Roll On: What Happened to the Olympics?

Marked by endless scandal, rampant corruption, and dwindling viewership, the Olympics movement is in free fall.

Today we explore how the world’s most highly acclaimed brand has become corrosive, and what can be done to repair it.  But fear not, we also celebrate a selection of inspiring athletic highlights from Beijing to Oahu, answer listener questions, share a few products that have caught our fancy, and more.

As always, my co-host for today’s rendition of ‘Roll On’ is ‘His Semi Deepness’ Mr. Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me co-author. Adam writes about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and still uses the ‘new dad’ excuse to avoid working on his novel.

Topics discussed in today’s episode include:

• the politics behind the declining global interest in the Olympics;
• bribery & corruption within the International Olympic Committee;
• how a Florida town with no ice rink produced three Olympic speedskaters;
• the backlash levied upon teenage freeskier Eileen Gu;
• speedskater Nils van der Poel’s manifesto on Z2 aerobic base training;
• how Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win individual Winter Olympic gold; 
• Kelly Slater’s Pipe Masters win days before turning 50; and
• the benefits of using “dumb phones” in limiting screen time & phone addiction; and more