The International Olympic Committee (IOC) in its attempts to reach a younger demographic and be more relevant in the future is looking at ways to increase its appeal to global youth culture. One brilliant idea was the creation of the supposedly youthful and hip 2012 logo for the London Games, which has not only been blasted globally for it’s bad design, but has been removed from some sites for causing seizures. The other concept is to possibly introduce skateboarding into the 2012 Games, which is among the top sport in our Global Youth Culture Studies that young people either participate in or want to learn. However, the IOC, as they recently stated to news sources, don’t “recognize” any skateboarding organizations and have turned to the International Cycling Union (UCI) to introduce the sport to the Games. We had an immediate déjà vu reaction when we heard this, reminding us of the time when the IOC didn’t “recognize” any snowboarding organization and so umbrella-ed the sport under skiing, and look how smoothly that went.

We’re guessing that the reason the cycling organization is who they’ve turned to is because the sports both have wheels, but other than that…However at least the IOC is starting to move forward with bringing in skateboarding, which, they admit, has become popular because of “the X Games.” (Honestly, sometimes getting the IOC newsletter is like reading information that’s 15 years old.) They way this whole process works is that skateboarding has to first be umbrella-ed under a sport that the IOC does “recognize” from which that organization can then make a formal proposal to the IOC to include it into the Games. This process can take years, often includes frustration on the part of the athletes and industry trying to get the sport into the Games, not to mention the tension created from having two very distinct sporting lifestyles try to get along as they are pre-packaged together for the sake of “recognition” by the Olympics. Again, look at the snowboarding and skiing relationship as a reference. (And hey, if the UCI/skateboarding thing works, then all the IOC has to do is umbrella surfing under sailing since both are water sports and sailing is already “recognized” to get that sport in too!)

London’s organizing committee of course is keen to have skateboarding on board and is pushing hard knowing that it will increase their cred-factor and global audiences. They even have a proposed location in the Olympic Park veladrome. And the UCI is keen to get skateboarding within their fold which will not only bolster cycling, but bring in money for their organization off the backs of skateboarding, thanks to their brethren with tiny wheels. However it remains to be seen just how the skateboarding community is going to work with the UCI, not to mention IOC. Its rebel, street-savvy reputation may not fit the mold of what the IOC finds acceptable in sports, just like those crazy, pot-smoking snowboarders who wanted to wear their own sponsored outwear back in the day. To continue to work with their heads in the sand has already been a painful learning lesson for the IOC as they continue to struggle with making the Olympic Games relevant and make money. But someone at the IOC has “recognized” at least that skateboarding just may be their golden ticket to being cool again.

See also May story, “IOC “Welcomes” Idea of Youth Olympic Games to Start in 2010 with “Relevant” Sports.”