Skateboarding In The Olympics? « Fine, But Only On Our Terms » Says Jenkem

There's a really interesting article on skateboard magazine Jenkem's website right now where author Webb Brixey takes a look at the issue of skateboarding becoming part of the "olympic program". Drawing a lot of the experiences and mishandling of the inclusion of snowboarding in the games back in 1998, he basically presents the idea that skateboarding in the limp dicks is going to happen one day soon whether we like it or not, so skaters are better off working together to make sure their sport gets represented properly. 

It’s hard for us to watch as companies outside of skateboarding take what we love and present it as something it’s not, like the first X-Games did in 1995. The X-Games presented skateboarding as an “extreme sport” and even though the event was generally loathed by the skate community, the public ate it up and a phenomenon was born (or reborn if you count the other times the masses embraced skateboarding). We generally don’t care who wins or loses these hokey contests. They’re seen as a novelty; a way for the public to get a bastardized glimpse at what we do. Not to mention a way for the companies involved to make a bunch of money. Fifteen years after the first X-Games, skateboarding has caught on with the masses so much that people have been pushing for the “discipline” to be included in the 2016 Olympic Summer Games, whether we want it to or not. And to be clear about that, we do not. Or so I thought.

Don’t these kids know that skateboarding isn’t a sport? Don’t they know that we’re happy to be considered degenerates? Don’t they know that including skateboarding in the Olympics goes against everything skateboarding is supposed to stand for? They don’t. That could be because skateboarding is starting to stand for something else.

Whatever it is that skateboarding is becoming, NBC and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) realize that if they don’t get the attention of a younger demographic, they’re going to lose ratings and revenue. This puts skateboarding in a somewhat awkward yet unique situation. Skateboarding’s most well-known “athlete” Tony Hawk is aware of the position, “As far as the Summer Games go, the Olympics needs skateboarding more than skateboarding needs them — as far as getting a cool factor. It should be in the games immediately.”

Getting a discipline into the Olympics requires applicants to be thoroughly organized and above all structured. Not things skateboarders are known for. […] One of these groups that seemed poised to claim skateboarding as their own was a group of roller skaters called the FIRS (Federation International de Roller sports). Allowing roller skaters to be the official governing body for skateboarding in the Olympics would be a lot like allowing skiers to be the official governing body over snowboarders; which is exactly what happened in the 2008 winter Olympics. […] the whole thing was a big mess and created a serious amount of animosity between snowboarders and the IOC. As a result of this, the IOC has re-evaluated exactly who they want to partner up with in bringing skateboarding along in 2016.

Now instead of the roller skaters, we have a group of skateboarders who are in the process of doing what it takes to become our governing body. The list of names on this governing body officially known as the ISF (International Skateboard Federation) is quite impressive. It includes Tony Hawk, Chris Miller, and Tod Swank; all major icons in the industry. There is one name in particular on this list, that gives the ISF some real credibility, and weirdly enough it’s the name of a guy who embodies skateboarding’s anti-mainstream, anti-sport, and probably anti-Olympics spirit more than anyone else I can think of. That name belongs to Dave Carnie.

“Skateboarding is going to be in the Olympics whether we like it or not.” Carnie said, in an article about skateboarding and the Olympics. “I don’t like it. But NBC and the IOC want it. And they’re going to get it one way or another. If it isn’t done by skateboarders, it will be done by one of a handful of other groups out there claiming to be the official governing body of skateboarding.”

This will be interesting to follow as it develops over the next few years. As much as we'd all like to say "fuck that" to the idea of skating in the olympics, if history has taught us anything it that's the man will take what he wants eventually. So yeah, I hate to say it but we might as well work with them to make sure it's done as well as it can be. If that's even possible. Sure, there will be tons of people who stick to their guns, and morals, and go down swinging against the whole thing but does that hoenstly really help in the end? I'm not so convinced.