No damage from wakeskating stunt—DOT

Drawn by the beauty of the Banaue Rice Terraces on the back of a P1,000 bill, world-renowned wakeskater Brian Grubb conquers the engineering marvel in the Mt. Province, known to Filipinos as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” DANIEL DEAK BARDOS/CONTRIBUTOR

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines–The wakeskating stunt by American Brian Grubb and German Dominik Preisner did not damage the rice terraces because it was performed at a private terrace farm, said Department of Tourism Cordillera director Purificacion Molintas on Wednesday.

The stunt, sponsored by an energy drink, required the wakeskating team to make physical adjustments to the private terrace they had leased for the performance, she said, adding that the community helped elevate the paddy so it could hold more water.

Conservationists pounced on the stunt for endangering the terraces which have been enshrined as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).—Kimberlie Quitasol and Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon