In the latest in our series on the four sports debuting at next year's Tokyo Olympics we talk about skateboarding. Chris Curran, the president of Skateboarding New Zealand explains how the competition will work both in Tokyo and Paris in 2024.
Curran tells Afternoons he got into skateboard after tossing it up with rollerblading when he was a kid.
Photo: AFP
“I got both for Christmas and the rollerblades never came out of the box whereas the skateboard was thrashed.”
While it has some anti-establishment roots, Curran says skateboarding hasn’t “sold out” rather than leveraged an opportunity.
“Where getting our point of view out there to a wider audience.”
There will be two events in the Olympics – one will be street skating, and the other will be ramps and bowl skating.
Curran says the Olympic competition will be open to all skateboarders, even those who are professionally sponsored and on teams.
Unfortunately New Zealand is unlikely to be represented in Tokyo due to Covid-19 travel restrictions making it difficult for skaters to get to qualifying events. Curran says the current focus is on Paris 2024.
“We’re going to try develop our squad and make sure we get the support required to bring in some medals.”
Curran says skateboarding tends to skew toward males, but since it was announced as part of the Olympics they’re seeing more girls picking it up.
“Even on the world stage, the quality of female skateboarding is going in leaps and bounds every year. They’re getting better and better.”
And with its inclusion in the Olympics, Skateboarding New Zealand has also been able to get a seat at the table with sporting bodies to discuss how kids can be supported in skating.
