pay for tix to watch wake at xgames?

if espn brought wake back, would you pay for tix to go see the event? if so, what's a fair price? different price for kids (2-11)?

They should do a pool/wench style contest then they could set it up like they do for skate and bike courses

would you pay though?

depending on the location of course I would probably pay $25 for adults and $10 for my 3 year old. You think the X games would be willing to come to the Delta?

Your up to something aren't you Joe

I would pay $20 - $25.

Whats a wench? lol

I would definitely pay if they brought wake back to the XGames. Even if I couldn't go I'd buy tickets and give them to somebody who could go. If they brought it back to the xgames that would be huge for our sport. Its funny to think that our sport has grown so much in the past ten years but has been getting less recognition on tv and in the action sports industry. Check out this old xgames commercial: http://youtube.com/watch?v=SHNweAMY5AU
I would give anything to see Wakeboarding get that kind of recognition on tv again.

That would be great for wakeboarding to get back on to national tv.

And yes i would purchase tickets to this if it was anywhere close to me.

Hell yeah I'd pay. I'd be fine paying 20 pp, but would be willing to go up to 30-40 definitely. If they had some kind of VIP/special seating (maybe in the boat)I'd be willing to go up to around $100.

ya i think 20-30 bucks would be paid by most no prob especially due to the scene as well as riding

Like everyone else I would pay to see wake at xgames, $25 or so I would deff buy tickets.

Screw them, all it is now is a moto-x and skate/bmx crash show, or whatever new sport Travis Pastwhatever is into this year. I think they actually make some of the sports less appealing by having them on. Winter X is the only real X games left

Therefore, no I would not, and I bet most of the people saying they would pay $20+ wouldn't show up the day of the event

Maybe in the area of $20 to $40. If tickets start getting into the $50 area, then all of a sudden it would cost
a family of four $200+ just to go watch some wakeboarding. Or maybe have a lower dollar general addmission
water's edge standing area and higher dollar reserved seating area. Maybe throw that water skiing squirrel too.

Alex you mean Twiggy! He's ballin!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXcaFC1vF0Q

I wouldn't pay to watch people wakeboard. But then again I wouldn't go out of my way to watch a wake event for free. The only exception is if friends of mine are riding, then I would consider watching.

In general I would much rather be in the boat riding.

I can't believe people wouldn't pay more, or at all to watch wakeboarding.

Before I started boarding football was my favorite sport, and I pay $1600 a year for season tix, I love to watch the best athletes compete at the sports I like.

Come on show some love for your sport....

No.

Yep! But I live an Atlanta... no way I'd be able to go...

I would pay upwards of 40-50 for the weekend, no worries. It looks like good all round fun and for sure some awesome riding.

Do people have to pay to watch the other sports at X games?

I would pay atleast $60 or $70 for the weekend for special seating. Maybe $20 or $30 for general admission.

Yeah A-dub, Rally at the X Games is a joke. I watched the last one expecting to see Wakeboarding but I didn't know they didn't do it anymore until I went to the website. Gutted.

I would pay for tickets, if I was in the right place at the right time. I'd be paying for plane tickets anyway.

They've got like four different kinds of motocross, one of which is the Big Air contest which is a joke, and they can't throw in some real sports along the way? Who are the people at X-Games trying to impress?

I would not pay

I would go 30-40 for a ticket. 100 for VIP.

I hate to say it, but the winch and pool would be the way to go. It would be easier to pack people in the seats. And it could be done inside.

But, I like being behind a boat...

i'd pay 100 dollars for VIP in the boat. but i'm not driving farther than 2 hours. as much as i would like to support wakeboarding, my wallet wont go farther than that

I think they should have wake,

Wes- i dont think big air is a joke. nothin about moto is a joke.

A-dub- i disagree with you too. Travis Pastrana is just making the action sports world more known.

o well, lets just all get along and wakeboard behind a motocross bike or somethin, then we would all get along.

Huge thumbs down to any more winch and pool stuff. I understand that it helps get exposure, whereas we otherwise would not, but it is over too fast and often pretty boring. Wakeboarding needs eye popping big air tricks.

If I was in the area I'd pay ~$30 for sure.

X-Games should look more like Parks Double or Nothing contest. Crazy huge tricks and crazy wrecks. That's what people want to see.

Umali! Get me on the list and I am there-

I would pay like $10-15

I wouldnt pay to see it.

I dont know that we would want wakeboarding in the X-Games. X-Games has turned into a carnage-fest. They only want to show competitions where there is a high risk of injury, and higher probability of getting it on film. Wakeboarding doesnt really have that risk, so the general admission people wouldnt even bother watching it.

Remember when they let a guy who couldnt do any tricks, with no sponsors into the the FMX just because he was willing to risk death doing a double back? Remember Street Luge? What was the biggest event at the last one? It was a guy who fell from rediculous heights on his skateboard. THAT was the highlight of the entire event.

Wakeboarding has nothing to offer the fireball and ambulance crowd. Now, if you want to set up some winch gap over metal spikes, or sharks with lasers on their forehead, and really injure some of our pros, im sure you might draw a crowd.

Haha, you're a genius JG.

While that is funny and may even have a bit of truth to it Jason, at least wakeboarding would be getting more mainstream exposure.

What drives me crazy is the fact that fuel TV has more boring skateboard shows that do the same damn boring tricks, rather than Kite boarding or other more interesting spectator sports.

How many really think skateoarding is more exciting to watch than wakeboarding outside of it's own community? I don't see it. Maybe because I was never a skate punk but besides big ramp stuff most of the stuff I see on Fuel is pretty damn boring too.

