S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. San Diegans who competed in this year's Olympics are returning home from Paris. A few of them are sharing their experience with us today. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. Sarah Leavy explains the excitement she felt competing on the U.S. women's rugby team.
S2: I think I was feeling all the adrenaline of the 70,000 people in the in the stands. It felt like as if I had just started playing rugby again and like scoring my first try ever.
S1: Plus , we'll talk with locals who competed in sailing , track and field and an eye opening look at how skateboarding bridges communities. That's ahead on Midday Edition At. The 2024 Paris Olympics gave us plenty of iconic moments and impressive medal winning performances. That includes more than a dozen San Diego athletes who took home bronze , silver and even gold medals across a wide range of Olympic events. For some , it was a moment full of first , whether that be the Olympics themselves or getting a medal. Joining us is one of those athletes , Sara Levi. She's a bronze medal winning U.S. women's rugby player from the 2024 Pairs Olympics. Sara , welcome to the show. Hi.
S2: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
S1: Well , so glad you're here and congratulations to you.
S2: So thank you.
S1: Yes , indeed. Indeed. So the Paris Olympics are wrapped , and you and your team have come home with hardware , which is a bronze medal. This is U.S. Women's Rugby's first ever medal.
S2: Um , I think that was our goal going into this cycle was to be on the podium. Um , gold obviously was the main goal , but to be on the podium was really what we wanted to put rugby on the map in the US , bringing more rugby players around the country , um , and just bring more attention to our sport because we all love our sport and just trying to get more and more people into it. Yeah.
S1: Well , I mean , your team took down Australia in a dramatic finish 1412. Talk to us about that medal winning game and what it was like.
S2: Going into it. No one really expected that Australia would be who we played against for third. Um , they'd been getting first or second at most tournaments for the past three years. We hadn't even really beat them for about a year. And so going into that game , we knew it would be a fight. We knew there would be a ton of pressure , but we just stuck to our process and played it minute by minute. Um , and didn't let the momentum swings affect how we approached things in the game. It was just the most incredible feeling in the world. To be a part of that and just be a part of the celebrations and , um , to feel like we really went out to Paris and accomplished what we wanted to accomplish.
S1: Well , for those who are unfamiliar with the sport , could you summarize how it's played ? Yes.
S2: So it's a 14 minute game , so it's seven minute halves. And I would describe it as a mix between American football and soccer. The goal is to get from one side of the field to the other , somewhat like a touchdown , but there aren't any downs or , um , stoppages of play. So you're kind of playing like soccer , except , um , you're playing with your hands and the ball can only go sideways or backwards. So you're just working with seven players to try to find holes in the defense and then just run as fast as you possibly can from one side of the field to the other.
S1: All right.
S2: Um , but the positions in sevens are kind of , uh , fluid. A lot of players play multiple. It's more of like , what strengths you have on the field. But , um , I started playing when I got to college. I went to Northeastern in Boston , and , um , I played soccer , and I did track and cross country growing up. My dad's South African , so I , he had a lot of background with rugby. Um , and when I got to college , it was one of those things that like college fairs , um , where they just have you sign up for as many clubs as possible. And that was the first one with tryouts. And they had a game that Saturday and I just got hooked right away. Once you start playing , it's really hard to stop.
S1:
S2: Um , whereas sevens , you have half the amount of people defending the same amount of space. The field is still the same size. Um , so it's a lot more fast paced. A lot of quick endurance and physicality as well. That's the style that's in the Olympics. So , um , that's the style that we all play full time. Excellent.
S1: Excellent. Well , going back to the Olympics , just hours before that bronze medal game in front of a massive crowd while playing Japan , you scored a try in the 36 seven victory.
S2: I think I was feeling all the adrenaline of the 70,000 people in the , in the stands. And , um , it felt like as if I had just started playing rugby again and like , scoring my first try ever. It just felt like that same amount of adrenaline of , wow , I'm really going to make it without them catching me , like just kind of a disbelief. And then , um , happiness once I got there.
