With due respect for Olympic Athletes, we the undersigned skateboarders and advocates strongly request that the IOC NOT RECOGNIZE SKATEBOARDING AS AN OLYMPIC SPORT, or use skateboarding to market the Olympics. Further, we ask that the IOC NOT recognize any individuals or groups claiming to be the IOC recognized governing body of skateboarding or provide funding to them.
Skateboarding is not a "sport" and we do not want skateboarding exploited and transformed to fit into the Olympic program. We feel that Olympic involvement will change the face of skateboarding and its individuality and freedoms forever. We feel it would not in any way support skateboarders or skateparks. We do not wish to be part of it and will not support the Olympics if skateboarding is added as an Olympic sport.
*** PETITION IS STILL OPEN ***
We feel Olympic recognition will not due justice to the purity, individuality and uniqueness of skateboarding culture. We feel dedicated viewers of the Olympic games will not be interested in skateboarding. Skateboarding should not be viewed or utilized as a sport or game or used as a marketing tool for the personal gain of organizations. Skateboarding competition as presented to the public eye today is primarily invitational-only television productions for the purpose of attracting high paying corporate sponsors. These programs are very unpopular, poorly attended, and most skateboarders do not watch them because they do not represent what skateboarding is really about.
The typical skateboarder does not have anything in common with an Olympian athlete. Athletes train endlessly, have trainers, coaches, hard schedules to keep, many competitions and a true dedication to their goal of winning a gold metal. Skateboarding does not fit this scenario. The majority of skateboarders do not have a desire to compete against other countries. Skateboarders do not work upward towards a competitive goal of receiving metals. Skateboarding is an individual creative activity and skaters enjoy lesser known, non-televised, informal competitions among their peers with no corporate sponsors for the mere purpose of having fun.
For these reasons and many more, we highly encourage you to please NOT give skateboarding Olympic recognition.
