I’ve been skating for about 10 years now, and an argument that I’ve come back to time and time again that drives me CRAZY is the “is skateboarding a sport?” argument.
Yes, its a sport. It’s an action/extreme sport, along with snowboarding, BMX, surfing, motocross, skiing, and so many more. By definition, an extreme sport is “any recreational activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly specialized gear.”
I can't tell you how many times I’ve heard the line, “Anybody can stand on a skateboard.” Okay, I’ll give you that one, yes anybody can stand on a skateboard. I think you’d have to be the most uncoordinated person on the face of the planet to fall off a skateboard standing still. But now I want you to start moving. Go ahead, start pushing, now do an ollie, or better yet, let me see you do a kickflip.
Skateboarding is so much more than just standing on a board. The amount of coordination and balance it takes to do anything on a skateboard is far more than you think. Why else do you think there are people out there who are sponsored by companies to ride for them, use their gear, and promote the brand? Because they’re the best. They outperform everybody else.
Now I’m not discrediting any skate out there that’s not sponsored. What I’m saying is that these guys and girls are so good at what they do and they perform at such a high caliber that these companies want to brand their product through them, much like how athletes of other sports are sponsored by companies such as Under Armor, Nike, Adidas and many other big names. By the way, both Nike and Adidas have skate teams.
Not only are skaters sponsored by companies for their athletic abilities, but skateboarding is also HUGE in the X-Games, and it’s also going to be in the 2020 Olympics. If you ask me I think the fact that skateboarding is in the Olympics is enough of an argument to shut anybody down that thinks it isn't a sport.
While we're on the topic of skateboarding contests, I should mention this little thing called Street League Skateboarding (SLS). It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest, yearly skate competitions. All of the top pros compete for first prize at the qualifying stops. The finalists then go on to compete to be crowned champion at the Super Crown, the final stop of the SLS.
An extreme sport with this much recognition is without a doubt a sport. You can make any argument you want against it. But, when you have skateboarding in the Olympics, and professionals sponsored by companies who also sponsor baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer athletes, it’s kinda hard to try to say that it in fact isn’t a real sport.