S1: Yeah , it's like an electric experience for sure. Yes. Yeah. Um , I mean , about two hours after the Americans bronze medal , when USA rugby announced that Michelle Kang , an investor who owns three international women's soccer clubs , was donating 4 million to the U.S. women's rugby sevens team. It's part of a promise to help the team grow the sport and provide resources for coaches and players ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
S2: It was another one of those moments where you realize that everything you do has an outcome , and to win that , a game like that , and then turn around and see what that can do for the sport was just so affirming in that we were doing the right things. We were. Spending this past three years leading up to the Olympics using our process the right way and , um , just exciting to see that actually develop into something that can improve the game in the US so quickly. So like just a quick turnaround of events that will really benefit players that are playing at our level right now and then players in the future who will be competing for a spot at LA 2028.
S1: Yeah , well , along with that investment here in San Diego and across the U.S. , rugby is really starting to have a growing presence. Tell us about your connection to the region , as well as some of your teammates ties to San Diego.
S2: Growing up here ? Uh , I didn't I didn't even really know that there were any girls rugby programs or women's rugby programs. Um , and then when I went to college and found rugby , I then found out that San Diego was such a hub for rugby. Um , so I I'd come back over the summers and play with the local San Diego surfers. And so then eventually playing rugby brought me back here , which I'm so grateful to be closer to family again and being able to live here full time and live my dream playing full time , everything kind of fell into place perfectly. A lot of my teammates who have been part of the program for a decade or so , have now considered San Diego one of their homes , which is really cool for me. Being from here is , um , having these close teammates and people that also have fallen in love with the city and consider it their home.
S1: That's excellent. Well , let me get this straight. So you started playing in college. I mean , that's an impressive feat to become an Olympian in such a short period of time.
S2: Looking back on it , yeah , in the grand scheme of things , it feels really quick. Um , but for rugby in general , a lot of us only started on the later side. Um , people founded in college. Some some of my teammates found it after college and and then just they were so athletic , it skyrocketed so quickly. Um , but right now , we we don't have the same , um , infrastructure as Australia or New Zealand where people have been playing since high school. People are more likely to have started playing soccer or basketball or softball first and then eventually find rugby , but hopefully that will change in the upcoming years after after a couple of Olympics. Right.
S3: Right.
S1: Well , some of the infrastructure that is here is the , uh , training facility called the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.
S2: Um , we go in , we're there for a nine hours a day. We have. There's a cafeteria , meeting rooms , recovery Rooms , so it puts you in a professional athlete environment at all times. And so that's our home base. And we were able to invite teams out here to train against us , where it's really cool to have all these resources and such a great facility to work out of. Compared to the rest of the country. It's a really perfect place to play outside all day year round. So , um , we're really , really fortunate to be stationed here in San Diego.
S1: You've talked about the growth of the sport in recent years. Some of your teammates are starting to help that effort through social media followings , like Ilona maher.
S2: Um , but then looking back on it , I should have realised that that's where the dominoes were falling. Every night Ilona would be getting more and more followers , and more and more people recognize her on the streets and eventually , slowly and slowly. Um , I think from the last Olympics to this Olympics and then and then having such a monumental game , it all fell into place right at the right time. And it just seems like the support has been incredible from the country. People I didn't even know watched rugby were texting me and it was very cool.
S1: Um , you mentioned your father is South African , where there's this just rich rugby culture , and I believe you have family who also played professionally. Did that add an extra layer of sweetness to making the Olympics and winning a medal ? Yeah.
S2: I mean , I think this was my ultimate goal was to become an Olympian. And I think that my family in South Africa understand how big of a deal that is. And , um To play a sport like rugby , um , which they all have fallen in love with over the years just adds to , like , the legacy in my family. And I think , um , they all like to live vicariously through me. So , um , I think it's , it's been a great experience for them to get calls from people and people who who know the sport alone. And just the support has been great. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S1:
S2: I'm finishing up my physical therapy degree. I go to , uh , University of Saint Augustine up in San Marcos , and I , um , have my last clinical rotations. And then after that , I will come back to the sport and hopefully earn a spot in LA. But nothing's Nothing's certain. But I'll take it by year. By year.
S1: Well , congratulations to you on that as well.
S2: Um , I think that rugby is one of the sports that's so inclusive and welcoming and , um , rugby clubs around the country are always looking for people to come and try it out. And , um , it's not as intimidating as you think. Um , it's very it's a very welcoming community. And I would just want to spread at least that , like , if you don't know what sport you want to try , like just try rugby because you never know. I wish I started it when I was younger because it provided such a great community to have growing up.
S1: Well , what do you think could be done to make it more accessible since many people don't don't start playing until they're in college.
