Wakeboard Pitches New Audience, Added Value in 2020 Olympics Bid

(ATR) President Kuno Ritschard tells Around the Rings the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation showed IOC inspectors "a well organized, technically sound sport" at the 2012 Cable Wakeboard World Championships.

"We had a great event with excellent and exciting performances from the riders," the Swiss says of the weeklong showcase in Pampanga, Philippines.

"Our experienced competition team and the efficient officials did an excellent job as usual."

He also cites the jumbo screen provided by local organizers as a key factor in putting wakeboard’s best face forward as the IWWF welcomed an IOC delegation featuring Executive Board member Sam Ramsamy.

As a veteran of the Program Commission, the South African was leading the latest in a series of inspection visits to major championships involving the seven sports bidding for inclusion to the 2020 Olympics.

"All in all," Ritschard says, "I think we could show the IOC delegation that we are a well organized, technically sound sport and that we could not only fit well into the Olympic program but also bring an additional value to the Games."

He says the IWWF and IOC held "interesting and informative" talks at the close of competition in Pampanga.

"They were impressed by the Championships and the overall presentation of the sport," he tells ATR.

"Apart from some special questions which we had to answer, they also provided advice on IOC priorities and areas of interest."

According to Ritschard, the IWWF will ask for just a single discipline, cable wakeboarding, with competition for 30 men and 30 women spread across three days of the Olympics.

"We would bring a very environmentally friendly new lifestyle sport into the Games, with exciting and spectacular performances, which will capture the interest of the very big board sports fan group all over the world, the new media and all the young people involved plus the global TV audience," he says.

Climbing, karate, roller sports, squash, wushu and a joint bid by baseball/softball are the other six contenders facing a vote of the IOC Executive Board in May 2013.

Ritschard downplays the role universality will play in the EB’s decision and calls the apparent rarity of cable wakeboard parks a "misconception" to begin with.

"The growth of cableparks, especially outside the well established market in Europe, is actually enormous," he clarifies.

"This demand is not only for the usual five-pylon cableways, which we use normally at our competitions, but also for a new, easy-to-install, two-pylon system, which cost only around $50,000. This makes it affordable for every city, community, hotel or even beach sites."

He also urges not to forget the aspect of legacy in evaluating the seven sports.

"In the past, some facilities constructed by host cities proved costly in the long term and on occasion may even have detracted from the great and positive impact of the Olympic Games," he tells ATR.

"This is not the case with a cable wakeboard facility. The return on investment is high, construction costs are relatively low and the host city would inherit a valuable recreational and tourism facility."

Despite these perks, Ritschard insists the IWWF is "realistic" as the Dec. 19 and 20 presentations to the IOC approach.

"It is a difficult and complicated decision process," he says.

"If we can convince the Executive Board that cable wakeboard will bring for sure added value to the Olympic program, then perhaps our ‘Olympic Dream' will finally come true."

Reported by Matthew Grayson

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.