Raphael ‘Raph’ Trinidad isn’t just riding waves in Chengdu—he’s riding the weight of a nation’s hopes, just over a decade after he made the pivotal choice to home in on Men's Cable Wakeboarding.
Still only at 23, Trinidad has the steady focus, beyond his years, of someone who is fully aware of the magnitude of The World Games and wants to be at the forefront of his beloved Philippines ambitions in China.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” said the Asia-Oceania champion on the significance of being his country’s flagbearer at last night’s opening ceremony. “I’ve been representing the Philippines for years already but being one of the flag bearers—it’s mind-boggling and very surreal.”
“It’s a huge honour and I don’t take it lightly. That’s what I promised the other Filipinos: I’m going to give it my all, pour my heart and soul into the event, and do my very best to make the country proud.”
Paying back the Philippines Olympic Committee for making him lead one of the largest contingents sent to The World Games last night is also another motivator.
“It's definitely a big push because they've been trying to promote this for the past two to three months and the support is definitely there.”
“Wakeboarding is a niche sport in the Philippines. It’s not like basketball, volleyball, or soccer, so to have the Olympic Committee put their support behind wakeboarding—that’s really awesome.”
“It shows how much responsibility I have on my shoulders. And I’m going to use that to push further.”
This drive from Trinidad has elevated him to an incredible level ever since winning the silver at the 2019 World Cable Wakeboard Championships in Buenos Aires, his first senior international medal and breakout moment in the sport.
Since then, he has picked up two other World Championship medals (another silver and bronze), won nine National Championships, and looks in medal form once again in Chengdu as he pulled out the second best score in today's heats with 80.20. France's Loic Deschaux got 80.40.
Prior becoming the current face of Filipino wakeboarding however, Trinidad’s first entry into sports was in football, trying to follow in his father’s footsteps – Raymond - on the grass of a football pitch, rather than the water of a cable site.
“My dad played professionally, and I was trying to be just like him but then I discovered wakeboarding… and everything changed.”
It was his uncle who actually introduced wakeboarding to the family. His mother was the first member of the Trinidads to trial it but instantly knew it wasn’t for her.
She called her husband however soon after, who at the time was working in China recommending that wakeboarding was something their son would much prefer.
The rest, as they say, is history.
“When my dad came home, we both tried wakeboarding for the first time, and from then on, it just clicked,” commented Trinidad. “I got stuck to it.”
“As a 12-year-old, my mum asked me I think the biggest decision in my life which was, ‘Okay, Raph, do you want to go for soccer or do you want to go wakeboarding?’.”
“For a 12-year-old, that was the biggest decision I made in my life, and I think I made the right choice.”
Trinidad’s rise since his podium in Buenos Aires has sky rocketed in the Wakeboard world. From being the “underdog” in 2019 he now has the pressure of “expecting to win”.
It’s a transition many elite athletes face— going from hunter to hunted but the relaxed Trinidad is not bothered by this extra adage of eyes, citing how his experience at the top level the past six years has helped learn to manage expectations.
“Other riders ride sick, for sure but my biggest competition? It’s always going to be me.”
“I've learned how to manage the pressure and use that hunger to my advantage when it comes to these events.”
The Liloan-born’s hunger he speaks is evident to see. An ever-positive aura surrounds him with a beaming smile but under the niceties is a hard, steely determination to make the most of his debut edition of The World Games.
He welcomes the high-level pressure with open arms rather than trying to run away from it, the mark of a true, elite athlete.
The personality, his performances on the wakeboard, his passion, and a big-time sponsorship with Red Bull has turned Raph Trinidad into one of the most recognisable sports people in the Philippines and Wakeboarding.
Now he has his eyes set on becoming one of the stars of The World Games Chengdu 2025.