Pacific Kings: a future.ly documentary about skateboarding kids in Siargao, the Philippines

When I saw the first photos of these kids and their homemade boards, I just had to come back to this island. I have known this island for eleven years, I lived in Siargao for about ten months but I hadn’t been back in a long time. When I saw these photos, I got on a plane the same week.

Skateboarding is about seeing the world differently. About making fun out of nothing, seeing fun where others don't. A ledge, a set of stairs, a kerb mean nothing to most people. To a skater they see opportunity and challenge. These kids are the purest form of that. They wanted to skate and couldn’t buy a board, so they made one out of whatever they could find. Scrap wood, bamboo, driftwood, nails pulled out of their own floorboards. It's rad.

Every board they build is different. Different mods, different styles, sizes and shapes. Some have hybrids where they managed to find a single truck so they can go a bit faster. The resourcefulness is beautiful.

We took them to a skatepark together on day four for the first time. Eighteen kids in the truck, all gassed just to be in a car. When we arrived we realised seventeen of them had no shoes. We drove to the nearest market, bought shoes for everyone, and that was the best money I’ve ever spent in my life.

This documentary is not about me. It’s about the kids. If we can help build them a skatepark, put a few more in English lessons, it will change their lives. That’s the mission complete.