Whenever the average person thinks about sporting events, the first thing that comes to mind is the Olympics. The Olympics features an average of 40 different sports during each event; they have a great wide variety from team sports to individual sports and from water sports to on-land sports. However, water skiing is not an Olympic sport.
Water skiing tried several times to become an Olympic sport, but it only got as far as being a demonstration sport during the 1972 Olympics in Berlin.
Why is Water Skiing not an Olympic sport? Water Skiing is not an Olympic sport for many reasons, the main one being the use of gas-powered engines in the boats. It also has a very complicated scoring system and is not popular enough to receive an audience like other Olympic sports. That’s why the Olympic committee has not approved it so far.
So, does this mean that water skiing can never be in the Olympics? Keep reading to learn more about the criteria to join the Olympics and if water skiing can fulfill the requirements of the Olympic committee.
What are the criteria for a sport to be in the Olympics?
Humans are very good at a lot of things, but one thing we are particularly good at is finding out ways to entertain ourselves. That’s why you will find unique sports and games in every community worldwide; some of them are better and more entertaining than others.
There are hundreds of recognized sports worldwide, but being part of the Olympics is an honor only given to a few. Since its establishment in Athens, the Olympics have changed drastically, and new sports are included each year while others are removed.
Many rules and criteria determine what sports make it to the Olympics.
The first step for a sport to become an Olympic sport is being recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Once it is recognized, it must be administrated by the International Sports Federation in its host country.
However, being recognized by the IOC does not mean that the sport gets to automatically join the Olympics, and neither is being administrated by an IF.
Once the sport has the IOC and IF recognition, the IF must first enforce the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code and maintain the rules set by the Olympic charter. Then comes the second step, where the IF can present a petition to the IOC for the sport they want to be considered for the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee has five factors divided into 35 criteria that any sport must meet to join the Olympics as an individual sport, a discipline, or an event.
Factor #1: The Olympic Proposal
The IF presents the Olympic proposal to the IOC. It must include several criteria, such as the list of the events, the days of the competitions, the format of the competitions, the number of athletes and officials, and the details of the venue needed.
Factor #2: Value Added to the Olympic Movement
The value-added criteria mangoes what this game can add to the Olympics. This includes how long this game has been played, what kind of legacy it leaves behind and plans to leave in the future, and if it can increase the appeal of the Olympics and retain its modern traditions.
Factor #3: Institutional Matters
The institutional matters are the factor with the most criteria. It includes information about the year the sport was established and recognized and criteria like the sport having enough practice in international championships, women’s representation, compliance with Anti-Doping, and the IOC’s code of ethics, among many others.
Factor #4: Popularity
The Olympics is not only about the athletes’ participation but also about the audience. Therefore, the sport must be popular enough to sell tickets, gather attendance from the audience, and be easily televised across the globe with a good viewership.
Factor #5: Business Model
The sporting event’s business model includes the venue’s financial costs, the broadcast, and the technology needed. It also includes additional revenue like marketing, tickets, media coverage, and sponsorships.
Each of the 35 criteria presented by the IOC includes many details, and they should all be met by the sport.
A sport not only needs to claim these rules once, but it also needs to retain all the criteria as long as it wishes to stay an Olympic sport. If the IOC, at any point, decides that the sport does not claim any of its criteria, then the IOC can cut that sport out of the Olympics.
Why Is Water Skiing Not an Olympic Sport?
Unfortunately, Water Skiing does not meet many of the IOC’s criteria for joining the Olympics. So even though sports enthusiasts and sports federations keep trying to get it into the Olympics each year, the problem of Water Skiing is persistent.
Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why water skiing is not an Olympic sport:
Problems with Water Skiing
- The boat – Having an engine-power as a main part of the sport is a non-starter for the Olympic Committee. Sports in the Olympics are all man-based and require minimal equipment. Motor-based events like Water Skiing and Car Racing are simply too much of a break in Olympic tradition and require too much money.
- The boat driver – The boat driver’s ability has a huge impact on the performance of the water skier, and that is just too much of a variable. It’s almost impossible to judge the ability of the sportsperson if the driver makes a mistake, and at the same time, Water Skiing is not a group sport where both the driver and skier can be judged.
- The judges – Judging is hard in Water Skiing. The judges can’t judge the driver, who impacts the performance greatly. The skiers are also required to pass certain obstacles during their performance, which makes it hard to determine who did it better if all the skiers pass the obstacles.
