazing; she’s been doing all of the cooking for us.
What's the first thing you'd show a friend visiting Cebu City for the first time?
First thing I would do is probably take them to eat Lechon (pork slow-roasted on a spit) and check out the city. If they have a lot of time here in the Philippines, we could go to the islands, beaches, and waterfalls. You can swim with whale sharks. There’s a lot to do here in Cebu – a week isn’t enough, really!
Speaking of food and Cebu, during our visit we marked the occasion with a tattoo of Pusô (hanging rice). Tattoos often mark important memories, do you have any upcoming tattoo ideas?
I’ll probably wait until next year because there’s not much space on my right arm for new tattoos. I already have a half sleeve and a portrait of my parents on my arm. I still have space for the Olympic rings though. I’m going wait until 2021 and get that tattoo!
Margie Didal gets new ink
© Zorah Olivia
Skate events have been postponed until 2021, how did you feel and what are you going to do with the extra time to prepare for 2021?
When I heard about the events being moved to 2021 I was kinda hyped, because I’ll have extra time to skate more. It also gives me more time to work on my ankles and knees. But also, at the same time, it’s hard to skate here in Cebu because we don’t have a skatepark here in the city. We can’t really go skate, we can’t go outside. We don’t know when we can travel again. If we had a budget or someone to support the skate community we could build a warehouse to skate in. Our rainy season starts in June and ends in December. Cebu needs an indoor park!
You recently won two gold medals at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games – what are your favourite memories with the Philippines team?
Skating with them is the best, because all of my friends are on the team. We all have the same vibe. The most memorable thing was after the SEA games, we won the contest and celebrated in our hotel room...
Margie Didal
© Zorah Olivia
Until that indoor spot in Cebu becomes a reality, out of all the places around the world, where's your favourite place to skate?
Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania: they have everything! It’s the best place to train and practise new tricks.
Camp Woodward is amazing! What's your favourite memory there?
My favourite Woodward memory was experiencing the best skate camp in the world and meeting some new friends, learning some stuff, and also s’mores! I think it was every Tuesday night they made a campfire and had s'mores. I'd never tried s’mores before then.
How do you use skateboarding to share your own message of strength and positivity?
I use skateboarding to share positivity to people around the world! Skateboarding is the same as life; no matter how many times you fail, you still get back up and keep going. Try and try again until you land your trick. Skating is everything. It’s the best way to escape problems, it makes my day. It’s my entire life.
