IWWF WELCOMES OLYMPIC AGENDA 2020 WITH APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION TO ADD NEW EVENTS TO THE GAMES

[Horton]

Nobody present at the International Olympic Committee Monaco Session this week expected such unanimous agreement by so many for change. Over 40,000 submissions were received from the public. The debate on Olympic Agenda 2020 put forward by President Thomas Bach was expected to last two full days. In fact, such was the level of agreement that all 40 recommendations received full approval from the 96 IOC Members present. There were no votes against and no abstentions. President Bach and the IOC are to be fully congratulated on this major achievement. His 18 months of hard work at the helm have certainly paid off and have greatly encouraged the global sports community.

 

What is at stake is agreement on a strategic roadmap for the future development of the Olympic Movement. Of special interest to the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) was item 10 on the list of 40 Recommendations – "Move from a sport-based programme to an event based one".

 

Having made a full presentation last year to the IOC Executive Board for the inclusion of Wakeboard in the Games, the IWWF is further encouraged to know that events from new sports can now be added. Already, the IWWF has made a proposal to the Tokyo Organising Committee of the 2020 Olympics for the installation of an environment friendly Wakeboard Cable system on their Olympic Rowing and Canoe site – thus minimizing the costs. This has already been done successfully on the Olympic lakes in Beijing and Barcelona. Floodlit Wakeboard could also take place at night as was done so successfully by its sister sport Snowboard in Sochi. Surprisingly, the cost of such an installation could be as low as US$100,000 and it could easily be moved to another location after the Games if desired. This would therefore remove any legacy issues.

 

The success of Snowboard in the Winter Olympics highlighted the impact of Board Sports for sponsors, TV coverage and the fans. The addition of Wakeboard to the Summer Games in 2020 would bring a totally new youth driven event to the Games where spectacular floating obstacles enable the male and female Riders to perform breathtaking tricks in an exciting confined area.

 

Attending the IOC Monaco Session, IWWF President Kuno Ritschard stated – “IOC President Thomas Bach deserves our congratulations and has certainly opened the door for sports which can attract substantial new youth focused audiences to the Olympic Games. We know that the inclusion of Wakeboard would show the world exactly how the IOC is capable of quickly adapting to global trends”.

 

IWWF Wakeboard World Cup on Beijing’s Shunyi Olympic Lake : http://youtu.be/t-5-d2ml2

[RazorRoss3]

Well that's pretty great. Now we just need to get the skis into the game.

[ForrestGump]

Honestly, I could care less about the summer olympics and adding wakeboard won't get me to watch it.

[LeonL]

Undoubtably it will be another "wine and dine", throwing good money down the drain and then getting blown off. Such an endeavor cost Usawaterski (and You and I) thousands and thousands of $$ several years back to no avail. And we're only looking at wakeboard. Feel free to spend $$ in the coffer that wakeboard sport division generated, but leave my membership dues alone.

[oldjeep]

I love the summer Olympics, but can't think of anything more boring than watching cable park wakeboarding.

[Roger]

I can possibly see them adding it if it's cable drawn, but since there are no powered sports in the Olympics, I very much doubt we'll see boat powered wakeboard (or waterski) events.

[DanE]

Well, alpine skiing use powered lifts to get to the top of the mountain.

That energy is then used to propel them downhill (gravity).

If they walked uphill it would truly be a non powered sport.

[TylerR]

I highly doubt that cable wakeboard gets us anywhere other than throwing good money after bad

[bowty]

Cable drawn wakeboarding is actively using a power source during the event, so if the Olympic Committee approves of that idea, why would they have an objection to a ski boat pulling slalom skiiers?

[Horton]

Getting for water skiing the Olympics is possible. Winning the lottery is also possible.

 

Dumping 10s of thousands of dollars into lotto tickets is about as smart as dumping 10s of thousands of dollars into trying to get water skiing in the Olympics.

[DmaxJC_ski]

Sounds like an opportunity for an Olympic style waterski tournament, held every 4 years at different venues across the world, where the host facility has to apply and win the lottery. A 3 event tourney with your typical gold/silver/bronze prizes for every age group/ski rating. If they won't give the opportunity for these athletes to compete, let's make the opportunity. Maybe an ambitious idea but I think it would make for a hell of a tournament to watch.

 

 

[Horton]

@DmaxJC_ski it is called Worlds and it is every 2 years

[liquid d]

ok ok...! I volunteer, if you guys give me tens of thousands of dollars, to go talk to them about letting waterskiing in the Olympics. Next meeting is in Switzerland, right?

[DmaxJC_ski]

@Horton‌ touché. Just the thought of one more big time, world class tourney as a why not, the Olympics don't know what they are missing in your face type thing. Not that it's going to make that point with the Olympic committee.

[Horton]

@DmaxJC_ski‌ Not touche - well not in this subject. The conciseness here in the US is that we have basically destroyed our national organization chasing the Unicorn that is the Olympics.

 

Is there a Canadian word for "boondoggle"? That is the USAWS obsession with the Olympics.

[DmaxJC_ski]

@Horton‌, I meant that as I understand the worlds every 2 years, and I am a 100% advocate for waterskiing in the Olympics, hence my previous response, an act of haste if you will. I'm not entirely up on the complete details as why it's not recognized, but I completely understand as to why it should be. Not trying to make myself look ignorant to the topic, just thinking out loud.

[Horton]

@DmaxJC_ski‌

The short story is we in the US treated the Olympics as the holy grail and maybe it could have been but chasing that dream cost us dearly. Our association totally changed in an effort to meet Olympic requirements and many of us think that was the beginning of the downfall.

[PatM]

How 'bout having an international competition running at the same time at a site near the Olympic venue? It's not the Olympics but with some promotion it could get a good draw from the Olympic crowd. I think that would get more notice than trying to convince the Olympic Committee.

[disland]

I was living in Hawaii and was an avid windsurfer. The kind of windsurfing with waves and short boards. Windsurfing got into the Olympics Yay, but it turned into a fiasco because the yacht snobs got a hold of it, made up a bunch of really crazy rules and it took over 4 olympics (16 years) to get it even partially fixed. Needless to say it did nothing to promote the sport, and was a major distraction.

 

Lesson learned, beware what you wish for

[klindy]

The draw for the the Olympics reaches far beyond a gold, silver and bronze medal. The USOC significantly funds Olympic sports for athlete training, R&D, athlete medical insurance, etc. For the top tier athletes in our sport it literally would be like winning the lottery.

 

Obviously the additional exposure would also be positive for additional participation. Whether that translates into actually increased membership numbers is potentially debatable.

 

Most importantly, while I'd agree we've made some significant organizational changes to even be considered, thinking we (as an organization and it's membership) spent 10s of thousands of dollars on the effort is simply wrong. Certainly there were some funds spent by USAWS however the vast majority of the effort was bankrolled by a handful of individuals.

[LeonL]

@horton, kinda what I said earlier, but much more eloquently. Boondoggle for sure. Mega $$$ wasted for sure. Messed up our organization for sure!!!

[Chef23]

Boston is pitching the 2024 Olympics. We would need a ski site or cable park near Boston.

[thager]

I am a lost cause. Just send money to my address!! :smile: