IWWF Continues Its Olympic Quest

[ROBOT]

The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) continues its push to have cable wakeboarding as part of the Summer Olympic Games.

 

Efforts were stepped up on 14th January 2019 in Paris by a delegation led by IWWF President Jose Antonio Perez Priego, an IWWF World Cable Wakeboard Champion Sanne Meijer and the President of the French Waterski and Wakeboard Federation, head of the IWWF Olympic Task-Force, and former many time World Waterski Champion Patrice Martin.

 

Cable Wakeboarding is considered to be a contender for a spot on the short list of additional sports for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, competing with surfing, skateboarding, karate, sport climbing, baseball/softball, pétanque, squash and billiards.

 

The Paris 2024 Olympics Organising Committee (OCOG) and IOC are looking for sports that fulfil their goal of presenting an extraordinary Games. These sports should be youthful, visually exciting, highly appealing for TV audiences, gender equal, environmentally friendly and can provide legacy facilities for athletes of all abilities and ages.

 

“We believe cable wakeboarding is mature, ready, and uniquely qualified to be part of the Games”, said IWWF President Jose Antonio Perez Priego. “It could do for the Summer Olympics what snowboarding did for the Winter Olympics, “It’s inclusion would be a stepping stone for other IWWF disciplines into the Olympics. To succeed, all members of the IWWF and especially the cable wakeboard community must be fully invested in this special opportunity.“

 

A decision on which sports will be shortlisted will be made in June 2019 during the IOC Session with a final decision on which sports make it into the Paris Olympic Games in December 2020.

 

The French Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (FFSNW) is already well advanced in preparing for any possible participation in the Olympics. It’s in the final stages of constructing a cable wakeboard park at a perfect location near Paris which will be operational by 2020. The venue will be funded entirely by the FFSNW with cooperation of the IWWF

 

“We have built a strategic development program within the French Federation so we will have cable wakeboarding in Paris soon,” said Patrice Martin. “The sport is growing like crazy. There are now 1,000 cable wakeboard parks around the world and projections show by 2024 that figure will grow to 1,500.”

 

In support of the Olympic Quest the IWWF has created a Task-Force which aside from those mentioned above include Gregory Saint-Genies, the Director of the FFSNW and a former winter Olympian, Walter Ditsch, the IWWF Cable Wakeboard Council Chairman, Paul Fong, the Executive Director of the IWWF, and former world waterski champion George Athans who will act as the Chief Strategist and who will be in charge of all presentation materials and video production.

 

The IWWF requests everyone to support cable wakeboarding by sharing its promotional video (click below to play) and using #wake2024

 

About the IWWF: The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) is the world governing body for towed watersports and has over 90 affiliated Federations worldwide. It was founded in 1946 in Geneva, Switzerland. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the sole authority for towed watersports. The IWWF is an affiliate member of the Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federation (ARISF) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The IWWF’s sports disciplines include, amongst others, Tournament Waterskiing (slalom, tricks & jump), Wakeboard, Cable Wakeboard, Cable Waterskiing, Disabled Waterskiing, Show Skiing, Ski Racing, Barefoot Waterskiing

& Wakesurfing

[lpskier]

Even though a driver is removed from the equation, I don’t believe there is any other Olympic sport where a motor is or ever has been used (water skiing in ‘72 was a demonstration sport only). Horses are fine but motors not so much. Otherwise, I think cable wakeboard would stand a good chance as it compares well to slope style snowboard and skiing, is really easy to televise, could be easily done in a stadium atmosphere (and thus sell venue tickets) and would appeal to a similar audience. While the IOC wants TV dollars above all else, I think that philosophically they would have an easier time giving the nod to skate boarding.

[Drago]

Sound exciting...uh, not

[thager]

Please remove life support and just let it die!

[LLUSA]

Please let this go away, another dream that will not be realized. if you ever wonder what continues to push this its MONEY. We've wasted so much time and effort on this I surely hope and pray it doesn't come up at the board meeting this weekend.

[skibackwards]

QUIT IT

 

[Horton]

If you took all of the national federations that belong to iwwf I would like to know what percentage of all their members are involved in cable wakeboard.

[lpskier]

@Horton TV drives the Olympics, not participation rates.

[aupatking]

Yeah, how much money is the iwwf wasting on this? Over the life of this “Olympic dream/nightmare” for waterskiing, how many dollars have been pissed away that could have been spent SO MUCH BETTER? Advertising for the sport (3 event) would have been a pretty big start.

[Horton]

Thank you @aupatking that is my point exactly.

[aupatking]

Well @Horton to be fair, baseball obviously needs the olympics. That sport probably won’t last another 150 years without it.

If we had ever promoted, or even been able to establish a “Major League” or “PSA” (PGA), maybe we could have promoted the 3 event game as a whole. Professional sports are generally a driver of “aspirational” sports or lifestyles. How many 10 year olds are driving the lane, in their mind, just like Lebron? When I was a kid I wanted to pitch as fast as Nolan Ryan. I also wanted to get around 2 ball at -41 like Andy Mapple, but I was the only kid at my school who knew who Andy was.

Sorry, I am taking this thread off track but every time I see these “Olympics” threads, I think of how far off track it’s taken skiing.

Also, I know those two things are very different; promoting 3 event, and the establishment of some Pro Ski Assoc (PSA like the PGA), my point is, we chased the wrong rabbit

 

[Horton]

@aupatking I am both completely confused by an agree with your above post

[Horton]

Electric motorcycles or water skiing?

https://jalopnik.com/the-fim-wants-to-add-an-electric-trials-bike-race-to-th-1832290856?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=jalopnik_copy&utm_campaign=top

[LeonL]

I can only hope the FIM has deep pockets. The IOC will gladly empty them, accepting wining and dining and eventually offering their condolences, saying "well we just couldn't make it happen".