Skateboarding in the 2012 Olympics
Monday June 11, 2007
According to Yahoo Sports, "The International Olympic Committee said Friday it has held discussions with cycling's world governing body about introducing skateboarding as a discipline for the London program." The 2012 Olympics are set for London, and it looks like the chances of skateboarding being added as an official "sport" are high. "We are doing our best to introduce skateboarding for 2012," UCI sports director Olivier Quejuiner told the London Evening Standard, according to Yahoo Sports. "We have a clear strategy ... The venue could be wonderful. All we need now is the green light from the IOC. Technically, logistically and in terms of cost, it would not be a problem to stage the event in 2012." The concept of skateboarding in the Olympics has been in the pipes for a while - read Skateboarding in the Olympics.What does this mean for skateboarding? Many feel that doing something like this with skateboarding will seal its fate as a legitimate sport, which will then lead to rules, an official "right" way to ride a skateboard, and even more selling out. On the other hand, many others feel that bringing skateboarding into the main stream will bring greater acceptance, help ease harassment, and bring in more community support. What do you think? Leave a comment below.
Photo © Steve Cave
Comments
it could go either way…hopefully the olympics don’t pull an espn and try to make skateboarding fit into what they want…and it wouldnt be really fair, because the america team has a huge advantage with so many more pros from here…i don’t even know how all the countries could get a team toghether that’s even comparable to team america or australia
I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons. “Selling out” will always be a part of any successful activity…but there will ALWAYS be those who dont do it just for the money or just to be cool. I think having skateboarding in the Olympics will give its participants an even greater sense of pride in what they do. I am concerned about there being an enforcement of the “right way” to skateboard, but if they judge the skating like any other skating competition, it’ll work out just fine. There isn’t really a certain way that skateboarding must be done anyway. If they dont know that already, then yea, Olympic skateboarding won’t last. I’m pretty confident, however, that if this does happen it will be done well….and the dignity of true skaters will be preserved, and glorified more than it ever has before…I can’t wait to see it happen.
Gary Ream tying to get skateboarding in the Olympics through Cycling (which he is a member; and he is set to benefit from IOC money for his so called “training camps, Camp Woodward) is a fraudulent back door deal. Here is my comment:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/656763888
check http://www.skateboardesa.com
for our statement
It’s great there putting skateboading in the olypics to draw people to the community of skateboarding… but, what steve cave says is true, Will it make skateboarding something that has rules?
well yeah, it’s a great opportunity to show the world that it’s a “sport” that many people enjoy and excell in, but will it take away the pleasure of skateboarding? There are already competitions in skateboarding and i suppose that hasn’t taken too much away from the “sport”. I do think that by showing lots more people in the world it may possibly open up a new way of thinking for skating. I know that alot of people in society have a stereo typical idea of what skaters are like and it would be great to show them that they’re wrong. I totally agree with what nick said and that it could have an affect on skateboarding by creating rules but then again we don’t know which way it will go untill we try it! personally it would be an awesome site to see. Cheers. cat
skateboarding being in the Olympics has had TOO MUCH debate… I say Just put it in there…. As a skater, I belive Putting skateboarding in the Olympics would help the skating world in MANY ways.. For example… There would be more money in the skating world. So in that way, skateparks could be built and more skating equipments. Also i belive that if skateboarding were in the Olympics that, Schollarships would be avaliable for colleges. Also bringing skating clubs for Schools which would also be Profitable for communities.
I don’t think skateboarding should be in the olympics because it would attract too many wannabees.
It should definitely be in the Olympics! As a veteran (amateur) skater I think you are missing the point that it would be good for the Olympics more than anything!
A gift that would bring a young fresh crowd to engage with the Olympic spirit! Yes the Yanks would dominate to start with but as soon as the world started to take it seriously then it would develop everywhere. I hate the way skaters treat it like an insular ‘in crowd sport’ it makes us look like a bunch of uncultured arropgant idiots . What are you saying by ‘too many wannabes’ wannabee what? A skater; that’s a good thing. Like any good sport Skating should be well sponsored and have excellent events to develop it; and what could possibly be better than the Olympics? We need to come down off our paranoid, high horse, I mean the body who will ‘create the rules’ will be the right passionate people who have ‘done their time’ and safeguard its innovative spirit. As a Londoner I would be honored to have skateboarding come to 2012!
No question skateboarding should be an Olympic Sport because it takes an Olympic effort to do it well. The one thing Skateboarding is missing is money and if this is what it takes to turn skateboarding into a financially viable profession then we should all be for it. Its addition will bring the Olympics up to date with the way sport is evolving, it’s a fact that more kids skateboard than participate in any other organised sport! It’s also a global sport, unlike many others in the Olympics, and one that’s financially acccessible for all.
I believe the concept of skateboarding in the Olympics is a wonderful idea, but a few questions arise. Are there enough countries that have professional skaters? Would they make a street course, vert, big air . . . they surely wouldn’t do them all and just one seems rather unfair. I don’t think it would sell the sport out, I think it would only improve the image of the sport and I would personally love to see skateboarding in the Olympics, as I’m sure plenty of other people would.
I agree with Riley. It will attract a lot of wannabes, but I fully support skateboarding in the Olympics. There will always be some cons about these decisions, but there are many benefits of having it the Olympics
Nooo!…why are they do’n this!?….skateboarding is starting to become too mainstream as it is already….im’a skater and i love the fact that skate’n has no rules…no “one” way to skate…that’s wut makes it soo theraputic. because it gives you a since of freedom…and creativity that no other mainstream sport does…..i feel that the olympics is going to ruin the whole essence of skateboarding……..X-GAMES is OUR olympics.
THEY NEED TO HAVE DOWNHILL SKATEBOARDING IN THE 2012 GAMES! IT WOULD FIT SO PERFECT……I MEAN COME ON ITS A RACE FORMAT WHERE RACERS COMPET HEAD TO HEAD AT HIGH SPEEDS!!!!! ITS 100% SKATEBOARDING!!!!
http://www.igsaworldcup.com
i think skateboarding should be entered into the olympics also, single effort sports are what the majority of our younger generations are enjoying, not to mention skateboarding is one of the biggest industries in the world.
thats rediculous, every country has a mass amount of great skaters that 90 percent of you people havent even heard about. Most of the pros in the videos we watch today are from different countries. Even froston, and look at him
Skateboarding in the Olympics is a terrible thing. people usually just look at the mainstream side of skateboarding. It is definitely not an organized sport in any way and it can never be. the true pros in skateboarding wont let it happen, except for the vert skateboarders. Skateboarders don’t want to go into something training to be the best, true skateboarders don’t care if they win or lose. skateboarding in the Olympics would take that away from the skaters. skateboarding has already been exposed too far and the Olympics would make it out of control. I definitely say no to this.
i dont think pro skaters will be entered into the olympics because the point of the olympics is to discover up and coming athletes. I dont think team GB would really struggle that much, there is so much skateboarding talent in britain. but i would love to see skateboarding in the 2012 olympics. the new olympic stadium is being built not too far from where i live.
face it, skateboarding is already an international sport and i’m pretty sure it won’t go back to underground soon.
I think this is a big issue that could ruin street skateing and should probly stay only in the X Games but of course this is just my opinion and i can’t change what the whole world wants so i guess it will be a little better for skaters so people might even make more skate parks that sound s good