After decades of living on the fringe of what are considered ‘mainstream sports’ the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has voted to include Surfing and Skateboarding in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo Japan. This is HUGE news for athletes who have devoted their entire lives to these sports, men like Kelly Slater and Tony Hawk who brought these sports from the outskirts of society to the Olympic Games.
via Transworld.net:
Orange County, Calif. — The Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission, a collaboration between the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) and the International Skateboarding Federation (ISF), is proud to announce the addition of Skateboarding into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. At the International Olympic Committee (IOC) general session today in Rio de Janeiro, the IOC unanimously approved Skateboarding as one of five new sports making their historic Olympic debuts.
The Organizing Committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games proposed the new sports in response to the flexibility provided by Olympic Agenda 2020 which is the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. Skateboarding’s vast youth appeal, accessibility and legacy plan make it a perfect fit for Tokyo 2020’s vision of a youth-focused and inspiring Games.
“I’ve always believed that if skateboarding was properly protected and supported, its appearance on the Olympic stage could change the world,” said Gary Ream, Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission Chairman and ISF President. “We’re excited to have that opportunity in Tokyo thanks to the IOC’s Agenda 2020 and the creation of the Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding Commission.”
As news began to circulate throughout the world of Surfing and Skateboarding yesterday pro athletes began to react:
I'm already preparing for Tokyo: conducting drills, rehearsing routines, changing diets, and [most importantly] reversing the aging process.
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) August 3, 2016
Nike and Adidas drop their golf programs–skating & surfing become Olympic sports. End of times!😂 pic.twitter.com/Dkjnd6TrIK
— Andy Macdonald (@andymacdonald) August 4, 2016
🙌 @fucktyler …. pic.twitter.com/mB94MSU4fw
— Shaun White (@shaunwhite) August 3, 2016
Approved by @Olympics! Baseball/Softball, Karate, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing & Surfing are part of #Tokyo2020! pic.twitter.com/xgG2KXP6cQ
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) August 3, 2016
And here’s what we know about the Surfing event so far, via SurferMag:
First, the specifics:
The event will take place in the ocean, not a wave pool. Venue will be at Chiba, a 45-minute or so train ride from Tokyo
40 competitors in total: 20 men, 20 women
High-performance shortboarding only; no longboard, bodyboard, or SUP division
Countries from all over the world will be represented, including many surfers not on the WCT
This is HUGE for the competitive world of boardsports and I just hope that wakebarding is next on the list of events to be added!
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For more on this announcement, you can click on over to Transworld and/or Surfline.