S2: There are lots of rugby programs , grassroot programs in in most regions. In San Diego , we've got a lot of great girls rugby programs , especially being so close to the training center. We have a lot of resources and a lot of coaches in the area , and I would just just look up any local programs and see if there's anything in your area.
S1: I've been speaking with Sarah Levy , San Diego resident and bronze medalist with the U.S. women's rugby team. Sarah , congratulations again and thanks so much for joining us.
S2: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.
S1: Coming up next , silver medalist Hans Henkin tells us how San Diego shaped him as a sailor.
S5: As I started to gravitate more towards my sailing , San Diego was the place to be because there's so many legends in our sport that have competed in the games and in other aspects of sailing that come from San Diego.
S1: Hear more when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. You just heard from Sarah Levy , one of many San Diego athletes who competed in this year's Olympics. She's on the U.S. women's rugby team. That brought home bronze. Well , now we turn to sailing , where San Diegan Hans Henkin also won bronze. Hans joins us to talk about his experience on the water. Hans , congratulations to you and welcome to Midday Edition. Awesome.
S5: Awesome. Thank you so much for having me.
S1: Glad you're here. So while most of the Olympic events took place in Paris , sailing took place in the south of France. That's where you competed for the men's skiff , which is one of ten sailing events.
S5: We in the sailing events took place in Marseille in southern France , and I raced in the men's double handed skiff of it , which means that I raced a 15 foot sailboat with a partner , Ian Barrows. And the way that racing works is it's a low point scoring system where we do a series of races over the course of the week , and the team that has the lowest score over the course of the entire event wins the event , and obviously the rest follows suit from there.
S1:
S5: I mean , I think one of the coolest things about sailing , and honestly , the most challenging thing is , is we spend a lot of time in our field of play. Um , after qualifying for the Paris Olympics , my training partners and my sailing partner and I we spent upwards of six months , um , training , specifically in Marseille. Learning everything about the venue. Um , our field of play , unlike , you know , track and field and swimming. Our field of play is constantly changing. So we had to learn about the weather , the climate , the geography , the current , anything and everything that goes into predicting what the wind is going to do. We learned it in Marseille. We studied it and we applied all of that information going to the Olympic Games. And yeah , it came up on top this time. It was super challenging. It was really rewarding to get it right. And uh , yeah , very , very , very hard at the same time. Wow.
S1: Wow. So weather and environment play a huge factor in success. Um , you've tried to qualify for the Olympics before in 2016 and 2021 , but this was your first time making it all the way to represent the U.S.. How did it feel not only to make it to France , but to win your first medal ever ? And the first U.S. sailing medal since 2016.
S5: Oh man. I don't think words can really describe the feeling. It was an unbelievable experience to be able to be a part of team USA and represent the country and go to my first Olympic Games after a very , very long road of of not quite making it in the past two quads , um , train for 2016 and finishing second , the US trials train for the Tokyo Games and finished fourth. So almost almost going backwards in a way in terms of performance where I wanted to be , um , put another campaign together with the new teammate Ian Burrows , and we we stuck to the fundamentals , worked incredibly hard and were able to win the US trials and then go on to win a month of games. Um , it's been a dream come true. I think all the hard work that we've put in over the past five years together has really kind of accumulated into this , this result , um , you know , it's about trusting the process. It's about trusting yourself and just kind of sticking to your routine day and day out and , and at the end of the day having having come away from this experience , having accomplished all of our goals , um , it's unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
S1: Well , I mean , you grew up in Southern California and are a Coronado High School alumnus.
S5: Um , I grew up in Southern California , in San Clemente , just an hour north of San Diego. And as I started to gravitate more towards my sailing , it just it San Diego was the place to be because there's so many legends in our sport that have competed in the games and in other aspects of sailing that come from San Diego. So it was a huge area. It was so close , and it was one of those places where I just needed to get to , to be able to learn from the community and soak it all in and really try to boost , you know , my sailing intellect and everything about , you know , learning how to make sailboats go fast around , around the race course. So San Diego played a huge role. I mean , the youth programs in San Diego are incredible and being able to be a part of that. It was a huge boost to not only my learning and my development , but the community itself is an incredible amount of people there that have backed me ever since , you know , coming out of , uh , out of Corona Yacht Club and sailing out of San Diego Yacht Club , and they've been with me every step of the way , promoting me , supporting me , and getting me to this Olympic dream. So I can't thank the San Diego community enough. It's been amazing. Wow.
