How is a sport invented?
As part of both the skateboarding wave of the 1980’s (I was also that barefoot skater) and the kiteboarding wave of the 2000’s, I’ve been privileged to experience firsthand the development of new sports that have brought about new cultural perspectives and re-energized entire industries. Creating new products and demand.
Experiences that opened my mind to radical new concepts and a vision that anything positive is possible with enough passion.
Its thrilling to think what the cycling world has become since the introduction of Mountain Bikes by a small group a back country cyclists.
The Sneaker world with Skateboarding.
The Sailing world with Kitesurfing.
But how did these sports even begin?
Below are a few videos about the origins of some of the biggest and newest sports and some of the exceptional and lucky individuals that made it all happen.
Interviews capturing some of the pioneers of each sport, their inspiring character and passion to pursue their odd visions and create a great new sport, cobbling it out of virtually nothing but a few spare parts.
These short movies contain so much positive energy and fun that they make you want to go out and rip, bike, skate, or surf.
But they also make you wonder if you could invent a sport specifically tailored to your passions what would it be?
That’s one privilege that designers have, that is be part of emerging sport/design movements, tasked to invent new products with new functions and for new uses.
New sports that generate new demand for new products and new design thinking.
74 FOOTWEAR DESIGN CONSULTING 