Antenna Hill

It’s quite natural for a trail to change over the years. Erosion, weather, “progress”, or other natural or man-made reasons, trails rarely stay the same, especially over time. Antenna Hill however, changed a lot in the span of a few months — making way for the aforementioned “progress” as bulldozers continue to take down one of the most loved and best built trail systems for gravity rides.

VIBE CHECK

Antenna Hill is definitely a playground, but it’s also a tight-knit, self-sustaining, and supportive community. That’s why people keep coming back, over and over, to ride down the hill. From the caretaker to the porters, everyone knows each other here and everyone abides by the unspoken rules of respect and vibe.

Antenna has a LOT of names for its lines, everything from “Tik-Tok” to “Baguio Line”, to the newer “Sagada Line”, everyone who rides it often knows the tracks by heart. There are, however, two “main” lines when it comes to casual conversation: DH and Enduro. The lines are expertly cut, obvious planning and a lot of love went into building it, and you can always tell that riders are grateful for this, seen by how they take care of it and of each other.

PUSH YOUR PACE

Obviously, besides going with a crew, we’d highly recommend that you be at least an intermediate-level rider if you’re going to go down Antenna Hill. Depending on the line you choose, it starts out pretty flowy from the top, straight into jumps, berms, turns, and again, depending on the line you chose: drops. There’s the Gap Drop (which has since been hit by the bulldozer of death) and there’s the gnarlier Rock Drop after “Baguio Line”.

Towards the end of the hill, there are gonna be a series of switchbacks that you can hit at speed — which then goes into a nice jump (pictured), a small drop, then a quick dip-to-step down into what’s lovingly known as the “airport”. If you see it and send it, you’ll know why it’s called that.

Like we said, Antenna is one the best places for gravity riding. It’s also most definitely an awesome spot to progress skill-wise and to try out new tricks. As mentioned, the lines and features are expertly cut, giving you as a rider enough wiggle room and room for error (if at all).

Antenna is best ridden with friends who’ve done it before, people who have your back no matter what happens, and a crew that’d positively push each other to get better, get faster, and ultimately get more comfortable overall. There is no room for bad thoughts on a hill like this and having the right people with you at all times is the best way to attack this hill.

SHREDDING THE STOKE

In the end, nothing lasts forever. We’ve ridden and lost a lot of trails over the years, most changed, others completely overtaken by development. What makes Antenna Hill special we’d say, is the little village we’ve all built together riding and visiting it.

Haya Ibarra, football player-slash-mountain biker says that, “despite visiting almost every week, every visit is a new, thrilling experience,” she says. “Conditions change — wet, damp, dry, and as a beginner I learn and discover many other ways to ride.” She continues, “the features like the jumps and gaps are fun to explore and to realize new heights to my riding. It’s a different stoke.” Well, we’ve seen her ride and trust us when we say that she sends it, and sends it good. Watch a short video below: