Skateboarding

[Competition venue: Ariake Urban Sports Park]

• Overview

  In the skateboarding competitions, there will be two disciplines: park and street. For the park competition, a course called a "combination pool," which contains bowls and pools in a complex combination with ramps and course bends, will be used. For the street competition, a street-like course with stairs, curbs, slopes and rails will be used. In both disciplines, skaters will be scored based on the degree of difficulty, consistency in completing tricks, the overall routine, speed and originality.

  Key Points

  Skateboarders are judged mainly on the degree of difficulty of tricks; however, speed and scale can make a significant difference in scores of the same trick. A routine performed within the timeframe is a major factor in demonstrating the skater's characteristics and abilities. In the park competition, tricks such as high-speed sailing through the air and somersault dismounts like in gymnastics are attractions; in the street competition, tricks in which it is difficult for skaters to keep their balance, such as a skater jumping off the skateboard while rotating it intricately and jumping on it again, are considered challenging tricks. "Cool" is frequently used when praising skaters. Cool skaters who perform difficult tricks while staying calm can be potential winners.

  History

  Skateboarding is said to have originated in California in the 1940s when people attached iron rollers to a wooden board and rode on it. The origin of skateboards can be traced back to the rubber wheeled wooden ones launched by Roller Derby in the 1950s.

  In the 1970s, skateboarding gained in popularity in Japan, and many young skaters skateboarded in parks or parking lots all over Japan. Pedestrian zones around Yoyogi Park and Harajuku became particularly famous for skateboarding in Japan, and skateboards instantly became a must-have for young Japanese. Competitions began to be held in Japan, and a number of large and small facilities designed specifically for skateboarding opened at the time around the country.

  In the 1990s, street skateboarding gained overwhelming popularity. Many fashion magazines in Japan featured skater fashion. More and more collaborative works appeared in the graphic, music and other industries. The category of street culture was established, and it attracted fashion-conscious young Japanese.

  Recently, public skateparks have opened in areas all over Japan, and skateboarding is attracting parents who want to enjoy sports with their kids.

  * Courtesy of The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (as of September 2019)

  Detail

  	Men	Women
  Event	Park Street	Park Street

(Updated on April 10, 2019）