Stereotypes In Sports Essay, Research Paper

People today stereotype skaters and surfers as lazy, no good potheads. I would

have to dissagree with that statement. Police harrass skaters for skating in

parking lots and on the streets of their towns. It is like the police think that

they are going to do more than skate. It is the same with surfers, people think

they do not hold jobs, their lazy, and all that they do is smoke pot. Those

things are (for the most part) not true. In my paper I will give three examples

of people that do not live this stereotype; however, they have actually become

pillars of the community. In addition to their community stature they also have

become idols to thousands of children across the world. Surfing is an ancient

sport first practiced by Hawaiian kings. Early surfers rode 14 to 18 foot wooden

boards that weighed over 150 pounds (Tomalin1). Duke Kahanamoka introduced

surfing to the United States in 1912 (Weir3). If you asked someone who is the

father of surfing, they would probably say, "Duke who?" But mention

Kelly Slater and they will not stop talking. Robert Kelly Slater was born

February 11, 1912 in Cocoa Beach Florida (Tomlin1). He went to high school and

actually graduated. The reason I say this is because most people like Kelly

(surfers knowing they are going to go professional) never graduate high school.

Kelly grew up in Florida all his life. He was a local hero in central Florida,

because everyone knew he was destined to make it as a professional surfer (Tee

Interview). From 1992 thru 1994 Kelly placed first in the Maui Pro, second in

the Maui Masters, and third place in the Rip Curl Pro, the Chiemesee Pipe

Masters, and the Gotcha Lacanau Pro (Solano1). In 1995 he, from surfing alone,

made 57,750 dollars (Solano1). Kelly won four world titles by 1996, one in 1992,

1994, 1995, and again in 1996 (Solano1). In 1996 Kelly was a busy boy, he won

his fourth world title as well as 50% of his WCT Tournaments; moreover Kelly

collected over 300, 895 dollars in prize money alone. In 1997 he won 446,295

dollars in eleven events(Solano2). Kelly has brought so much popularity to the

sport that it may even be a sport at the 2000 Olympic Summer Games. Surfing is

not the only thing this master of the "green room" is involved with.

He was featured on "Baywatch" from 1992-1993 as Jimmy Slade (Tomlin4).

He has also been in numerous surfing videos. Kelly has been in surfer

Magazine?s : Island Voyage(1995), Pacific Rim (1995), Velocity (1995),

Voluptous (1996), and On Edge (1996) (Salano5). Kelly also has his own band

called "The Surfers". "The Surfers" consist of Kelly Slater,

Rob Machado, and Peter King (Sullivan118). Kelly is also an owner of a longboard/skateboard

company "Sector 9" based in Florida. At the "Longboard

House" in Indialantic Beach, Florida they sell on average four "Sector

9?s" daily (Tee Interview). Which comes out to over 480 dollars a day.

The reason Florida has the biggest "Sector 9" sales, is because it is

very flat there, and flat ground is the best surface for Longboards (Tee). They

are made for crusing up and down the boardwalks and side streets on your way to

the beach. Kelly also owns a surfboard shaping company. It specializes in

shaping "fish". Fish are no bigger than five and a half feet. Ron

Jon?s (a well known surf shop) carries Kelly?s boards more than any other

brand, and Ron Jon?s happens to be the world?s largest surf shop chains. So

you see how popular his boards are. Kelly has to be the most successful

surfer-businessmen out there today. In-line skating is big and bigger than it

has ever been. Among the 6 to 17 year old crowd, only soccer and basketball are

more popular athletic activities (O?Conner 1). "In the skating world

I?m extremely famous and it feels cool," says 23 year old Arlo Eisenberg

(O?Conner1). Arlo has been called the Michael Jordan of agressive in-line

skating. If every sport has to have it?s idols, then put Arlo Eisenberg at the

top of the in-line skaters list. This Dallas native has been in a countless

number of in-line skating videos and featured on in-line skating magazine

covers. Arlo started skating at the age of fourteen and never once looked back.

