New Olympic Games Skateboarding Will it be a "household art" in Japan?

New Olympic Games Skateboarding Will it be a Japanese “household art” August 6th 10:08

It is

the words of Yuto Horigome, who won the gold medal on Men's Street, where

"a new history has been engraved on skateboarding," and

suddenly spread his name throughout Japan.

Skateboarding was held as a new competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

Japan has won five medals, three gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal.

The scene in which other players praised 15-year-old Ao Okamoto, who showed an aggressive attitude to the end at the women's park, made a strong impression, and the commentary of the professional skateboarder who attracted attention with a rough narrative was also posted online. It became a hot topic and received a lot of attention.

"Dangerous," "noisy," and "scary." The

image of skateboarding should have changed at the Tokyo Olympics.

Will skateboarding become a Japanese "household art" rather than a transient boom in the future?

(Sports News Department Reporter Shohei Matsuyama)

Skateboarding its history

First, let's look back on the history of skateboarding in Japan.

Skateboarding is said to have been born in California, USA in the 1940s.

According to skateboarders, the number of enthusiasts in Japan began to increase about 20 years later in the 1960s, when surfers were the main players.

After that, it became a hot topic as it was featured in magazines for young people, and it is said that the boom is coming every 10 years.

It was in the 1980s and 90s that there was a big boom among young people.

It was an era when so-called "street" skateboards that skate in the city were at their peak.

The technique became more complicated, and the types of tools increased.

Matching with the fashion of Japanese music such as hip-hop, skateboarding, including fashion, has become a run of youth culture.

It was from this time that top skateboarders from overseas came to Japan and the competition began in earnest.

This era is also influencing the current skateboarding world.

It was also during this period that the fathers of Horigome, the ace of women's streets, and Aori Nishimura were skateboarding when they were students.

Both of them started skateboarding under the influence of their father, and Horigome revealed that he is still getting hints of new techniques by watching the images of skateboarders in the 1990s.

It can be said that the 1990s was a major turning point for Japanese skateboarding.

A new boom as a "competition"

And in 2021, about 30 years have passed since then.

With its first adoption at the Olympics, a new boom is about to be announced as a "competition."

According to the Japan Skateboarding Association, the domestic competition population is currently about 3,000, mainly in their teens and 20s.

There is no clear standard for domestic enthusiasts, but it is estimated to be about 400,000.

Japan national team coach Takashi Nishikawa

"The competition population has been increasing recently. There is a possibility that it will increase at a stretch due to the influence of the Olympics."

The challenge is "nuisance"

However, there are also issues for its widespread use.

It's a so-called "nuisance".

According to skateboarders, the most common problems are noise when slipping, scratching or breaking steps or structures on the road, slipping in prohibited areas, littering garbage, etc. There is.

In the Minato Mirai district of Yokohama City and around Yokohama Station, troubles and complaints about skateboarding occurred one after another, and last year, four people were sent documents for entering the building site without permission to skateboard.

These are not the issues of the competition itself, but the issues of morals, but they are inseparable issues for skateboarding that originated on the street.

One skateboarder points out.

"Maybe I have a light feeling that'skateboarding is that kind of thing'. However, this is a matter of personal morals. With skateboarding attracting attention, some such acts have become conspicuous. There "

Can you increase the number of skateboards?

One of the points is whether skateboarding will take root in Japan in the future if we can reduce such acts.

What do you need for that?

Many people are talking about "maintaining the place."

According to the Japan Skate Park Association, which aims to popularize skateboarding grounds, as of May, there are more than 400 places to enjoy skateboarding nationwide, but many say that there is still not enough. ..

Satoru Kawasaki, President of the Japan Skate Park Association

"If there is a nuisance, most of the time you will be locked out as'skateboarding prohibited'. to become "development to the

good," small place. while gaining the understanding of local residents, skateboard, such as a corner of the park is desirable to establish a location that is available. more and more place to enjoy the skateboard than the public road If you go, you should be able to reduce harassment. ”

Many of the players who are active now, such as Horimai, Nishimura, and Nishiya on the street, had a practice field not far from their home.

The more places you can slide with peace of mind, the more chances you will find many talents.

Top-level driving range international competition

And in order to improve competitiveness, it is necessary to have a specialized skateboarding area that serves as a saucer for top athletes.

For example, Sora Shirai, who is ranked 3rd in the world ranking, opened a skateboarding ground in Kanagawa prefecture last year, which he was involved in designing.

By creating a practice base equipped with tall rails, he realized that he had improved his level.

In addition, Sakura Yosozumi of the women's park secured a practice place near her home with the cooperation of a local company.

If the environment is prepared, the possibility of holding various competitions such as international competitions will increase, and it is expected that the level of Japan will further improve.

Japan National Team Director Nishikawa

"I hope that top-level international competitions can be held in Japan. On the other hand, there are competitions that you can just enjoy, and it is important to make various options. Then you can make it world-class. I think the number of people will increase. "

From "dangerous" to "cool"

Top Japanese athletes say they want to change the image of skateboarding at the Tokyo Olympics.

Women's Street 8th place Aori Nishimura

"I

hope that

skateboarding isn't dangerous or bad, but that it's fun or cool."

Men's Street Gold Medal Yuto Horigome

"I think I was able to convey the fun and coolness of skateboarding through the Olympics. I think people who didn't know about skateboarding will become more and more major in Japan in the future."

Skateboarding has entered a new era with the success of Japanese athletes at the Olympic Games.

Now that the medal rush is booming, can we improve the environment as a "sport" while respecting the history that has developed as a "culture"?

It will be a turning point whether it will be a "household art".