S1: Wow. And in addition to your Olympic pursuits , you've got a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford.
S5: Um , as a five year old kid , that was something that I always wanted to be. Um , and so I went to Stanford with this , this great idea in this , this inspiration to study everything that there has to do about airplanes and rockets and you name it. I studied it , and it just so happens that a lot of of a lot of what sailing is about is also about tuning and optimizing the equipment. And it turns out that a sailboat is very similar to a way that an airplane works. Um , you know , we don't actually have wings like an airplane , but we do have the sail that sticks up vertically in the air. And tuning and optimizing the sail shape is very , very similar to an airplane wing. So a lot of what I studied at Stanford kind of played a lot of two different roles. For me , it checked a lot of boxes. It continued to promote my dream and my goal of one day maybe becoming an astronaut and supplying me with the information needed to be an engineer in aerospace industry. But at the same time , it provided me with a lot of really good fundamental information about how to optimize , you know , a sailboat and being able to have that and be able to apply that in my Olympic sailing has been has been , you know , a huge thing for for increasing my performance and just everything that has to do about , you know , being better and faster on the water.
S1: Thinking about your time on the water. Sailing is expensive. It's technical. It requires a lot of equipment. What do you think the future of sailing looks like at the Olympics ? You know.
S5: Sailing is a very expensive sport and I think it's due to do our equipment. You know , our equipment is all made out of , you know , high performance materials. A lot of it is made out of carbon fiber. Um , the sails themselves also have carbon in them. Um , and every class has a different technical element about that. They're all different , and they're all pushing the boundaries of making the boats extremely fast and extremely exciting to watch. Um , so I think sailing in general is going to have to continue to find ways to keep fans engaged , keep people engaged by making , you know , the boats themselves are really , really fun to watch. And obviously for the sailors , you know , fun to race and sail as well. At the same time , it's going to be a challenge to keep costs down in that regard , because as things develop and as you develop new things and make new things , there's kind of a trial and error process along the way that , you know , you have to kind of break some eggs to make an omelet , as they say. So it's going to be a challenge , I think , for Salen to continue to , you know , beat both those standards at the same time. But I have a lot of optimism for our sport. Excellent.
S1: Excellent. I've been speaking with San Diegan and Olympic sailing bronze medalist Hans Henkin. Hans , thank you so much for joining us. And congratulations to you again.
S5: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate having the time. Thank you.
S1: Well , so we just heard from San Diego's Hans Henkin about his sailing bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now from the ocean , we move back to land and speak with another athlete with San Diego ties who found the podium. Shanika Ricketts is a San Diego State University alumna and the most recent triple jump silver medalist for women at the Olympics. She represented Jamaica , and she's joining us now. Welcome to the show , Shanika and congratulations.
S6: Thank you so much for having me.
S1: Well , it's been a long time coming. This was your third Olympics that you've taken part in. You came close in Tokyo in 2021 but finished fourth.
S6: The time I was at the Rio Games. And I feel like at that time I was very inexperienced and the Olympic atmosphere kind of just sucked me in. So I didn't do as well as I wanted to do. Then Tokyo came around. I was one of the medal favorites going in and I ended up finishing the dreaded fourth place. So I decided this time in Paris , I'm not leaving without the hardware , and I knew it would take everything that I had because I was not having the best season and I literally had to make it happen on the day.
S1:
S6: Most persons are familiar with the long jump. So it's a run to the board. Then you hop , step , and then jump the long jump. Um , it's a very rhythmic event , and I think a lot of persons are fascinated with it. Once they give it a try or even just watch persons competing in the triple jump. Wow.
S1: Wow. You're from and represent Jamaica , but your athletic journey has taken you all across the globe , including San Diego State University. Tell us a little bit about your collegiate career at Sdsu.
S6: At Sdsu , I was recruited by Coach Burrell and the Cardinals , and I majored in economics during my time there. And I was also a high jumper. A long jumper. Triple jumper. I did the 400m as well. And some relays. 4x4 , four by ones. But I got most of my success in the triple jump. I was able to win three NCAA titles during my time there , and I was a multiple time conference champion and athlete of the year a few times as well.
S1: Well , it sounds like you're a well-rounded track athlete.
