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| Wake up IOC! |
I think every snowboarder has been quietly waiting for Slopestyle to make the Olympics. Its not that the racing events are boring, its just pretty removed from our everyday lives riding on the mountain. Most of us have a crack at park riding from time to time and that is what Slopestyle is - hence why we want to see the best in the world riding for Olympic glory.
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| Shaun White wants to represent the US at Slopestyle. |
Yesterday the IOC debated which new sports would be at the winter Olympics in Russia, 2014. There was a major push for Slopestyle to be included. Riders such as Shaun White even declared they would only really want to support the games if Slopestyle was one of the events. (See this
Article) Unfortunately for us, the decision on Slopestyle has been tabled to later in the year, while crap events like Figure Skating Team event and Luge relay, were included. On the plus side, Ski Halfpipe was also included, which at least extends the participation at the Winter Games for action sports. Sooner or later the IOC is going to have realize that Slopestyle is the real crowd and media pull. Lets hope they do before the end of the year.
I found the following by FUSE marketing very interesting:
IMPLICATIONS OF SNOWBOARD SLOPESTYLE AND FREESKIING AT THE GAMES
So what does the inclusion of snowboard slopestyle and freeskiing mean for brands - Olympic sponsors and others - wanting to target to teens and young adults? In competitive snowboarding, new opportunities exist within a part of the sport that has not been recognized at the Olympic level before. Snowboard slopestyle will attract a new audience of 13 - 25 year-olds along with those already involved in the sport. Snowboard halfpipe and many of the athletes are already stars on the world’s stage. With Olympic recognition and a new roster for the U.S. Snowboard Team and Grand Prix snowboarding events, snowboard slopestyle is next to gain massive exposure.
Freeskiing provides an immense opportunity for brands to enter the sport as a new and upcoming Olympic event, which caters to the 13- to 25-year-old audience as well. Just as snowboarding popularity has increased, with many of the athletes reaching star status after much Olympic recognition, freeskiing athletes are next to gain massive exposure. To be involved with both sports during their initial exposure to the world gives brands an opportunity to show that they are tapped into the next big thing within action sports, snowboarding, freeskiing and youth culture in general.
For more check out
FUSE marketing
This is why Slopestyle would be so cool as an Olympic Sport -
