TOMMY GUERRERO SAYS SKATEBOARDING IS NOT A SPORT

Tommy Guerrero weighs in on Olympic skateboarding during his new interview with The Nine Club. Guerrero was an early pioneer of street skating, and won his fair share of contests during his heyday as a member of the Bones Brigade in the ‘80s. Despite his competitive history, Guerrero finds it difficult classifying skateboarding as a sport. This informs his opinion on its inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Games. Guerrero breaks it down starting at the 1:45:53 mark.

I don’t feel like skateboarding’s a sport at all. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a way you exist within the confines of how this world is set up. Because we live outside of that. It’s our own thing. It’s a mutant of society.

Within the context of the Olympics, the only way I can see it is if it’s downhill, slalom, time-trialed stuff. Or if it’s compulsory [and it’s] to what degree people did them [tricks]—higher, farther, better, longer, etc. You can judge that kind of thing to some degree.

But you know, [it comes down to] do you want to see Nyjah or Grant Taylor? Both are undeniably talented. But how could you compare? It’s not possible. So it’s going to be interesting.

*I would like to go. It’s in Japan. So I’m going to try to line something up to be there. Regardless of what your thoughts are on it, it’s historical. Whoever thought skateboarding would be in the Olympics? *

Watch the entire episode above.