Skateboarding is in the 2012 Olympics!

[Martin Drayton]

Check this out....
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/arti ... article.do
Should we be contacting someone about the inclusion of racing?
Jani, wasn't Slalom an exhibition event back in the Pyrranees in '97? Would that carry any weight to the argument?

[Paul Price]

London could host skateboarding

Skateboarding could make its Olympic debut at the London 2012 Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed on Friday that it has held talks over the sport's inclusion.

An IOC spokeswoman said it was possible that it could be feature at the 2012 Games. Reports claimed the velodrome at the Olympic Park could host events.

But the spokeswoman would not confirm this, adding: "We are not going into that level of detail at this stage."

International Cycling Union (UCI) officials, met with the IOC earlier this week to discuss proposal for adding skateboarding to the 2012 Games under its banner.

The IOC does not recognise an international skateboarding federation, so the sport would first need to be adopted as a discipline under the UCI umbrella.

After that, the UCI could make a formal proposal to the IOC for its inclusion in the Olympics.

"We are doing our best to introduce skateboarding for 2012," UCI sports director Olivier Quejuiner told the London Evening Standard.

"We have a clear strategy, 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."

[Paul Price]

Skateboarding in the 2012 Olympics,

I was awoken on Saturday with a request to do a live interview with Peter Sissons BBC News 24. There have been front page articles on Skateboarding in the 2012 Olympics in all the papers since the story broke on Friday.

The researcher found our site: http://www.ukslalomskateboarding.com

The interview went to air at 2pm Saturday and was repeated on the hour. After my make-up session we were on air live!

I had my Pavel Roadster and my flyaway helmet and a Pavel stickered cone on the table in front of me, as well as my Pavel teamrider shirt.

The interview had some vox pox of kids at south bank saying the Olympics would be good. Then I was pointed out that I am not a typical skateboarder. I replied all ages can skate. I explained a little about slalom racing while they played some video of Ella slaloming in Hyde park. I was asked if skateboarding would fit into the olympic ethos and I made some points about racing being a great event. I then made the point that with some funding and facilities the UK could get Gold in 2012!

The interview went well and the crew commented that I was a natural on TV and they would keep me on file for the big debate with Paxman on Newsnight.

Seriously though, what a difference this could make to our sport, the options are fantastic! After the 2002 Open World Champs in Morro Bay California I was told by the Sports Council they could not provide skaters funding as it was not an Olympic sport.

Well that may change!

[Hans Koraeus]

Good work Paul.

I think one of the big advantages slalom skateboarding has from vert skating (and snowboard halpipe) is that it is simple for an olympic audience to understand since slalom is already a known sport term. Also in slalom racing there is exact judgement in the timing with hundreds of a second. No need for the very sketchy judgement from judges that easily becomes a debate.

[Claude Regnier]

Got a simlar letter in both'81 & '82.

"Seriously though, what a difference this could make to our sport, the options are fantastic! After the 2002 Open World Champs in Morro Bay California I was told by the Sports Council they could not provide skaters funding as it was not an Olympic sport."

Conrast on the show. I'm there will be plenty more going around. B prepared everyone.

[Jani Soderhall]

Paul, you're doing an excellent job here!
If you have any contacts whatsover keep going!

Jani, wasn't Slalom an exhibition event back in the Pyrranees in '97? Would that carry any weight to the argument?

It was in 1993 and slalom was part of the Pyrenean Adventure Games, a kind of alternative Olympic Games, sponsored by the Spanish and French Olympic Committees. The cool thing was that the Olympic flag was hanging over the event the whole week and all the hot shots were there. Unfortunately the event didn't continue and X-Games took over.

The place for slalom wasn't the coolest, there wasn't much of an audience either, but it was damned cool anyway:

- 30 skaters got FREE flights (from all over the world).
- FREE airport pick up.
- FREE accommodation for a week.
- FREE food & drinks for a week.
- And there was an extraordinary opening party in Spain!

- And they treated the ISSA to a private driver to the opening party, while the police blocked all the traffic from the site of the opening ceremony to the opening party. I felt like a president. The only difference between me and all the other presidents present at the following reception, was that I was the only one without a tie and with shorts instead of a suit! Maybe that's why were never invited again. I'll definitely dress up next time!

/Jani

[John Gilmour]

As I recall- The skateboarding contingent was given an award for best organized as well as some sort of Media award.

I've got some photos which I can scan in with the Olympic flags and such.

I think a video package with some very exciting fast racing shots with good angles should be submitted. Both as still shots and video. Nothing longer than a minute.

I also think we should point out that slalom has proven itself to be a sport for all ages- something very unusual in Olympic Competition. Racing families should be illustrated.


After all- the Olympics is part sports- part scripted emotional content- and we have more than our fair share of emotional content. Oh man- they could have an Olympic cry fest if they wanted. 1 Cone...! 1 CONE! arrrgh!

I mean...where in the world can a Successful dotcommer, winner of TransPac sailing race- race in the same circuit with his family as a man who has not skated for 10 years who slept on a cardboard box outside the night before on borrowed equipment?

