New sports at the 2024 Olympics: skateboarding

Skateboarding originated in the United States, in California to be precise, in the 1950s. It is still a young sport, but one that is practised by many enthusiasts around the world following its development and democratisation in the early 2000s, thanks in particular to the famous pro skateboarder Tony Hawk. Not only does skateboarding reflect a cool, rebellious image that appeals to young people, it also allows its practitioners to express their creativity through daring, adrenalin-fuelled tricks!

The idea of including skateboarding in the Olympic Games also dates back to the 2000s, with the International Olympic Committee looking to incorporate urban sports into the programme, as well as attracting a younger audience. And it was in 2016 that the idea was officially adopted, with the sport being added to the sporting events scheduled for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after making its Olympic debut at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games in 2014.

Old Skullz Skateboard

Skateboarding is practised in a variety of styles (street, downhill, surfskate, etc.), but it is park and street that will make up the skateboarding events at the Paris 2024 Olympics. These 2 disciplines are not only the most popular, but also those where creativity and technique are very important. Skateboarders will have to show their imagination while demonstrating their mastery of skateboarding, in order to perform the most beautiful tricks to impress the public and the jury at the competition venue, the Place de la Concorde in Paris!

This emblematic site in the French capital will be temporarily converted into an urban park where the BMX freestyle, breakdance and 3x3 basketball events will also take place. The street skateboard competition will take place on 27 and 28 July, in an arena set up to reproduce the elements of a street (staircases, rails, etc.), followed by the skateboard park competition on 6 and 7 August, in an arena made up of bowls and curves. You can expect an exceptional show from the athletes, who will be taking full advantage of their environment to perform a host of tricks, including :

• the Ollie: in street, a jump without hands where the skater bounces the board on the ground by pressing on the tail (the back of the board) and sliding the front foot by scraping the grip towards the nose (the front) of the board;
• Kickflip: in street, a rotation of the board in the air by pushing the front foot forward and outward and kicking the ankle (the flick) on the edge of the board in the hollow between the board and the tail;
• Slide: in street, a glide on the wheels of the skateboard while keeping the trucks out of contact with the obstacle;
• the Air: in park, a jump in the air from the edge of the ramp that can reach impressive heights;
• Indy Grab: in park, the action of grabbing the side of the board with the back hand during a jump;
• Rock to Fakie: in park, the action of climbing the edge of the ramp in a frontside position, then doing a 180° rotation to land in a backside position.

Famous professionals are expected to take centre stage during the skateboarding events at the 2024 Paris Olympics: in street, Momiji Nishiya, Japanese skateboarder; Yuto Horigome, Japanese skateboarder; Rayssa Leal, Brazilian skateboarder also known as "Fadinha" (little fairy); etc.., and in the park, Keegan Palmer, Australian skateboarder; Pedro Barros, Brazilian skateboarder; Sakura Yosozumi, Japanese skateboarder; and many more.

Old Skullz Skateboard

Accompanied by artistic, cultural, festive and other events in the Place de la Concorde urban park, the skateboarding competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is expected to attract a good number of curious riders, and even non-skaters who may be interested in taking a skateboarding course following the Olympics. But if you're not planning to get on a board just yet, you can always try your hand at skateboarding on a video game, or simply consult this skateboarding instruction manual for the key facts about this urban sport!