Canada in Tokyo – Andy Anderson – Skateboarding

Andy Anderson is set to create his own piece of Olympic history.

The White Rock, B.C. product will become the first Canadian to participate in park skateboarding at the Games when the sport makes its debut in Tokyo this week.

“It’s finally getting the recognition it deserves. It’s pretty cool,” Anderson said before the Games got underway. “It is a lot to take in.”

Anderson started skating in the year 2000 at the age of just four, and cannot believe he will actually compete at the biggest sporting event on the planet.

“I started begging my parents for a board,” Anderson said. “The salesperson told them, ‘If you give him a board while he is four, he will quit by the age of six. He’ll get it out of his system.’

“You just skate because you love it. Continuing to do it for the last 21 years, and 18 of them have no sight of the Olympics in mind, it’s a blessing to have this opportunity. I can’t believe it is happening.”

In fairness, it nearly didn’t happen for Anderson.

In the qualifying event in Des Moines, Iowa, he fell during the practice run and actually tore his meniscus. Yet nothing was going to get in his way.

“There was a year and a half preparation for this contest and I hurt myself 10 minutes before,” Anderson recalled. “I was so prepared, the most I have ever been for a contest.

“I was fully committed to competing.”

Compete he did, and despite the severe injury after a fall down a nine-foot ramp, he would finish 11th across two days of competition to punch his ticket to Tokyo.

Anderson, now 25, is thankful to his support crew, none more so than coach Sean Hayes, whom the skateboarding star says he would not be where he is today without his influence.

“He really is a high performance coach. He’s good at understanding marginal gains, the little tiny things that make the one per cent difference,” Anderson said.

“Sean really coached me through how to live and how to live a professional life.”

Anderson is known for two things on the circuit, his blend of classic tricks with modern techniques, as well as riding wearing a helmet.

That will be mandatory for the Olympics after a number of serious head injuries at an event in Brazil. However, Anderson has never been fazed despite comments from his peers.

“I started when I was four years old (and when) you get to like 12, 13, people start making fun of you,” Anderson said.

“To this day, you can’t get published in a lot of skateboard magazines if you’re wearing a helmet.

“My perspective on it was always, ‘I’ve just got to be better then.’ You’ve got to be undeniable.”

The B.C man has a unique interest away from the boards: A penchant for fire hydrants and collecting pictures of them.

It may seem random but the 25-year-old is more than happy to explain.

“They’re just amazing. They’re a substantial piece of utilitarian art,” he said.

“Each country, each city, they do it differently. I’m fascinated with the diversity of these tools that do the exact same thing. They have some super decorative ones in Japan.”

Anderson hopes to do more than reacquaint himself with Tokyo’s plumbing, though. He has eyes on the Park final.

“I want to leave an impression. I want to let people know that skateboarding is fun, creative and an art form,” Anderson said.

And in doing that, he would like to see more fundamental changes around the image of the sport.

“I sure hope they ease up on all the laws against it!” he said.

Catch Anderson in action on Thursday, August 4

Listen to the full interview – https://iono.fm/e/1081847