The Summer Olympics just ended and congratulations to all the winners and participants. Among those that are making some noise about the Olympics is the inclusion of skateboarding as one of the sports in the competition.
Japan dominated in the sport with 3 golds this year. However, this is just the beginning of the skateboarding presence. We’ll definitely see more countries upping their game in the coming years. This sport isn’t just for men, there are lots of great women skateboarders too.
It’s a great feeling to see that we move with the times and we embrace changes. Who would have thought that skateboarding could be part of the Olympics? Some people might even think that skateboarding would never be part of it because of its reputation and rebellious nature.
The Rebellious Nature
Skateboarding has always been linked to the rebellious. It is a way to express oneself in movements. Proving your skills, doing unbelievable stuff, and just making your statement.
Other sports will usually have strict regulations and rules. Scoring is highly important and there are limits such as where it is supposed to be played.
Skateboarding is quite the opposite. It isn’t score based and skaters are free to skate wherever. They are also encouraged to do what they want and improvise to show their creativity. On the flip side, It’s also about camaraderie so maybe it isn’t so surprising that it became part of the Olympics after all.
Going Mainstream
The early years of skateboarding meant that it’s a hobby you do. As a professional, you don’t earn a lot from it. However, in the ’90s the first X-Games was started by ESPN. There are eight “extreme” sports in the games and skateboarding was one of them.
With the X-Games, huge brands like Nike, Mountain Dew, and AT&T sponsored them. However, the professional skater still struggled to make their ends meet.
World Skate is an IOC-recognized federation that is a merger between the International Roller Sports Federation and the International Skateboarding Federation. That has made it possible for skateboarding to be present in the recent 2021 games.
Mixed Opinions
Way back in 2016, the IOC announced that skateboarding was going to be included in the prestigious event. Mixed opinions by the professional skateboarders were inevitable. Some loved the idea and were ultimately excited while others didn’t think skateboarding would fit.
Many skaters don’t look into skateboarding as a mere competition. It is an expression of oneself and different skaters have different ways to do that. It is believed that it is immeasurable. So you just can’t have a winner for being the longest, highest or furthest.
However, there are still other skaters that embrace the opportunity. For them, the Olympics is a great platform for the sport to be more recognized and expanded further.