S6: I left home at 18. Pack my belongings and leave everyone behind and just decided to move to San Diego State. And I spent four years of my life there , and I think during my time there , I was able to mature into someone who who discovered who I was as a person , and I think that the team that I had around me , in my teammates and my coaches , they really motivated me to pursue my dreams of becoming an Olympian. And I think that's a very key moment in who I am now as an athlete. Excellent.
S1: Excellent. And you're you're one of just a handful of San Diego State alumni to win an Olympic medal. You also won two outdoor NCAA titles at Sdsu , twice , finished on the podium at the World Championships , and were first in the annual Diamond League circuit of international track meets.
S6: Um , so no. So that's the Jamaica national record. My personal base is 15.03m , and the national record is 15.16m , so I'm targeting that going into the next four years and hopefully I get to wrap it up in LA 2020.
S1:
S6: Um.
S7: That's why I like La la so.
S6: Close to San Diego. And I think it would just make sense for me to retire there since it's just a few minutes away from San Diego. I just want to say my final goodbye in Italy.
S1: All right , well , best of luck to you. And congratulations again. I've been speaking with Shanika Ricketts , Jamaican silver medalist for triple jump and San Diego State alumna. Thank you so much for joining us , Shanika.
S6: Thank you. It's been a pleasure.
S1: Still ahead , an eye opening look at how skateboarding can create social change.
S8: Skateboarding was this experiential learning where there was no coach , there was nobody to tell you how to do it or that you're doing it right , or do it and doing it wrong. And what happened is everyone from every community came together.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition returns after the break. Welcome back to KPBS midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. We just heard from local San Diego athletes who medaled at the 2024 Paris Olympics and women's rugby , sailing and track and field. Well , now we turn our attention to the world of skateboarding. San Diego had a handful of athletes representing at the games , and they came home with a trio of winners a gold for Australian athlete and Encinitas resident , Keegan Palmer and Silvers for team USA's Jagger Eaton and Tom Shah. But the sport's presence at the Olympics may have had an even greater impact. Here to speak on Olympic skateboarding is Professor Neftali Williams. He is director of San Diego State University's new center for skateboarding , action , Sports and Social Change. A Sdsu assistant professor of sociology and the first ever U.S. Department of States ambassador of skateboarding. Professor Williams , welcome to the show.
S8: Thank you very much. I'm excited to be here.
S1: So glad to have you. So you were at the 2024 Paris Olympics and saw San Diego based athletes bring home multiple medals.
S8: The stands were full and there was just so much , so much love for everyone. And it was it was just a really great display of skateboarding and skateboarding camaraderie , and you got a chance to see that skateboarding is both local for us , but also global and expansive with so many different athletes , and it was really wide ranging with people who were in the audience as well. It's incredible. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. And you went as ambassador of skateboarding , which sounds like a really cool title.
S8: So as being an ambassador for skateboarding or an envoy for skateboarding , I've been working with the State Department for , for now for a number of years. And in that role it's focused on doing clinics , reading with educational institutions , cultural institutions , young people and their parents , of course , and really getting people to understand that skateboarding can be a way to build community and to create social change. It's also fantastic because we work with some of the universities as well , and getting them to rethink , like , what's the relationship between skateboarding and academia and action , sports and academia. How do we get everybody excited ? So I get to work on a number of fronts when I whenever ever I'm on mission. It's really amazing. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , tell me a little bit about that.
S8: Now I saw that myself. I'm originally back from the East Coast , um , from Massachusetts , and at that time our parents were really like , oh , this group should stay with this group. This group should stay with this group. And skateboarding was this experiential learning where there was no coach , there was nobody to tell you how to do it or that you're doing it right or do it and doing it wrong. And what happened is everyone from every community came together. So I've held that held that , you know , dear , near and dear to my heart since I've been young. and what I've seen in all of my work around the world , in Cuba and Brazil and the Netherlands , is that young people come to skateboarding and they still do the same thing. They learn together and they build a community and have a communal experience around that learning. And so one of the things that we tap into in our research is shown is when young people are doing those things for themselves , that's what we should be supporting in academia. And they see in skateboarding that they don't have to be a professional athlete , that their space for them in the arts with design and entrepreneurship. And I know so many people who are actual real community builders for the LGBTQ plus and queer communities , women led skateboarding meetups. So all of those things are ways in which we at the university are looking. How do we get kids engaged ? How do we make them see that education is important and architecture and design , all of those are elements that happen when people start skateboarding. They they immediately see the city in a new way. They look at the design , they there. They change the way they think about public and private space and the use of that space. And that's just I mean , that's something that we talk about all the time and all of the departments and all the schools over at San Diego State.
