MANILA, Philippines–Evening of September 27, some 20 amateur skateboarders and hundreds of passionate skateboarding fans gathered in Circuit Makati for the first ever skateboarding competition to be held in the country. Dubbed “Ignite: Turn Your Passion On”, the event powered by Mountain Dew served as a platform through which aspiring young skateboarders were able to display their death-defying yet cheer-igniting skateboarding tricks before a highly-expecting crowd.
It’s all about passion
But before the number of participants slimmed down to 20, Pepsi Co. Brand Manager IC Sta. Maria shared that they had about 300 hopefuls during the preliminary rounds which were held a day before the actual Ignite skateboarding competition.
Asked why they chose skateboarding for the first ever Ignite, Sta. Maria said “Skateboarding is a sport that really entitles being different, being comfortable of who you are.” It is about “being comfortable in standing out and that is what Mountain Dew is all about,” he explained.
But when asked if they have plans of incorporating others activities and sports in Ignite in the next years, Sta. Maria said “Whatever passions there are for all our consumers, we’re going to latch on it, whether it be skateboarding or music, mountain climbing. Whatever it is that they feel proud being part of.”
The competition
L-R: James Mangaspar, Demi Cuevas, and Ansey Flores receiving their awards during Ignite.
Out of 20 contenders, three took home the title of being placers in the country’s first ever skateboarding competition, and these include: 3rd placer Ansey Flores who won Php15,000 worth of cash prize, 2nd placer James Mangaspar who won Php25,000, and 1st placer Demi Cuevas who won Php60,000.
But before the winners were named that night, in between the semis and finals, Ignite attendees were treated to some OPM songs delivered by bands Franco and Urbandub.
What’s new and what’s next
But apart from mounting the country’s first ever skateboarding competition, Pepsi Co. also launched a new packaging for Mountain Dew during Ignite, the Mountain Dew Neon.
Asked what sets Neon apart from its predecessor, Sta. Maria shared “Basically it’s the same distinctive refreshment you get out of a Mountain Dew,” referring to Mountain Dew Neon, “but with a brand new swag in it,” he continued.
While to those who failed to attend this year’s Ignite, there’s no need to fret as according to Sta. Maria, “Definitely next year we’ll have another Mountain Dew skateboarding competition,” and people can expect it to “become bigger and bigger.”