- The speed – Water Skiing is incredibly fast, making it hard to watch and judge. A splash of water can obscure the judges’ vision of the skier, making judging their skill impossible. The boat’s speed can also make or break the performance, which is a huge variable for the IOC.
- The environmental impact – Gas-powered engines are considered bad for the environment. If the IOC embraces Water Skiing, that means more funding for the sport, which will add more engines to the water and will have a negative effect on the environment.
Difficult to be a spectator sport
Water Skiing is an incredibly fast sport, and all the tricks are performed so quickly that the audience cannot catch them. Even the judges usually need to rewatch the trick on a slo-mo screen in order to score it.
The skiing also starts very slow at the beginning, with several acts performed by the skier before they start the exciting part. This slow start can take up to 10 minutes from each competitor, which can be very boring to watch as an audience.
Not a very popular sport
Water Skiing is not a popular sport among people. It is very expensive to maintain the equipment needed to water ski, from skis to a boat, a driver, access to lakes, and many others.
It is seen as a sport for rich people and, therefore, not accessible to the general public. This issue with accessibility means Water Skiing has a very small audience that is not big enough to gather global interest.
Water Skiing is inherently risky.
The more equipment needed in a sport, the more the person counts on them and less on their bodies, and equipment can be faulty. Water Skiing uses a boat to tug the skier throughout the water, and this has a too high-risk factor for the IOC’s liking.
Boat accidents can happen easily enough for the Olympic Committee to deem it a dangerous sport for them to embrace.
Can Water Skiing Ever Make It into the Olympics?
In its current form, it is unlikely for Water Skiing to make it to the Olympics as it opposes too many of the IOC’s current guidelines and criteria for Olympic sports.
However, maybe in the future, if the game changes and develops with a clearer scoring system, higher popularity among the people, and fewer external risk factors, the Olympic Committee might revise its decision.
Does It Matter That Water Skiing Is Not an Olympic sport?
Water Skiing is already a beloved sport among those who cherish it and participate in its events. There are also several local and international competitions for Water Skiing that one can take part in if one would like to compete.
The Olympics is indeed the biggest sporting event in the world, and it would mean a lot for water skiing enthusiasts if they could take part in it, but it is not the end of the world if they don’t. Not being an Olympic sport does not take anything from the enjoyment of water skiing or the professionalism of the skiers.
Can Water Skiing get on the X-Games?
The X-Games are a more suitable sport event for Water Skiing than the Olympics. The X-Games does not have the same regulation about technology and the use of engines as the IOC and would be more welcoming to sports like Water Skiing.
Furthermore, the X-Games audience is already into sports like Wakeboarding and would be more familiar with Water Skiing than the Olympic audience. With more presence and work, the water ski federation can petition to be included in the X Games.
What Does Water Skiing Really Need?
The most important thing Water Skiing needs to do is to become more accessible to the general audience.
As a sport, it is very hard to be a spectator at a water skiing event as you can’t see what is happening. Whether courses change or screens are used for better viewing, water Skiing events need to consider the audience’s needs.
If Water Skiing gets more popular among audiences, children and adults who have never considered trying the game will grow interested in it. Therefore, it will gather a bigger pool of skiers and gain popularity than can take it to international events even if it is not the Olympics.
Related Questions
Is Water Skiing a sport?
Water Skiing is a sport that is performed by thousands of people around the world. It is performed by standing on a pair of skis or a single ski on the water’s surface and getting tugged from the front by a boat. Skiers glide on courses and avoid obstacles while performing tricks for the audience.
Is Water Skiing Popular?
Water Skiing is popular as a recreational pastime sport in the United States and Europe. In the United States, many people use the summer weather to go to lakes and beaches to water ski. There are more than six hundred local associations and clubs for water skiing around the US.
Can You Be a Professional Water Skier?
You can become a professional water skier and take part in local and international events like the Water Ski Pro Tour. The Water Ski Pro Tour is a waterskiing competition where players from all around the globe compete for international titles.
You must keep in mind that Water Skiing is not as popular as other sports, so you will not make as much money from it as you would make from other popular sports that have more viewership and sponsors. Still, you can make a living as a professional Water Skier if you are good at it.
Is Water Skiing an Extreme Sport?
Water skiing can be considered an extreme sport as it involves a skier being towed from the front by an engine-powered boat. It involves a high degree of risk as the player performs tricks and high jumps over the surface of the water at incredible speed.