S4: So it.
S1: Really is a. Tool.
S4: Tool. Yes.
S8: It really becomes a tool for for them to see each other and for us as adults to really make a tool to get them excited about , you know , the university or other cultural institutions. I work with lots of museums , things like that as well.
S1:
S8: So that's one of the books that that I have coming out in my research has been focused on. That experience has also mirrored their experience of people of color in the US and the civil rights movements and all these other like , larger cultural shifts. Those are also been present inside skateboarding and outside of skateboarding. And during those interviews with like , you know , like the first African-American pro skater , Marty Grimes , and his brother Clyde , who has passed away. But the ability for them to see skateboarding as a way to build relationships with people who are from different backgrounds. You know , in the late 60s , early 70s , when that was really difficult to do. And so just in those historical moments , we saw how so many different young people were like , well , you know , again , just like in my own life , seeing that you skateboard and that's good enough for me , let's hang out and let's , let's , you know , let's shred together. And that is continued from the 1960s onward. It is still a way where young people are seeing there are no rules. There is no coach to tell me I need to do this or do that , and I can do it in my own way with my own people. And that's where it really gets to this shift that we see now with young , young women like Briana King. Who is. Who is a person of color who is focused on queer and LGBTQ , plus and women led skateboarding meetups and instructions and lessons so people can see like , hey , this skateboarding is for everybody. If you've never seen anybody who looked like you before , skateboard. We're a whole huge community that does that. And particularly here in San Diego , there is Queer Skate San Diego , which is led by led by one of the students actually at Sdsu. And what people are doing is using it as a way to build inroads and build community with so many different folks and as a way to make them feel connected right here in San Diego.
S4: Well , there's.
S1: So many reasons why skateboarding would be special to you , given that answer. But talk about why it's so special to you compared to other sports.
S8: I will just say that traditional sport , you know , just sort of has a hierarchy built in. That's what's happened to just be built in over time. Though I do acknowledge that , you know , most sports start you know , they start off as fun , but they become institutionalized. And you know , there's nothing wrong with that. I love traditional sports as much as everyone else. But what's been special is seeing that in skateboarding , that sort of lack of coach or general direction has really allowed it to flourish and let people be the people that they want to be , and they can not feel any pressure. And what we need in the world is more ways to like , be active and have fun and build community without additional pressure. And so that's made it really special to me , because I can see that everyone can make what they want of it. If you do want to go to the Olympics , like of course , to , you know , to all of our great Olympians , I love all of them or friends with many of those Olympians , but they can pursue it that way if they want. But they can also just , you know , put the car away and push on the way to the office. Everyone can be a part of the community , and that's something that's really special. It doesn't matter if age 7 to 70 there space for them in skateboarding. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S1: Well do you see the Olympics changing that culture at all.
S8: What I see is the Olympics providing a really large platform for the values of skateboarding , and I saw that particularly we saw in Tokyo and we saw it in Paris , which was that the skaters who were skating , even though one might get gold or silver or bronze , that they were still on the podium together , they would take a photo , you know , one photo where it here's here's where they were they placed. But they would always make sure to do one photo together at the top to really show that , hey , we're friends now competing for this day , but it's just one day. They're still going to go skateboarding together tomorrow , next week , you know , next year. And really , you know , for for the rest of their lives. And that was a way that we saw skateboarding like at the Olympics. It has the potential to affect other sports and get them to think about like , wait a minute , as we see all this real camaraderie between nations , as you mentioned earlier , Australia , between the United States or , you know , a Turkey , other different countries Brazil. That's actually the model for sports at the Olympics that we should just be more than competitors. We should still be friends and can still represent our countries , but we represent in skateboarding , we represent our life and we represent our activity well.
S1: And recently , you stepped in as the director at San Diego State University's new center for skateboarding , action , Sports and Social Change.
