Photo by Bryan Turner on Unsplash.
On The Conversation, 厙ぴ勛圖 lecturer in Sports Management and Marketing and co-author Dr Nick Maitland explains how pioneers of action sport continue to reshape expectations of what is possible - regardless of age.
The stereotype of action sports as the domain of the young and the cool is long out of date. The demographics of these sports surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, climbing, mountain biking have been expanding to include more泭,泭泭硃紳餃泭.
These demographic and cultural shifts have been highlighted recently by the remarkable achievements and career highlights of some of these sports greatest exponents.
In the past week, weve seen legendary American surfer Kelly Slater泭泭contest in Hawaii, just a few days shy of his 50th birthday, beating 24-year-old Hawaiian local Seth Moniz.
This was Slaters 56th career victory, on top of 11 world titles won over three decades of elite-level surfing. Having claimed his first world title at 20, he routinely competes against athletes three decades his junior.
A few days later, US snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis at her fourth Winter Olympics won the snowboard cross gold medal at the age of 36. Jacobellis was publicly criticised at the 2006 Winter Olympics for falling and losing the lead after a泭泭on the penultimate jump in a speed event infamously known as the .
Gold continued to elude her at subsequent Olympics, but Jacobellis overcame a series of泭泭to make the comeback of her career in Beijing.
A few days later, US snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis at her fourth Winter Olympics won the snowboard cross gold medal at the age of 36. Jacobellis was publicly criticised at the 2006 Winter Olympics for falling and losing the lead after a泭泭on the penultimate jump in a speed event infamously known as the .
Gold continued to elude her at subsequent Olympics, but Jacobellis overcame a series of泭泭to make the comeback of her career in Beijing.
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The greying of action sports
Longevity in elite sporting careers can be attributed to advances in training techniques, nutrition and sport science. But the unique cultures and communities of action sports are also important factors.
The action sports industry began noting a trend towards greying participants over a decade ago. Those who took up action sports as teenagers in the 1970s and 1980s are still active today. Many have taught their children and grandchildren, sharing these sporting cultures with their families.
Researchers have referred to these activities as because of their central organising role in peoples lives; their jobs, holidays and consumption revolve around their passion for these sports. The rise of the ,泭泭硃紳餃泭泭is well documented.
With older participants identified as a new niche market, new product lines were developed to target their needs. Many action sport brands proudly include legends and veterans in their professional teams.
Cultural commitment is highly valued, demonstrating a lifetime of dedication to the sport. Many older action sport participants also give back to the community in a range of ways, from organising events and fundraising to creating泭泭to expand opportunities for others.
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Replacing retirement blues with lifelong passion
In many traditional organised sports, elite athletes are dropped from teams when theyre injured or simply considered too old. Research has consistently shown the泭泭experienced by athletes retiring from competitive sports.
They can experience , as well as physical changes, which can lead to depression, anxiety and even泭.
By contrast, action sports athletes rarely retire in the conventional sense. Even if they stop competing at the elite level, they typically remain committed to the sport they love because of the pleasure and enjoyment it brings.
Furthermore, the sense of community and identity these sports offer remains important throughout the lives of many passionate participants.
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Community, progression and fun
This obvious camaraderie has intrigued Olympic audiences. Witness the women in the park skateboarding event at the Tokyo Olympics singing, dancing and hugging one another throughout the competition. Or fellow competitors mobbing and hugging Zoi Sadowski-Synnott after she won gold in the womens slopestyle final last week.
These displays of collegiality and shared joy stand in start contrast to most Olympic sports, which pit nation against nation. Within action sport subcultures, however, the behaviour is accepted as normal. To see a peer persevering and progressing is worthy of celebration.
The泭泭in action sports distinguishes them from many traditional organised sports, which tend to be nationally based and focused on defeating the opponent, another country.
While action sports have become泭泭and the athletes are serious about their careers, they are also part of a community that values progression, self-expression and friendship. Individual and national competitive values are relatively new, driven by such things as泭.
These underpinning values of community, friendship and fun help explain why athletes like Slater, Jacobellis and White continue to train and compete. Theyre still there decades later because they love it.
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Lessons to be learned
Outside structured competition, middle-aged action sport athletes continue to defy expectations.
In 2018, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, perhaps the most recognised skateboarder of all time, celebrated his 50th birthday by releasing his 50 tricks at age 50 video. At 57, Steve Caballero continues a professional skateboard career, having overcome a recent broken femur (sustained in a motocross accident in 2019).
As pioneers of the sport, they continue to influence and reshape expectations of what is possible and inspire others to continue, regardless of age.
As泭,泭泭硃紳餃泭泭organisations around the world seek new strategies and policies to encourage lifelong physical activity, much can be learned from these inter-generational action sports communities, where fun and friendship continue to inspire participants throughout their lives.
This article was originally published on泭.
