Snowboarding
Will BMX Racing Be An Olympic Hit Like Snowboard Cross?
There’s a lot of talk right now about BMX racing, which is making its Olympic debut in Beijing. The concept of BMX racing is very similar to that of snowboard cross, which made its Olympic debut in 2006: ride over a bunch of obstacles, fly in the air, and try to get to the finish line before the other guys. Or ladies.
Anyway, it seems Olympic organizers are trying to deliver a “spark” similar to the one snowboard cross did. The event debuted with much fanfare, and seemed to attract a demographic that may not have previously been very interested in the Olympics: anyone under 30.
Now, the next question, well-put in this Toronto Star article is: when will skateboarding arrive at the Olympics? Maybe Shaun White can compete in both the Winter and Summer Olympics.
Discussion
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Been thinking about posting about this myself. Beaten to the post (no pun intended, really).
We (Great Britain) have got a strong gold medal chance on the ladies BMX, so its getting a fair bit of coverage over here.
As for skateboarding, I heard there were plans to include it in London 2012.
I think it could be but the course needs to be designed in such a way that passing is not only possible but common. I remember watching Snowboard Cross a few years back and whomever got into the lead out of the gates almost always won. That doesn’t make for an exciting sport to watch.
Adam, Wall Street Journal has a story on skateboarding in the Olympics today, actually:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121939048353863217.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Seems like it would be a good fit, they just need to get a bit more organized.
–adam