An unexpectedly reflective film charts the skateboarders’ chaotic buildup to the Tokyo games and captures their eclectic personalities
Skateboarding makes its debut at the Olympics in Tokyo next week, and Sean Fee and Annika Ranin’s unexpectedly reflective film documents the preparations of Team GB’s riders. As if in answer to the debate about whether this gnarlier-than-thou lifestyle should be given the appellation of “sport”, let alone if it belongs at the most official of sporting forums, the
British preparations seem almost laughably on-the-fly. The team members and manager complain about the stingy funding. At the time of filming they don’t have the funky livery rocked by their rivals and – surprisingly given skating’s immense presence on
UK streets – they struggle to find the facilities needed to hone the manoeuvres they will need to win medals.
The candidness extends into a fairly intimate portrayal of the personalities who, a bit stunned, find themselves in the position of being national representatives. There’s Sam Beckett, the most ostensibly successful one, who rode the sponsorship gravy train in the US but now, nearly 30, seems slightly lost. Alex Hallford, a lanky Nottingham homebody with a string of Nepalese bunting in his living room, is unimpressed by the subtleties of Olympic scoring. Jordan Thackeray is a barrelling, athletic presence in a skate bowl, but hits the banjo to wind down. And Alex Decunha, a teetotaller whose quick-fire tricks look like an extension of his fastidious personal style, hints at the pro-athlete future for skateboarding many fear the Olympics are ushering in.