Athletes dream of rope-skipping in Olympics one day

CALGARY Try doing a handstand.

Now, try doing a handstand as double-Dutch ropes twirl around you. And try doing that without getting tangled.

Competitive rope-skipping has been around in Canada for three decades, but it’s more often thought of as a children’s playground game than a bona fide sport.

Members of a newly formed team called the Calgary Skip Squad want to change that.

“People say it’s not a sport and stuff, but they don’t know actually how hard it is until they actually try it,” says Brooke Cornett, 13. “So I encourage them to go and join a team and try it. Then they’ll know actually how hard it is. We’re going to try to get it into the Olympics.”

B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia have official rope-skipping associations. Solo and team competitions are held provincially, nationally and even internationally.

Brooke’s mom Amy Cornett, president of the Calgary Skip Squad and a board member of Rope Skipping Alberta, says she wants the sport to be better known.

“Right now it’s word of mouth. We’re trying to do as many demos as we can at various sporting events, city events,” she said. “We’re just trying to get our name out there or at least the recognition of the sport out there.”

The Skip Squad participated in the Calgary Stampede parade. Teams are often enlisted to perform at community events.

There has been a push to get the sport officially recognized by provincial and federal government agencies, which would open up funding sources.

Rope Skipping Canada chair Erin Gillespie says the organization has been working on getting a coach certification program in place, a requirement for official recognition. But it’s been slow-going for the volunteer-run organization.

“Rope Skipping Canada lacks the fundamental resources to promote the sport across the country, and so we’re really relying on clubs,” said Gillespie. “But the clubs also don’t really have the resources to market and promote.”

On the international level, the two main rope-skipping organizations are planning to merge and concentrate their efforts on getting the sport into the Olympics, said Gillespie. The earliest she realistically sees skippers taking part in the Summer Games is 2028.