X-Games wake exposure = More powerturning meat heads buying boats. No thanks.

vert skating is kind of boring i think to watch, but street skating no way. definately because you weren't a skate punk is why you think so. you wouldn't know the difference between a 3 flip and a big spin prolly, so you dont appreciate the difficulty. Watch the Rodney Mullen vs. Daweon Song video its even entertaining to people who know nothing about skateboarding. If the x-games weren't thousands of kilometers (miles) away from me, I would definately pay to watch.

I can appreciate the difficulty absolutely. I just think it is boring to watch. Just like to the average nonwakeboarder the Raley is the ultimate trick and spins are boring, or a grabbed backside 180 is boring to them. Hell I think wateskating is boring to watch but definately know the skill level it takes.

What good does mainstream exposure do for you and I? Ill give you an idea of what it does:

In 1996, a loaded Super Air (ok, Super Sport with the new FCT) was $35k depending on options. What are they now since wakeboarding has gotten so mainstream? Are you telling me that the cost of fiberglass and a crate chevy have double in price in a decade? Then what were they in 1986? Gee, $30k. In 2001, a rider could go find butter and maybe one other wakeboard boat at the dam on Lewi. Now its overcrowded and locals have turned into teritorial kooks like oldschool surfers. Being mainstream is good for pros and some industry companies. If its good for companies then its good for us, right? Wrong, you think they are going to lower the price of next years boards if they make a bunch more money being mainstream? no, they are going to jack them up as demand exceeds supply.

Dont get me wrong, I like seeing good riders ride. I just think XGames is a terrible venue for anyone to be taken seriously. XGames is for people who want to watch Biker Sherlock take out hay bails at 60mph.

Its just a venue for pop-culture extremists to have an audience. I dont think wakeboarders are in that catagory...or want to be. Is Andy McDonald still pushing "extreme" pogosticks?




No thats XGames right there.

Lol .... I hear ya J ..... So looks like I may be starting my kiteboarding career for real next year.

I am pretty sure I have a torn ACL.

Dang!! Get that thing hemmed up. We got fall coming soon. Gonna be epic! Heck, its actually windy right now. Too bad I didnt throw my kites in the car before I left this morning.

Pisses me off too because I was so close to the Roll to Blind (landing on the board evertime) I could taste it. Went back to a trick that was money for me and screwed the pooch on a Half Cab Roll. Heard it crack LOUD. What is the rehab time on that? Anyone?

PS. sorry to highjack

I would pay whatever they charge for any other event for sure.

I'm in Joe.

some of you guys must be loaded. I'd pay $20 max and it would have to be about an hours drive from home.

Jason is pretty spot on about the x games. Overall wakeboarding contests aren't that much fun to watch.

Yep! Absolutely!

no I wouldn't pay
sorry just not worth it
wakeboarding just isnt for the X Games

I see where everyone is coming from with mainstream exposure causing problems for wakeboarders. I've recently noticed alot of people who have 50k+ boats around here more and more. Half the guys simply can't ride.

I'm just saying with bigger sports comes bigger posers

wow. what makes YOU a non-poser, wes?

^^^ lol ^^^

He's 15 and doesn't know any better.

Anyway... how bout' those XGames...

No ish. How is that your only additional comment on this thread you started Joe? Elementary marketing research?

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quote:

By A-dub (behindtheboat) on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 7:50 am:

No ish. How is that your only additional comment on this thread you started Joe?

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are you seriously asking?

look at his post vs. all the rest.

I understand your driven need to comment on the teen and keep him in check, I am just wondering your thoughts regarding this question you brought up, and your constructive thoughts/arguments to what has been said. And people are wondering whats going on......

Do you feel that half of these people saying they'd pay over $20 per person would really show up the day of the event?

i asked because i was at a skateboard event a couple weeks ago and spoke to a marketing guy for espn/expn. he said he was pretty bummed about wakeboarding not being in the x-games anymore, but that it was too expensive for them to put on. so i asked him if he thinks espn would put wake back in the x-games if they charged for admission like they do all the other games, and he said they would seriously consider it. so really, my point in the thread is to have something to show him that people are willing to pay to go see the event.

and yeah, i really do think people that said they'd pay would show up. heck, people pay $10+ to go to a boat show to see no riding.

Why is it that much more expensive to put a wakeboarding event on?

'cause they didn't charge for admission.

Yeah but what are the actual expenses that make it so expensive? It can't be that much for a major network cable station to put on. That sounds fishy to me.

When the X-Games were in Philadelphia, I went. If the X-Games came back to Philadelphia and I had to pay something
reasonable to watch, yes, I'd go; and I'd probably go with a good-sized crew.

The expenses were in the TV costs. The main x Games area (The Staples Center) is wired and fully equipped to do a live TV feed because of all the other sporting events that occur there. It was a huge extra expense to do live TV from the wakeboarding spot and that was the main reason it was dropped.

Is it because it most of the time it is rural locations? Not to sound like a dumb ass but I am assuming they already have the cable and equipment to setup for the other events. Is it more than setting up an event that is taking place on (let's say) the streets of your home town. They do demo's and events on the streets of Vegas all the time. Hell even motorcycle jumping demo's ect..... Is it the extra manpower? I still don't see the enormous extra expense.

Word Joe! Goodluck with it!

Would you want a normal format or a Double-Up style contest? What about best trick, reg and then double up?

I'm down. $25 a day.... $40-50 for a weekend.

I would gladly pay to see this event. Thanks for trying to hook this up Joe.