A petition seeking to overturn the decision to introduce skateboarding at the 2020 Olympic Games has been launched by skateboarders wanting to keep their sport “pure”.
While a number of high profile skaters – such as Tony Hawk and Shaun White – have campaigned long and hard for Olympic inclusion, it seems that the core of the grassroots have a different view on the efforts to commercialise skateboarding and the drive to establish it as an organised, competitive sport.
The petition (
which can be accessed here), has already garnered 5,600 signatures and calls for the IOC to reverse its decision to have skateboarding at the Tokyo Games in 2020.
A statement from the group behind the petition says: “Skateboarding is not a sport and we do not want skateboarding exploited and transformed to fit into the Olympic program.
“With due respect for Olympic athletes, we the undersigned skateboarders and advocates strongly request that the IOC not recognise skateboarding as an Olympic sport, or use skateboarding to market the Olympics.
“Further, we ask that the IOC not recognize any individuals or groups claiming to be the IOC recognized governing body of skateboarding or provide funding to them.
“We feel that Olympic involvement will change the face of skateboarding and its individuality and freedoms forever. We feel it would not in any way support skateboarders or skateparks. We do not wish to be part of it and will not support the Olympics if skateboarding is added as an Olympic sport.”
Those that have signed the petition include skateboarders from all backgrounds and from around the world.
Alex Cushing from New Hampshire, US said: “One of the greatest things about skateboarding is that there are no winners or losers. The sport is highly opinionated, and to quantify who/what country would be a mistake.”
Doug Midkiff MacInnis from Canada said: “Skateboarding is not a sport, it’s a form of art. It is crude to try to lay judgement on artistic expression, giving it a value based on a point system that is biased at best. You still haven't proven that figure skating is bias-free.”
Not all of the signatories are skateboarders, however, and the petition has attracted support from those who do not want to see skaters in the Olympics for a very different reason.
“I do not want hippies jumping on bits of wheeled cardboard (sic) in the Olympics - it's a ridiculous notion,” writes Harry Wagstaff from Alaska, US.
• Skateboarding is one of five new sports set to make their Olympic debute in 2020, alongside baseball, karate, climbing and surfing. Three other sports – bowling, squash and wushu (a Chinese martial art) – failed to make the cut from a shortlist of eight.
To read the petition,
click here
