Badass Filipino Tribe Races Down Mountain Using Hand-Carved Wooden Bikes

Badass Filipino Tribe Races Down Mountain Using Hand-Carved Wooden Bikes

December 6, 2018
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The Ifugaos, an ethnic group who inhabit the southeastern part of the Cordillera region in the Philippines, are known for their ingenuity and exceptional wood-carving skills.
Image via Instagram / bbilledo
Using their craftsmanship and inventiveness, these tribesmen can create badass bicycles using only wood and some scraps of used rubber tires.
Image via Instagram / rico_de_montmirail
The makeshift wooden bikes are made fiercer by the intricate carvings of animals, mythical creatures and even human faces.   
Image via Instagram / joemark_matt
Members of this peaceful Cordilleran tribe showcase their creations via a special race during the Ifugao’s Imbayah Festival, a celebration of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest in Banaue.
Image via Instagram / everydayfiesta
Held every three years, the event draws visitors from all over the Philippines and beyond who come to see a unique race featuring the wooden bikes.
 
Wearing nothing but their ethnic attire called bahag, the Ifugao men ride their homemade scooters along the zigzagging roads of a steep slope from the mountains to the town of Banaue below.
Image via Instagram / zhungit08
The Ifugao daredevils hurtle down the four-and-a-half mile course at a speed of up to 50 miles per hour.
Image via Instagram / jakeverzosa
Since the bikes have no mechanism for pedalling or breaking, the riders rely on nothing but gravity and their own skillful maneuvering to propel them and come to a stop. 
 
“When the scooter is not well-made, you can crash or injure yourself,” three-time champion Robert Duyugan explains in a documentary from Great Big Story.
Featured image via Instagram/ rico_de_montmirail
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      Ryan General

      Ryan General is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

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