Skateboarding eyes bright future at Tokyo Olympics

Park and street competitions will be part of historic debut

Olympic skateboard qualifier Tyler Edtmayer of Germany during training in Munich. Skateboarding will be an official Olympic event for the first time at the Tokyo Olympics that will be held later this year. Getty

Skateboarding will be an official Olympic event for the first time at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo that had to be postponed to this year due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Getty

Olympic skateboard qualifier Tyler Edtmayer of Germany during training in Munich. Getty

Olympic skateboard qualifier Tyler Edtmayer trains in Munich. Getty

German skateboarded Tyler Edtmayer trains in Munich. Getty

The skateboarding community will be looking forward to entering the mainstream at this year's Tokyo Olympics.

Skateboarding will be a part of the Games roster for the first time in its history and will feature two disciplines: park and street.

The park competition will take place on a hollowed-out course featuring a series of twists and turns.

The street competition will feature a straight course with stairs, handrails, benches and walls, imitating a real street.

Tony Hawk, one of the world's most famous skateboarders, said the sport which had been on the sidelines has seen a surge in the sale of boards amid coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdowns.

He added the sport will reach a massive new audience after it is showcased on the Olympic stage and expects a bright future.

"I feel like there's hope on the horizon," he said.

"Skateboarding is more popular than ever, I'm thankful for that. Let's just get on the other side of all of this."

However, it's not all positive news. Top ranked skateboarder Nyjah Huston had been preparing for the biggest skate of his life — the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

However, Huston was last week among five people prosecutors in southern California charged with organising parties that were possible 'superspreader' events amid the pandemic.

Huston, a four-time world skateboarding champion, held a party last month with at least 40 people that was shut down by police after receiving a complaint. At least two other parties were held at the home last fall, authorities said.