Judging by the headlines around the globe this week, skateboarding and surfing are already doing what Olympic officials hope – generating excitement about the games.
Tokyo 2020 announced Monday that surfing and skateboarding, in addition to sport climbing, karate and baseball/softball, are on the short list to be included in the games. The final decision will be made in August 2016.
While the five sports might be on the shortlist, skateboarding and surfing appeared in most of the news headlines about the possible additions to the games.
The Guardian: “Surfing and skateboarding set for Tokyo Olympics as squash is snubbed again”
BBC: “Olympics: Skateboarding & surfing among possible Tokyo 2020 sports”
UPI: “Tokyo organizers want surfing, skateboarding for 2020 Olympics”
MTV: “Street Skateboarding, Surfing Could Be 2020 Olympic Events”
We followed up with the leaders of the surfing and skateboarding Olympic drives, both of whom have worked on this complex project for many years, to find out how they are feeling after the big announcement and about what’s next.
Both Fernando Aguerre, President of the International Surfing Association, and Gary Ream, President of the International Skateboarding Federation, credit the new leadership of the International Olympic Committee, in particular President Thomas Bach, for shaking up the status quo and focusing on bringing more youthful sports to the Olympic mix.
While nobody knows for sure if the sports will be approved, both believe the current leadership of the IOC understands the potential of surfing and skateboarding to reach new, more youthful audiences and generate excitement about the games.
“I’m confident that surfing can be a great contributor to the Olympic world,” Fernando Aguerre said in an interview. “The IOC has created this opportunity to update their lineup of sports with skateboarding, surfing and climbing, and now we will go through the process and see how it unfolds.”
Fernando pointed out that the new sports under consideration have a nice diversity – surfing reflects the beach, skateboarding is urban, and sport climbing is outdoor.
Some of the other changes by the IOC include managing the Olympics by the number of events rather than the number of sports. Before, if new sports were voted in, some had to be voted out, which was always controversial. Now, the number of events will be managed, which means some sports may not have as many events. The decision on which events stay and which are cut will be made at IOC headquarters rather than a group vote, Fernando said.
Fernando was riding high this week after the inspiring ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships over the weekend, and then the big announcement from Tokyo 2020. His only regret is that former SIMA President Dick Baker was not here to see that surfing is one step closer to its Olympic dream.
But Dick still guides Fernando as he navigates the complicated Olympic world, Fernando said. When an obstacle arises, he asks himself: “What would Dick do?”
Gary Ream was also quite excited this week that skateboarding got the nod for the short list and is very hopeful the sport will ultimately make the Tokyo 2020 games.
The sport’s accessibility – you can skate anywhere in the world and all you need is a board – and its appeal to the young, a key demographic the Olympics are targeting, are key advantages, he believes.
Just the news coverage alone that skateboarding is in the running and the worldwide headlines that it generated already has the potential to help the sport by opening minds on City Councils for city skate parks, for example.
“It’s good, good and good,” he said.
The skateboarding community has come together to support the ISF, including top skateboarders, key skate event organizers like NBC, ESPN, Street League and Tampa Pro, and industry leaders like IASC, Deluxe, Nike, Vans and DC.
One wrinkle is that the IOC still must decide which federation will represent skateboarding. The Fédération Internationale of Roller Sports, which represents inline skating, is also vying to be the official group for skateboarding.
The IOC will make that decision at a later date.
Gary said he is very confident that the leadership of the IOC “gets it” and will allow skateboarders to manage skateboarding to ensure that the sport is presented in the right way on the Olympic floor.
When the larger world gets a close look at what skateboarding and skateboarders are really all about, it could be huge, Gary believes.
“In 2020 if we are given the opportunity to be part of the Olympics, with the talent we have in skateboarding, and the ability to show the true spirit of the sport with the media reach we will have, I truly believe skateboarding has the ability to change the world,” he said.
