Tags: Extreme Sports, Sports Activities and Competition
By KC Santos
PASAY CITY, METRO MANILA – Jeff Gonzalez is a professional skateboarder but finishing school remains his number one priority.
“I’ve been skating for seven years now but I see sticking it with school as a fallback. It pays to be ready just in case I decide to stop skating,” says Jeff, a nursing student and a member of the Aloha Boardsports crew.
Jeff is one of several young skateboarders sponsored by Aloha Boardsports, a local retail company that sells and distributes skateboarding, surfing and wakeboarding equipment.
His years of skateboarding – bumps and bruises included – has paid off somehow; he’s now being sponsored by Aloha, which recognizes his skills as good enough for international competitions.
As a member of the team, he joins the Volcom Sari-Sari Skate Tour, a mix of skate competition and clinics that aim to promote skateboarding as a sport.
Mooney Castillo, Aloha Boardsports vice president, believes skateboarders like Jeff will have a brighter future if they equip themselves with a firm educational background to complement their talent.
“We want to produce and develop kids who are not just great with the sport but also have the brains to back that up,” he says.
He takes pride in the fact that Aloha’s crew of skateboarders is a mix of working professionals and students. “Gusto din kasi namin matanggal yung stigma on skateboarders as being mere airheads,” he says.
Jeff, meanwhile, admits it’s not easy perfecting his skateboarding skills while also scoring high on his school exams.
Mooney says children as young as six years old can join their skateboarding clinics. Their goal is to promote a healthier lifestyle through extreme sports such as skateboarding
He points out that today’s generation of kids are prone to a sedentary lifestyle and skateboarding can make them become more active physically and socially.
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Very good event! Props to the Aloha team! I dont think they sell wakeboarding equipment
I think the step forward that Aloha Boardsports has made by sponsoring and promoting events like this is giant leap for the sport on a local level. This small corporate investment will truly pay off in the future when we are able to send our local kids to compete on an international level or they’re recognized on an international stage. Thanks Aloha Boardsports!
as it should be. im a skater, an artist, professional photographer, political science graduate and an entrepreneur.
i’ll be a dad a few months from now and married for two years!
who says skaters are or should be bums and wasted for life?
we are creative, superbly gifted individuals. lets not give in to those negative cliches some people think about us skateboarders.
lets be different. cause we have always been different.