@3SkullsDH

Riders that go all the way to Tagaytay to ride down a mountain know. Riders know that along the highway there’s an alleyway that just drops off into the view, a gap in the side-of-the-road fabric of fruit stands, restaurants, and the occasional pet for sale. You make the trip all the way to that small cut through reality to ride down every rider’s dirt dream: 3 Skulls.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Right now, there are multiple lines and features in 3 Skulls and DISCLAIMER: all of the tracks are not for beginners, we highly recommend that you connect with us or someone you know who’s ridden it before, well, before you try it yourself. If you think that the name is gnarly, there’s a reason for that. Ride at your own risk, ride strong and ride safe.

3 Skulls lives up to its name in the sense that you do feel the fear of it all, riding at speed, singletrack, open and sharp rock-face on one side and a cliff on the other. Like we said, it’s every rider’s dirt dream. There are, as of this writing, multiple main lines to enjoy: enduro, the SEA Games line, OG Skulls line, and an XC/E-bike track. Almost all of these tracks interlace and connect with each other at some point, and definitely ALL of these lines are fun as hell.

WHAT IS @3SKULLSDH?

Just off the main highway of Tagaytay, Skulls is a gnarly collection of gravity tracks built and maintained (and added to) by a tight-knit group of awesome riders who collectively call themselves 3 Skulls DH. This rag-tag group of trail builders, Enduro and DH riders, and just all-around rad people setup the entire thing out of the sheer joy of riding — even go so far as to partnering with the locals to make the entire thing work for everybody. We got to sit down with Randee Vivo and Don Causapin, two of the founders of 3 Skulls DH, to talk about the whys and the hows and the whats of it all, beginning with WHY DO IT? “Well, we wanted a place where people could progress,” Randee, who rides for FUNN, tells us, “a place where a community supports each other’s progression. That’s why we went all in here.”

Don adds, “Besides maintaining the trails here, we also put together races, fun races, sessions for beginners,” he continues, “we want the biking community, the gravity riding community to grow not just here but all throughout. But what really keeps us busy is maintaining the trails talaga.“

WHAT IT TAKES AND WHAT IT TOOK

“We know that Tagaytay has a LOT going on,” Don tells us, “you have the volcano, the weather, among many other things. So, maintenance is really a lot of work, almost every week.” They both tell us that they do it all out of passion, no one pays them to do it all, it’s open to the public — it’s just something that they really, REALLY love doing. Randee shares that, “It’s all about the love of riding.”

They started building back in 2014, when it was all just footpaths. “We felt that it could be turned into something special,” Randee says, “we saw that it had the potential to be a great downhill track, a flowy track that everyone could really enjoy.” They tell us that they were inspired after joining races in other places and provinces, like Patiis in Rizal and in La Union as well. “Now we have one in the South too. Here in Tagaytay.”

BUILD, BUILD, GROW

Throughout their years of riding, they both tell us that the growth of the local (aggressive) biking scene really makes them happy, that “it gives us a reason to keep doing this,” Don says, smiling, “with everyone growing and getting more and more into enduro and downhill, it makes us feel good to be a part of that in any way, even if it’s a small way.” Don even adds that even the bike shops and bike brands have benefited from everyone getting into biking, something we ourselves also work and agree with. “As long as no one group claims a trail, or trails, and shares it with everyone, it’s all good.”

“All these trails are for everyone,” Randee adds, “so many races and events have been done here. That’s what keeps this whole things going.” And “keeps going” it does, weekly riding groups can be seen enjoying Skulls, easily doing 5-6 runs in a day if the weather is great. Don tells us that what he loves “about all of this? Is that there is something for everyone. Regardless of skill level. We even have beginner races here from time to time, so that people get to experience their first race.”

IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE

“What we want is for everyone to just help, support, and grow with each other,” Don says, while Randee adds that, in the future, he hopes that “bike shops join in the support as well. Since all their customers all ride, they can help the trails as well.”

What’s great about these guys is that besides the fact that their group does all this for us, they help the local communities as well. The locals have already set up shop at the end of the trail, while a motorcycle lift system seamlessly takes care of the “ride” back up the mountain. All in all, 3 Skulls may NOT really be for the faint of heart, but it’s DEFINITELY for everyone with the heart to grow their riding and more. Follow @3SkullsDH on INSTAGRAM and continue to support your local trails and trail builders.