What about Ritchie's family being profiled? His mom with 74 kids and grand kids. The Flying Carrascos, BLR and Olson's art, Fadell and Atilla and photography, The techies, Duane Peters, The Old guard pros, Chaput the luger, standup, competing manufacturer, Dan Gesmer our timer skating with Cirque de Soleil, Lynn Kramer stoked, Luca the Free climbing champion- fighting back pain issues, Mollica- real estate appraisier by weekday- skate warrior by weekend, Ramon- the kids great hope, role model Martin Drayton skating for Trinidad, Simon Smokestack Levene- coming out puffing to a roar of tens of thousands of his fellow Londoners. Last minute surprise additions of some old guard Euro skaters coming out of retirement----

NASCAR and "pro wrestling" and most Olympics interviews are scripted to create interest- We are far more interesting as characters than they are- and we're actually REAL.

This could EASILY be one of the best put together interview segments the Olympics has ever seen.

Wacky racers................ meet the IOC.

[Curt DeBartolo]

Im not sure if this topic has been mentioned. To my knowledge, athletes that compete in the Olympics are amateurs while pro athletes do not compete. Correct me if I am wrong. So how would this affect what ever sk8 disclipline that may get into the Olympics as far as who can or can not compete?

[Lenny Poage]

Im not sure if this topic has been mentioned. To my knowledge, athletes that compete in the Olympics are amateurs while pro athletes do not compete. Correct me if I am wrong. So how would this affect what ever sk8 disclipline that may get into the Olympics as far as who can or can not compete?

I think pros may now compete. I remember some discussion about it when I was in high school or college because the U.S. Basketball team was a stacked "Dream Team" of the best US pros.

[Chris Favero]

Im not sure if this topic has been mentioned. To my knowledge, athletes that compete in the Olympics are amateurs while pro athletes do not compete. Correct me if I am wrong. So how would this affect what ever sk8 disclipline that may get into the Olympics as far as who can or can not compete?

two words.shaun white.cf

[Martin Drayton]

Im not sure if this topic has been mentioned. To my knowledge, athletes that compete in the Olympics are amateurs while pro athletes do not compete. Correct me if I am wrong. So how would this affect what ever sk8 disclipline that may get into the Olympics as far as who can or can not compete?

I think pros may now compete. I remember some discussion about it when I was in high school or college because the U.S. Basketball team was a stacked "Dream Team" of the best US pros.

And there was the year tennis was included.....

[Jack Smith]

Professional athletes competed in the Olympics long before the door was thrown open.

I would venture to guess that over 50% of the athletes who compete in the 2008 Games will be on the payroll of a company or a government.

[Paul Price]

From Enquiries@london2012.com

Thank you for your enquiry regarding skateboarding. The International
Olympic Committee (IOC) is the only body with the authority to add
sports and disciplines to an Olympic competition. No new sports will be
added for London 2012 as the decision to do so must be taken 7 years
prior to the Games. New disciplines for existing Olympic sports may be
added by the IOC up to 3 years prior to the Games.

Best wishes, London 2012

SO.... slalom would have to be part of the cycle discipline?

[Paul Price]

It seems we may still be able to get SLALOM RACING in 2012 as a Demonstration event.
The ISSA should start contacting the man soon!

This article appeared in the London Evening Standard 10th October 2007

Here is the article:

to find the article search on 'skateboarding' in http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/home/

Wheels fall off 2012 skateboard event
Matthew Beard, Sports News Correspondent
09.10.07


Attempts to introduce skateboarding to the London Olympics have failed, it emerged today.
The International Olympic Committee had been keen to boost the youth appeal of the 2012 Games by giving the sport its debut in London.
But plans for the International Cycling Federation to adopt skateboarding as a "wheel-based" sport have faltered.
The proposals did not even make the organisation's agenda at its recent annual congress in Germany.
It canvassed opinion among its federations around the world, but they failed to give their unanimous backing and without the endorsement of a current Olympic sport, skateboarding's chances were dead although it may feature as an "exhibition" event.
The federation remains in talks with the IOC about introducing an additional form of BMX for London.
The cycling sport will make its debut at next year's Beijing games but, by 2012, a "freestyle" discipline could be added.
Skateboarders have been divided over the idea of taking part in the Olympics. Some would have welcomed the exposure, others said it would lead to a conformity that should be anathema to the sport that grew out of the Californian surf craze.
Kevin Parrott, secretary of the UK Skateboarding Association, said there were concerns that its introduction was being rushed.
"It has taken a long time to get competitive skateboarding right - both in the tone and technical aspects. The timetable to include it in the London Olympics was clearly too tight."
An IOC spokeswoman said: "BMX freestyle would be easier to introduce, as it already exists as a sport in the programme."
Under IOC rules, the deadline for a completely new sport at London 2012 passed in 2005. A loophole exists for a sport to be introduced as a "discipline" if it is adopted by an existing Olympic sport. New disciplines for London must be agreed by 2009.