Throughout the country at exhibitions, competitions, apperances – wherever he is

around a skating crowd- he gets the full star treatment. Name chanting,

autograph hounding, worshipful gazes, the whole bit. It is if it were like

"The Cult of Arlo" (Bryant1). He is at his best when he is on the

street course. Out on the street Arlo is in his element. Reveling in the

improbable pastime of grinding down the metal rails. Or he is taking to the air,

flying over stone steps and concrete ledges. Anything to challenge the urban

terrain. On the ramp or on the street, all of this is called "agressive"

skating and Arlo is considered a pioneer. Agressive in-line skating evolved out

of skateboarding. "It has nothing to do with street hockey, speed skating,

or even grandma skating around the lake in pruple Spandex" Arlo said (Mcknight

3). In the parlance of the sport, agressive skating is "extreme". Arlo,

when he was nine, wanted to be an artist. His mother said "I can not

remember a time when he was not creating." His parents divorced when he was

three, but remained united on the need to raise their children with love and

nurturing. Together, they made sure that Arlo?s art was carefully tended to,

sending him to Greiner Middle School and to Arts Magnet High School (McKnight

3). When he attedned the University of Texas, his passion for art diminished.

"Slowly skating consumed all this passion and energy." He says,

"Because to me, skating is a form of art. It is not athletics, it?s a way

of expressing myself. The rewards are immeiadiate- either you win, or you

don?t" (McKnight4).When Arlo found himself sleeping in his skates he knew

that this was what he wanted to do. Arlo began his carrer on the NISS tour. The

NISS is a tour for amature skaters who are trying to make it into the

professional field. When he got on the NISS tour, he won the titles two years in

a row. After the NISS he went on to the ASA tour, which is the pro-circuit. Arlo

won the ASA championship in 1995, 1996, and 1998 (Damage Goods). He has come in

second only four times in his career (Damage Goods). He has skated in exibitions

in Japan and Europe for the experience, he made no money, just did it for the

love of skating. He pays for himself to travel to all these places. Arlo owns

his own company called "Senate". Senate is the most popular in-line

skating company in the United States. They sell everything from T-Shirts to

wheels. Senate has made Arlo enough money to allow him to open his own skate

park in Plano, Texas. The name of the park is "Eisenbergs", obviously.

Eisenbergs is home to many an exibition, competition, ASA tournament, and is

even open to the public. It is an indoor facility, so if it rains, you can go to

Eisenbergs. Arlo Eisenberg has become much more than just any old skater. He is

the best, and one of the most dedicated skater?s in the world, not to mention

a very successful businessman. Finally, Tony Hawk is the clean-cut kid who

turned professional at the age of fourteen, bought his first house at seventeen,

and today is a very successful entrepreneur. (Hawk interview) Gravity-defying

Hawk was 10 years old when his older brother gave him his first skateboard. He

quit plauing little league a year later and has been on wheels ever since. Hawk

topped the National Skating Association series overall standings 13 years in a

row (Hawk interview). He has won the X-Games three out of the four years he

skated on it. If this industry has an establishment, he is it?s leading

citizen, a modest, fan-friendly, clean-cut, regular guy who transforms into a

gravity-defying gambler.Hawk, the dominant figure in extreme skatboarding in the

past two decades, hasmade a career out of being a creative risk taker. Yet, his

most surprising breakthrough has not come out on the half pipe, but in the

marketing world. In an age when endorsments go to basketball, football, and

baseball players, Hawk has become a crossover phenomenon. In th past five years,

the 30 year old San Diego native has appeared in ad campaigns for AT&T,

Levi?s, Campbell?s Soup, The Gap, and both Pepsi and Coca-Cola. (Hawk

interview) Hawk is quick to say that the most mainstream ads have him as a

generic skatboarder. Hawk says skate-based companies are his top priority, but

he?s open to any endorsments? "within limits". "There was a

tour in Malaysia sponsered by Benson & Hedges (a cigarette company) that was

very lucrative," he says. "I just would never do that." (Hawk

interview) So, we see that not all surfers ans skaters are bad. These three men

show that you can make a living out of something you love . they also show kids

that they do not need to do drugs and drink alchol tohave fun. They also show

that hard work will get you far in life.

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