Will Wakeboarding Be in the Olympics? | Shop Talk Ep. 6 w/ Erik Ruck, Guenther Oka, and Jake Pelot

[@ryanshimabukuro3283]

Great show guys! With regards to the Olympics, the mechanized / motor part of it, even for cable, is a big factor but there are other issues that are probably a bigger reason why it will be extremely tough to get into the Games. First one could be the judging format. In wakeboarding, it's completely subjective which is not well-received by the IOC (International Olympic Committee). Even in other judged sports like, gymnastics, figure skating, diving, etc, there's degrees of difficultly & point values assigned to tricks to give the total score. So while there is some subjectivity in those sports, it's not totally subjective. Wakeboarding would need to fall in line with that type of competition format. Second could be the "Legacy Venue" for post-Games usage. The Local Organizing Committee that is hosting the Games is tasked with making sure Olympic venues give value to the city/community once the Olympics are over. You don't want what happened in Sochi (2014) to happen again, where Billions were spent and this Russian resort city turned the venues into Ghost towns that eventually were useless. Third could actually come down to just money, which is tied to point #2 above. We all think there's a lot of money in the Watersports Industry, and maybe there is, but could the IWWF contribute millions of dollars to the IOC to ensure a viable Legacy venue? For instance, baseball/softball were able to contribute tens of millions of USD's at a previous Summer Games to build 50+ baesball/softball fields throughout the host city. How would the IWWF be able to offer such reassurances after the Games are long gone? Every Olympic Host City has the chance to vote in a few new "sports" to its roster, some times at the sacrifice of other traditional Olympic sports. Breaking got into Paris because it's popular there, even though we can all agree it wasn't the greatest representation of Breaking. And since baseball isn't popular in France, that's why it was out this year but I hear it's probably coming back for LA in 2028, including Flag Football & Cheerleading. Can you believe that???? One thing wakeboarding has to understand too that IF it was ever to get into the Olympics, it's going to be the IWWF that is the International Governing Body for wakeboarding to represent it at the Games, not the WWA. Because the IWWF is the official International Federation under the Olympic umbrella that oversees the sport. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? When I mentioned it to those at the WWA many, many years ago, they were very surprised to hear that & hadn't even considered that they wouldn't be in charge.

[@TerryBailey-c2k]

I have the depth charge dvd it definitely was a full aftermovie on dvd

[@grabmatters]

Let’s give er a watch!

[@TerryBailey-c2k]

@@grabmatters in my container at VWC we will at yardsale for sure

[@chadkarecki9496]

Shout out double up del noche! Seeing Henshaw stomp a back 7 then down more then 7 beers at the bar after.

[@grabmatters]

So sick hahaha

[@TripodSnowskate]

lets go

[@grabmatters]

🎉🎉

[@skurtmcgurt8001]

Pretty sure Nick Taylor got mauled by a cougar at that Winch Masters event. Wish they’d do another Trinity River Round up event out in Texas as well. First event to be held on a natural winch spot.

[@grabmatters]

Brutal 😅