These displays of collegiality and shared joy stand in start contrast to most Olympic sports, which pit nation against nation. Or fellow competitors mobbing and hugging Zoi Sadowski-Synnott after she won gold in the women’s slopestyle final last week. Witness the women in the park skateboarding event at the Tokyo Olympics singing, dancing and hugging one another throughout the competition. This obvious camaraderie has intrigued Olympic audiences. GettyImages Community, progression and fun ![]() Even if they stop competing at the elite level, they typically remain committed to the sport they love because of the pleasure and enjoyment it brings.įurthermore, the sense of community and identity these sports offer remains important throughout the lives of many passionate participants.Ĭompetition and community: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (NZ) celebrates winning the snowboard slopestyle final with silver and bronze winners Julia Marino (USA) and Tess Coady (Australia). The high-speed physics of how bobsled, luge and skeleton send humans hurtling faster than a car on the highwayīy contrast, action sports athletes rarely retire in the conventional sense. They can experience “ identity loss”, as well as physical changes, which can lead to depression, anxiety and even suicide. Research has consistently shown the psychological challenges experienced by athletes retiring from competitive sports. In many traditional organised sports, elite athletes are dropped from teams when they’re injured or simply considered too old. GettyImages Replacing retirement blues with lifelong passion Lindsey Jacobellis celebrates winning gold in the the women’s snowboard cross at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Many older action sport participants also give back to the community in a range of ways, from organising events and fundraising to creating nonprofits to expand opportunities for others. Many action sport brands proudly include “legends” and “veterans” in their professional teams.Ĭultural commitment is highly valued, demonstrating a lifetime of dedication to the sport. With older participants identified as a new niche market, new product lines were developed to target their needs. The rise of the “ silver surfer”, middle-aged snowboarder and older skateboarder is well documented. Researchers have referred to these activities as “ lifestyle sports” because of their central organising role in people’s lives their jobs, holidays and consumption revolve around their passion for these sports. Many have taught their children and grandchildren, sharing these sporting cultures with their families.Īlt goes mainstream: how surfing, skateboarding, BMX and sport climbing became Olympic events Those who took up action sports as teenagers in the 1970s and 1980s are still active today. The action sports industry began noting a trend towards “greying” participants over a decade ago. But the unique cultures and communities of action sports are also important factors. Longevity in elite sporting careers can be attributed to advances in training techniques, nutrition and sport science. Kelly Slater on his way to winning the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii, February 5. More than 15 years after his first Olympic appearance, White finished just outside the medals but wowed audiences with his huge airs and timeless style. He won his first Olympic gold aged 19 in Torino in 2006, and again in Vancouver in 2010 and PyeongChang in 2018. Meanwhile, the world’s most famous snowboarder, Shaun White, competed in the Beijing halfpipe finals at the age of 35 at his fifth Olympics. ![]() How snowboarding became a marquee event at the Winter Olympics – but lost some of its cool factor in the process Gold continued to elude her at subsequent Olympics, but Jacobellis overcame a series of psychological challenges to make the comeback of her career in Beijing. Jacobellis was publicly criticised at the 2006 Winter Olympics for falling and losing the lead after a celebratory manoeuvre on the penultimate jump in a speed event – infamously known as the “ Lindsey Leap”. A few days later, US snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis – at her fourth Winter Olympics – won the snowboard cross gold medal at the age of 36.
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