Canadian Olympian Ryan Decenzo Talks Skateboarding, Paris, & ‘Good Vibes’
With the Paris 2024 Olympics rapidly approaching — running July 26th to August 11th of this year — it’s time to get excited. Canada’s pool of athletes is filled with both veteran and rookie contenders alike, all looking to bring home the gold. SHARP has been in chatting with a several of Team Canada’s athletes over the last few weeks to get a bit of a temperature check of the excitement and anticipation as they get ready for competition.
Kicking things off, we chatted with Vancouver-born Canadian pro skater Ryan Decenzo as he heads to the Olympics for the first time in his career. With over 20 X Games appearances (and several wins) under his belt, the Red Bull-sponsored boarder has eyes on the podium, but never forgets that having fun needs to remain at the core of the sport.
Can you walk us through your journey to the Olympics? From when you started competing through to how you came to join the Canadian Olympic team?
I began competing in skateboarding at around age 16. It was always a fun, exciting way to learn to progress and get better. As I got better and more experienced, the contests turned from local events around the lower mainland Vancouver area — where I could win a new deck or skate gear — to larger events with cash prizes. They slowly progressed to larger amateur contests where I would have to prove myself among some of the top amateur skaters in the world. [During some competitions], I earned decent cash, which I invested back into my skating passion.
Tampa AM in 2008 was the biggest one for me and really changed my life; that’s when I knew maybe I had some potential. As the levels of the contests kept growing and I entered the pro ranks, there were larger contests with bigger prize purses. These [contests] were always a way to keep the dream of skating — for a living — alive.
When the Olympics adopted skateboarding, it was an obvious choice. I always enjoyed the challenge of competing at the highest level. My Olympic journey wasn’t an easy one. I missed the slot for Tokyo Olympics by 1 spot and ended up as the alternate for the event in 21st place. Unfortunately, Covid played a role in that, as Canada didn’t have any national competition and I could have used those points. Fast forward to 2024, Paris, and all those years of competing and staying healthy that eventually helped me get my spot. It’s been a journey, to say the least; tons of travel to all the events and countless days of practice.
The Olympics are a much bigger production than other competitions in your sport. How do you think that will affect the energy between you and your fellow athletes on competition day?
I think that everyone will be at the top of their game and pushing their personal limits. I’m sure everyone will feed off each other’s energy, but also be supportive of each other and clapping for each other’s tricks. That’s just how skaters are. They have an appreciation for anyone who is at a high level in the sport, even if it’s their main competition. [That’s] just because skateboarding is so difficult — and gnarly — it has to be respected when someone does something sick.
With Paris right on the horizon, how are you feeling? Is it excitement, is it nerves?
No nerves yet. Those don’t come into place for me until the last minute. So, for now, it’s just relief. Skating for 3 years — qualifying [in] 4-6 contests per year in locations all around the world, making sure I don’t get injured, and keeping a consistently high level — is a task itself. I feel like I’ve done my job. Now, it’s time to have the most fun and go crazy!
How has your training regimen changed as you get closer to the games?
It hasn’t changed at all. You’ve gotta be on your A game at all times in skateboarding, with so many competitive events a year and to avoid [the risk of] injury.
Skating is hard on the body, so skating more isn’t always better when you’re trying to prepare for a large event at my age. I am currently the oldest skater to have ever skated in the Street competition in the Olympics by 4 years, and I hope to inspire skaters of all ages and show people that you can still skate hard at a high level into your late 30’s.
Have you spent much time in Paris before, and are you able to have some free time in the city after you compete?
I’ve spent some time there before, so I’m all good on that. This has been such a hectic couple years of travel for me, since Covid, I honestly can’t wait to get home and be home for longer than 2 weeks.
What are you looking forward to most as you head into the competition?
I’m looking forward to the practice days: hanging and skating the course with everyone from all the different countries. Everyone is good vibes and cool and rips!
Do you have any advice for other athletes out there who are hoping to make it to the Olympics one day?
Skate for fun.
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