The ASP announced last week that it will begin random drug testing for athletes starting in 2012.
I can only speak to this as a surfer, a consumer of surf gear, and enjoyer of surf content (including contests), but I see this as a fantastic step for the tour. Some have argued over at ESPN.com that it doesn’t matter whether the athlete is on drugs as long as they perform well, while others say that drug testing in sports is fundamentally flawed. If done correctly, however, I believe this step moves the tour forward immensely for two reasons, one that will directly affect the tour and the other indirectly: additional legitimacy for the tour and maintaining role models.
With drug testing comes legitimacy. As far as I can tell, almost every major sports league drug tests its athletes. Yes, testing isn’t perfect, but the testing methods show that the league wants drug-free athletes competing. It protects the athletes and shows that the league is serious about making its sport about fair play. Testing brings legitimacy to a league. Sports leagues also drug test because it recognizes that kids watch these sports and look up those sports athlete as heroes, as role models. Would you want your kid see their favorite athlete involved some type of drug scandal? No, of course not. Have you seen the swarm of kids around ASP surfers when they get out of a heat? They look up to these guys. Now, we can’t change people — these sports stars are going to do whatever they want to do, especially in the off-season — but, leagues can tell them that it’s no longer acceptable. It’s not a cure-all, but it’s the right first step to make.
And, so, progress.
– Mike Caruso | evergreensessions.com
(Image credit: fstorr)
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