To most people, skateboarding is a recreational activity, entertainment, art, or at bests a method of transportation. Not many know that this game is set for big things following its inclusion in the Olympics. The game is now part of the summer games; both male and female teams will be represented in the worlds most prestigious event.
For betting enthusiasts in Serbia, meridianbet rs aplikacija offers great experience especially during the Tokyo 2021 games, and also given that skateboarding may be part of the sporting activities that you can place bids on. James Trello explores the new addition to the Olympics, looking at its history and what the future holds for a game that many would not associate with major tournaments such as summer games.
When one of the leading sports pages was announcing the introduction of Skateboarding into the Olympics in 2020, its not the news that caught readers attention but the way the headline was crafted. A rebellious game makes debut in 2020 Tokyo games! read the headline. This title may not have gone down well with the skateboarding fraternity, but they were not ready to be drawn into the controversy, they had their eyes set on the ball, or is it the board? For many, they are used to such theatrics whereas as a sporting event, they are not taken seriously.
Many refer to this game as entertainment while others call it a means of transportation. Even the reactions that came following the announcement of its inclusion in the Olympics may not be amusing to the skateboarding community. While some were elated by the news since the game would get more exposure, others were worried that Olympic culture and lifestyle will be destroyed through the inclusion of a game that many refer to as rebellious.
Many have been wondering, how the event will look like and what the future holds for skateboarding in major tournaments. For those who have been following the game in the past, it has a long history dating way back to the 1940s. It is at around this time that the first skateboards were made, although it is not clear who came up with the idea of the first skateboard. Literature has it that several people in different places came up with designs and each developed his own. Some of the designs are still in use today. The skateboards have since gradually advanced to give rise to what we have today. The game has gradually gained popularity such that by the early 2000s, skateboards had more young people playing than they did in baseball.
Controversy
Not everybody loves the game; some accuse the players of the damages in urban infrastructures such as curbs and ledges, especially when the skateboarders perform their tricks such as grinds. It is also associated with the culture of rebelliousness among young people. Some of these negative connotations may have contributed to the lukewarm reception that the game received by some sports fans when the announcement that it will be introduced in the Olympics was made.
What will skateboard be like at the Olympics now and in the future?
At its first appearance in the Olympics, skateboarding features two disciplines;
- The park competition will be held on a hollow course that has a complex series of twists and turns
- The street competition will feature a straight course comprising of handrails, stairs, benches, slopes, and walls, an environment that resembles a real street.
The Olympic skateboarders are set to experience creative freedom just as they get in the parks and streets. They have the freedom to select the parts of the course which they want to cover and the tricks to perform. Music will accompany the game to maintain the feel of this sport. Each athlete will have his or her turn making a set of three turns where the best of the three timed turned will be counted.
One thing that the introduction of skateboarding in the Olympics will do is bringing the game into the limelight. Since the event is watched by hundreds of millions the world over, people will start seeing it as a competitive sporting activity not just a leisure time game. People will start following the other tournaments where this game is played. For example, not many are aware that the 2021 Street Skateboarding World Championships were held in Rome in June, an event that served as the qualifiers for the Olympics.
After this major skateboarding event, the next events are the Olympics. In 2023, Santiago de Chile will be playing host for the Pan American Games, Park. The future is bright for skateboarding; the game is set to become more popular following this exposure. Although it is coming at a time when there are no spectators in the field, Skateboarding will enjoy a large viewership, especially among the youth. What will follow after this event cannot be accurately predicted, but one thing is that the event will attract more players in future events. Many engage in the game out there but they only do it as a pastime, now that it has been recognized they will look to compete at the international level.