S8: What's what's happened is there's been work and research on skateboarding sort of happening and sort of populating across the globe. But what there hasn't been is a home for all of it. And so I have different colleagues. And as I said , researchers everywhere in New Zealand , in the UK , you know , Cuba , the Netherlands , but there hasn't been a place for us all to say , hey , this will be the home of skateboarding , action sports for us to collaborate on research to create the environment for Exchanges between our students who are interested in action sports and the students in other countries. I just got back not just from Paris , but also the Netherlands as well , and there's so many scholars there and so many kids who are interested in it. So there's a way now for all of that research , to have a real home , a hub , and to create the environment for bigger public lectures. The relationships with other cultural institutions , like I work with the Smithsonian. I want to work with the museums here in San Diego. So what we've needed is a place to really drive that. And my role as director is to drive those conversations and those connections , and for our students to find the various ways in which action , sports and skateboarding can live in their lives and help them with their career trajectories in the future.
S1: Yeah , well , congratulations on that.
S8: Thank you very much. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S1: Well , next up for Olympic skateboarding is the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. California or Southern California , rather , is in many ways the birthplace of skate culture.
S8: I'm , you know , the smile on my face here in studio is , is , uh , grinning from ear to ear. To have skateboarding home is really just it's going to be amazing. I'm excited for people to see how much , you know , the hospitality that the US will have , the LA will have. And for me in particular , I was excited because now it allows the work and research I do to actually really include San Diego in this larger conversation with the skateboarding in the LA 2028 Olympics , San Diego has been a hub for skateboarding culture for so long. From one of the first skateboarding publications was here , Transworld Skateboarding magazine. So many different brands and there's such a rich history and , you know , that was from then. And also with amazing skaters of color like Canton Russell , the first African American designers for international skate parks. Brandon Turner , who's right down here in San Diego who focuses on skateboarding and wellness and mental health , and all of these rich histories that are in San Diego. By having the L.A. Olympics have skateboarding , it allows us to really connect here as a community to L.A. and really for visitors to see that we did this together. It was all of Southern California and of course , our family up north in San Francisco and around as well , but that there's been such a hub in San Diego , and I'm excited for that to be part of that larger dialogue for what skateboarding has given the world , and that what Southern California has really helped populate. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. Well , how do.
S1: You see the evolution of the sport from here , given that you are bridging these worlds of skating in academia , and also now that it's been into Olympic.
S4:
S8: The universities and just sport in general , and particularly collegiate sport. One of the things that I'm glad to bring this up right now is one of the things that's happened is that some of the athletes who , as we just mentioned , are medalists. Skateboarding is not a sport. It's not an NCAA sport. So it's not a not sanctioned sport by the university levels. And so that means that there are not scholarships that are available for , you know , for for young people who are athletes in training , getting ready for Olympics or for the other sport or the other contests that go on throughout the year. So as we continue , I think that it's going to be the driver for schools to recognize the student athlete , you know , who happens to be a skateboarder at the same time. And I think that that drives. What is it for universities to be more inclusive ? Of course , all the other sports you can do lacrosse , you can do water polo , you can do , you know , badminton. All these other sports are available. But I'm really excited for people to turn around and go , you know what ? My kids skate. My nieces and nephews or grandkid skate like , why don't they have a path to. To pursue their academic pursuits. For years , skaters have had to make that decision between like , well , do I want to work on being a pro skater or do I want to go to school ? And that's really sort of separated and helped put different stigmas about like who skateboarders are. But with skateboarding continuing , growing with , you know , the work I'm doing , there's some private scholarships like the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation , which is which is a great group that gives out scholarships for skaters. But this next generation is going to hopefully come up seeing themselves within academia and knowing that there's a real path and they can say , mom , dad , you know , grandma , grandpa or whoever's in charge of the child rearing saying , I want to go to Sdsu and here's a scholarship that I can get for doing the thing that I love so much , which is skateboarding.
S1: I've been speaking with Professor Neftali Williams , director of San Diego State University's new center for skateboarding , action , Sports and Social change , and the U.S. Department of States ambassador of skateboarding. Professor , thank you so much for joining us and really illuminating how much of a tool skateboarding can be.
S8: Well , I really appreciate being here. Thank you for having me on.
S1: Thanks for joining us. That's our show for today. If you missed anything , you can download KPBS Midday Edition on all podcast apps. Don't forget to watch KPBS Evening Edition tonight at five for in-depth reporting on San Diego issues. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for listening and have a great day , everyone.
