Image credit: Matt Berger/Submitted

By Marty Hastings

OLYMPICS UPDATE

After disaster in Tokyo, Kamloops skateboarder Berger finds redemption in Paris

Jul 30, 2024 | 6:00 PM

PARIS, FRANCE — Negative thoughts were unavoidable, compartmentalized skeletons that resurfaced for Matt Berger on Monday (July 29) before the men’s street skateboarding event at the Olympic Summer Games in Paris.

Redemption was found in overcoming them.

“When you’re skating in front of 7,000 people and know millions of people are watching, it can be a lot of pressure,” said Berger, noting he failed in front of a global audience when he finished last at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“Yeah, I just missed the finals [on Monday], but to show up in Paris and skate how I wanted to skate, for the most part, and have a good time representing, it was one of the most redemptive days of my career, for sure.”

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Berger finished 11th among 22 skaters in the preliminary round. The top eight skaters advanced to the final, in which Yuto Horigome of Japan prevailed to win gold.

“I knew with the run I had planned that if I put it down clean, plus the single tricks I had planned, I was likely going to make it, but after falling on the second run, I knew we were going to have to really make sure we get really solid scores in the single-trick section. I held onto the final spot for a while, but it’s challenging being in the first heat, as well. I just missed the cut, but still very stoked to be out here in Paris.”

The men’s street event was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed due to heavy rainfall.

“We saw the forecast coming, so we definitely were mentally prepared,” Berger said. “I kind of already knew it was going to be a wash.

“We just did so much preparation and I knew everything was set. I just love to skate. It was more excitement than nerves this time around. It was an honour to be out there skating and to really show up this time around.”

Pre-competition intrigue included transportation troubles while en route to a practice session.

“For whatever reason, the bus route to get to the event is different every day, I believe for safety reasons, so it makes it challenging on the bus drivers,” Berger said. “He made a mistake and ended up down the wrong road and was trying to make a corner that was way too tight for the bus. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen and the bus was completely stuck.”

After about 15 minutes, the bus driver let passengers off the bus.

“So we skated the two kilometres to the first practice, which honestly was a great time,” Berger said. “I grew up riding the bus in Kamloops to the North Shore and then skating from the bus stop to the skate park. This is what skaters do.”

Berger’s post-Olympics celebration plans did not include painting the town Maple Leaf red and lighting it up at the Moulin Rouge.

He enjoyed dinner with family, which was not possible in Tokyo in 2021 due to pandemic-related restrictions.

“It was a beautiful dinner with my whole family,” Berger said, noting his dad, mom and girlfriend made the trip to Paris, along with his sister and her husband.

“It was the first time my father had been at an event in probably 15 years. It was a very special day for me and my family.

“I’d just like to thank everybody in Canada who has supported me my whole career and also on this Olympic journey the past eight years, especially in Kamloops. That’s the city that shaped me into the man I am today and even though I no longer live there, that is still home. Much love to everybody.”