It seems thst there is more talk on the subject of getting skateboarding into the Olympics for future Games.
Marc Allard of the Norwich Bulletin has written that pro skateboarder Donny Barley claims that there are movements afoot to get skateboarding into the Olympics!
While I am agreat advocator of getting skateboarding into future Olympic Games, I can see some downsides to it…
Granted, skateboarding is a professional sport now - in fact people are able to get into business selling such things as guides to become a professional skateboarder; GO PRO is an example of this.
The issue is that skateboarding was ‘invented’ as an activity (not a sport) where you could just simply grab your board and do what you want! There is no structure to what you must do! There IS NO what you must do!!!
If skateboarding does get admitted into the Olympics in the future, will this create the wrong kind of image.
Will kids watching skateboarding at the Olympics who want to start skateboarding themselves do so to the rules that the Olympic Commitee sets. If this turns out to be the case then they would lose out on the point of skateboarding as a whole - to have fun and express yourself in your own way - NOT to the beat of a Commitees’ drum.
I’m also not sure what skateboarding events could be included in the Olympics. Standard skateboarding events that are seen at the X-Games may not be suitable to the Olympics as these events would require ‘Expert Judges’ to make the rulings over who wins; (instead of it being a simple “Who’s faster” scenario).
My suggestions are to include Olympic style events such as “High-jump” - (basically who gets the most air of a vert ramp) and ”Sprint” or “Long distance” - (any board can be used for this as it’s a flatground event, so we could see old school skateboards up against longboard skateboards).
I would love to put in “Best trick” but; as said before; this would require expert judges and probably wouldn’t be possible - (to prove this look at what they did with the first inclusion of BMX in the Olympics this year - No Tricks At All)!
What are your thoughts on this issue? For and Against - Start the debate!
Also sign the petition here;
http://oldschoolskateboards.hotdope.com/old-school-skateboarding/who-wants-to-see-old-school-skateboards-in-the-olympics-get-skateboarding-into-the-olympic-games-petition
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