"Skateboarding & Olympics" SkateHive Contest - My Thoughts

almost 4 years ago

Hello eveyone, how are you?

I always wanted to share my thoughts about Skateboarding & Olympic games but first let's do a short skateboarding histoy lesson.

How it all started

According to https://www.skatedeluxe.com/ and my research skateboarding started back in late 50's - early 60's by surfers who wanted to have fun when they couldn't hit waves. The called themselves "asphalt surfers" and they used shorter surfboards and wheels made out of metal without some bearings.

As time passed and more people picked up asphalt surfing the skateboards were constantly changing shape to what they look like today.

(Source)

I will not dive deep into skateboarding history but I think it is important to mention that skateboarding really took of during the 90's. More and more skate companies and magazines started popping up and delivering full-length skate movies.

One more important thing I want to mention is that skateboarders weren't getting paid by their sponsors until early 80's and that is why skateboarding culture-lifestyle exists. People were just doing it to have fun with their homies.

Back to "Skateboarding & Olympics"

I have been skating for more than 15 years and if there is one thing I've learnt that's that skateboarding is more of a culture and lifestyle than a sport. As a teenager who picked up skating at the age of 13 I never thought I could make money out of it and that lead me to become a much better skater cause I was doing it for fun! No pressure, no coaches, just me and the homies riding our wooden toys at the asphalt.

People were looking at us like we were criminals but we didn't give a shit. We only wanted to skate every single spot we found whether that was on a pavement or at private property. We were giving life to lifeless objects like benches, stairs etc.

It never occured in my mind that skateboarding could become an official Olympic sports until 3 years ago just because of the things I mentioned above. There is no other sport in the Olympics with such a "bad"reputation like skateboarding. Punks that smoke weed and destroy private property at the Olympic games? WTF? Hehehe!

Do I like the idea of Skateboarding beign an Olympic sport?

A coin has 2 sides so my answer is both Yes and No. If skateboarding hadn't become an Olympic sport there would be no skatepark at my city. We were asking for a skate park for over 10 years and nothing. Once skateboarding became a sport boom, a skatepark appeared so I guess that's a good thing. Kids can now learn how to skate in a safer envinroment without having to worry about getting hit by a car, fighting with other people and roaming the streets just to find a skateable object.

On the other hand I can see skateboarding loosing it magic. Skateboarding is street art and street art cannot be performed in a skatepark. The more spots you skate the more creative you become. Skating the streets is like life. You have to adapt in every single spot just like you have to adapt in every different situation in life. The skatepark never changes unlike the city. Skateboarding MUST be taken to the streets if we want to preserve our culture.

How do I think this will affect the skateboarding culture?

It is on us, the older generation to shape the youngsters. If we, who grew up street skating do not show the right path to the younger skaters skateboarding will become a classic sport and kids only dreams will be to compete at the Olympics and make money.
Skateboarding started from surfers who wanted to do what they loved and didn't care about making money and that's how it should be preserved. As a culture and lifestyle and not as a sport.

Take the youngsters with you while you street skate, show them that skateboarding is more than just a sport and they will fall in love with the culture.

Stay True

This is my entry for @skatehive's skateboarding community latest contest called "Skateboarding & Olympics.
Learn more about the contest and how to participate here :

https://peakd.com/hive-173115/@skatehive/olympics-and-skateboarding-skatehive-contest

Thank you all for supporting me my friends. I can't wait to read your thoughts about "Skateboarding & Olympic Games". I am sure each one of us has a unique approach to this topic.
Much love to everyone and #SKATEFORHIVE