Terry Ito Column Vol.44 Skateboarder Yuto Horigome is cool

Yuto Horigome (25), who won the men's street skateboarding event at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics for two consecutive years, was invited to the autumn garden party and spoke with the Emperor. I heard the conversation was very lively, especially with the story of his dramatic final comeback. In the women's division, Ren Yoshizawa (15) won the gold medal and Rinne Akama (15) won the silver medal. Skateboarding is now becoming a specialty of Japan. Given Japan's past struggles, this must be a moving experience for skateboarding enthusiasts. Around 1970, fashion magazines like "Popeye" ran weekly LA specials, and skateboarding became popular in Japan after being featured in them. With the surfing boom at the time, skateboarding quickly became a huge hit. However, there are few places to enjoy skateboarding in Japan, with only limited play areas such as roadways, park stairs, and temple and shrine plazas. This can lead to friction with residents over noise issues, and eventually skateboarding can become synonymous with delinquency, leading to a negative public outlook. Due to these reasons, the number of skateboarding enthusiasts decreased in the 1980s.

The resurgence of skateboarding in Japan was due to its inclusion in the Olympic Games. Skateboarding, which had previously been considered a delinquent item, became an official Olympic event. This caused Japanese companies to suddenly change course and support the sport. This is something that feels very Japanese. Another factor was that many of the boys who were looked down upon in the 80s were now fathers, and they began to provide special training in skateboarding from an early age, so that they could pass on their dreams to their children. Skateboarder Horimai is a perfect example.

Being involved in sports from a young age is not much different from baseball or soccer. The crucial difference is the fashion. Baseball, soccer, and rugby require uniforms, but skateboarding involves unique street fashion, and this difference is what makes it fresh and cool. People wear popular brands among young people, such as Supreme and Adidas, and show off their acrobatic skills. It has now become the sport most coveted by elementary school students. The same phenomenon is occurring with breakdancing competitions. A sport that was out of the spotlight until recently has now become the darling of the times.

There are mixed opinions about the Olympics becoming too large, but this kind of movement is very welcome. The "New Obstacle Race" that will be held at the next Los Angeles Olympics is said to be inspired by the Japanese TV show "Sasuke," and it looks absolutely fascinating. Will it be the birth of a new star athlete? The excitement is endless.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry