ALL ABOUT AIR — NIKE BEGIN THE OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN
With less than 100 days to go until the 2024 Olympics begin, Gauchoworld were invited by Nike to join them in a celebration of Air technology that's been propelling some of the world’s most elite talent for the best part of half a century. With the event being situated a stone’s throw from the Pompidou centre – that served as inspiration for Tinker Hatfield’s redesign of the Nike Air range nine years from its inception – six large orange statues featuring some of Nike’s most revered talent marked what was one of the most anticipated events on the Nike cultural calendar.
Alongside the main event that showcased 40 elite athletes debuting the outfits they’ll be wearing on the world stage – Eliud Kipchoge, Sha’Carri Richardson, Sam Kerr and had a special appearance from Serena Williams to name a few – there was an experience that took people through Nike’s history of Air, and how Air has been present in some of the world’s most culturally iconic moments – from it’s visible presence in the ‘110’ (Air Max 95) to helping Lebron James claim championships in his own silhouettes.
Whilst Air, from a performance standpoint, is usually most recognisable in Nike’s long distance running trainers like the Alphafly 3, it’s inspiring how the process of their products are being made. Assessment of performance has become more collaborative, with some of the Nike team spending time in Kenya with Eliud Kipchoge to help develop the shoe that’ll potentially lead him to another record-breaking summer.
As well as hearing about a “frictionless ink” that’ll avoid any restriction of movement for breakdancers who’ll be at the Games for the first time, to building a custom chair for Paralympian Tatyna McFadden who will be at her sixth Games in Paris, innovation seems to be the driving force behind Nike and their athletes, working closely together to have yet another successful Olympic Games.
As we got the chance to speak to some athletes who’ll be gunning for Gold at the Olympics, we took the chance to ask them what symbolically gives them air, what keeps them striving, competing, and just going through everyday life.
“My family lifts me up. My mother, my father, my sister, aunties, cousins. They always come with me to competitions, they’ve literally travelled across the world for me to watch me dance. They support me always – win or lose – so they are definitely what gives me Air”
“Through breaking, I get to represent my favourite things in this world. I get to uplift marginalised voices through my dance. I like the saying ‘We rise by lifting others’ so I continue to lift my peers. No matter how competitive it may be, I see beyond that. It’s more than the battle, it’s about us building each other up. That’s what gives me Air.”
“My strength comes from my family. I’m one of four siblings, and we’ve always done a lot of things together. I just love when my family is around me, especially when I’m competing. I don’t do it solely for them of course, but they’re the ones that certainly give me Air.”
Being taken through the history of Air has inevitably built excitement for its future. No wonder the show was attended by the likes of Ronaldinho, Travis Scott and many others, as a physical manifestation of how Air has propelled athletes to break records, achieve personal bests and change the trajectory of their lives.
