How to excel at new Olympic sports
With the Tokyo Olympics just around the corner, we’ll once again be glued to our TVs watching the best athletes in the world compete for a podium finish. Most of the 10,000-plus athletes expected in Tokyo had modest beginnings, playing sports at the local level before an exceptional combination of talent, passion and dedication made them Olympians. But not all sports develop athletes the same way, nor do they require the same type of training. Here’s what it takes to become higher, faster and stronger in three of the newest Olympic sports.
SURFING
Twenty men and 20 women from around the world will impress the judges with their speed, power and tricks as they ride as many waves as they can in series of 30-minute heats. No Canadians made the cut, but expect to see a combination of veterans and up-and-comers showing their stuff at Tsurigasaki Beach, about 100 kilometres from the main Olympic site.
Most surfers start young and spend years learning to read the waves and honing their tricks before signing up for local competitions. They rarely have coaches or spend time in the gym, choosing instead to travel around the world searching for bigger waves and an increasingly more competitive field of surfers.
According to Albie Sears, strength and conditioning coach for Surf Canada, a competitive surfer needs a strong upper body, explosive power and good aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Riding the wave and performing the high-speed turns and aerials necessary to score points demands balance, agility and lower body power.
Don’t underestimate the energy it takes to paddle out past where the waves are breaking, not to mention the burst of paddling speed needed to catch a wave. Then there’s the power and flow necessary to ride the wave with style, and the ability to manage the rough and tumble of what happens under water at the end of a run. A typical competitive surfer spends about 50 per cent of their time paddling, 35 per cent of their time waiting for a wave, six per cent riding the wave and eight per cent performing other miscellaneous activities. But all of that can vary depending on the size of the swells, currents, wave frequency and whether the waves are breaking close to shore or further out.
SPORT CLIMBING
The Tokyo Olympics will feature a triathlon of climbing events, with each of the 20 men and 20 women competing in speed climbing, bouldering and lead climbing — all in the same day. These three distinct disciplines have very different energy demands, ranging from the six seconds it takes to scale the 15-metre wall in speed climbing to the six minutes climbers have to complete a lead climbing course.
Climbers are known for their grip strength and tend to be smaller in stature, with males typically under six feet tall and relatively lean at 110 to 150 pounds. The best speed climbers have explosive strength, but it will be the superior lead and bouldering athletes who will win the combined event. There’s also a mental component to the sport, with climbers assessing the course and choosing a route that plays into their strengths. As for age, 16- and 17-year-olds can compete with athletes twice their age.
According to Andrew Wilson, high performance director for Climbing Canada, most people tried two or three other sports before taking up climbing, though there’s a new generation getting into the sport earlier. Most climbers favour spending more time working on grip strength than other forms of conditioning, especially since training for three disciplines takes up a lot of their time and energy. But with each athlete required to compete in three events within a few hours, and only a short respite between time on the wall, general overall conditioning has become more important than ever.
Canadians to watch: Allanah Yip, Sean McColl
SKATEBOARDING
Skateboarders compete in one of two disciplines: street or park events. In the street event, competitors showcase their skills on stairs, handrails, curbs, benches, walls and slopes during two 45-second runs, including five individually scored tricks. Points are awarded based on trick difficulty, jump height, speed, originality, execution and composition.
The park event takes place in a steep bowl with a series of curves designed to create enough speed to explode off the top edge. Skateboarders have 60 seconds to perform a series of high-soaring tricks, which are judged on speed, difficulty, timing and the overall flow of the performance.
Most skateboarders start off in neighbourhood skate parks perfecting their tricks until they build up enough skills and creativity to compete in local events. The sport is learned at an early age, with the best female skateboarders in Canada between 12 and 14. Injuries are common as skateboarders push their skills and technique to new heights. Vancouver is Canada’s hotbed for skateboarding, with Montreal and Toronto close behind.
Adam Higgins, high performance director for Canada’s Olympic skateboarding team, says skateboarders come in all shapes and sizes, with the ability to generate enough power to jump high and land soft being important to overall success and longevity. Most skateboarders aren’t gym rats, preferring to build sport-specific fitness at the skate park. Skills are acquired without the help of a coach; most skateboarders are selftaught, learning the sport by testing out increasingly complex tricks, followed by equally impressive falls.
Canadians to watch: Andy Anderson, Matt Berger, Micky Papa.