X Games Wakeboarding Venue

(wakeworld) · (wakeworld) **Join Date: Jan 1997** 06-17-2003, 4:48 PM

I'm surprised there wasn't any discussion on the X-Games chosen venue of Long Beach Marine Stadium. You guys haven't been ignoring the rest of WakeWorld again, have you?? :-)

(detonate69) · (detonate69) **Join Date: Apr 2001** 06-17-2003, 5:16 PM

Personally I don't even care to have wakeboarding at the X games. It's totally abused usually being held a week before the actual games and it never gets more then 10 mins of footage on TV, and good luck actually catching that 10 mins. I mean hell they show more rock climbing then they do wakeboarding, and I know theres more people interested in watching wakeboarding then rock climbing. I mean c'mon.

(wakeworld) · (wakeworld) **Join Date: Jan 1997** 06-17-2003, 5:32 PM

That brings up a good point. Why do you think they include wakeboarding in the X Games? It has to be one of the more expensive events to put on because it is usually off-site at a different time and involves a lot of equipment set up because it covers such a large area.

So it seems like they would be putting that money out there for a reason, such as grabbing a TV audience. However, wakeboarding barely gets any coverage on the X Games shows, especially the women.

In addition, it's probably the safest sport of all the X Games sports, so it could probably be considered the least "extreme" of the bunch. So they aren't including it for the danger factor.

To be honest, I can't figure out why it's even included. Any ideas?

(lmtwa) · (lmtwa) **Join Date: May 2001** 06-17-2003, 6:00 PM

WB certainly is more risky than rock climbing (at the XGames at least). And why they have street luge is beyond me... Talk about stupid (imho). I think I heard one competitor say he had trained for "several weeks" before entering...
And what happened to Irvine Lake?? Why do they always put it in some unrideable spot? Or is LB Marine Stadium a protected spot?

(socalwakepunk) · (socalwakepunk) **Join Date: Dec 2002** 06-17-2003, 6:06 PM

A few years back, Jeremy T. at California Correct Craft tried to put together a wakeboard comp. at LBMS, and was told no P/A system could be used (residential ordinance). I guess when ABC/ESPN $$$$ are behind it, things like this get overlooked.

(kristian) · (kristian) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 06-17-2003, 6:08 PM

I thought the stadium was really shalow. could be wrong. But I have to agree, Rock Climbing is definatly less risky than wakeboarding, as far as the x-games are concerned.

(socalwakepunk) · (socalwakepunk) **Join Date: Dec 2002** 06-17-2003, 6:52 PM

I heard that street luge is history.

(kristian) · (kristian) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 06-17-2003, 7:08 PM

yeah the street luge is gone. YAY!!!!!!!!

(Message edited by kristian on June 17, 2003)

gotpwr 06-17-2003, 7:15 PM

Thank God, I'm with Lloyd on that one. I never understood why street luge got 100 times the TV time than wakeboarding gets at the X-Games.

(detonate69) · (detonate69) **Join Date: Apr 2001** 06-18-2003, 9:14 AM

Maybe it doesn't get the TV exposure because it's not as extreme like dave said as some other sports. I mean I know why moto X gets so much coverage, because your on a motorcycle jumping 75' doing crazy stuff. Maybe if they put more sliders and such into the format it would be more appealing to the general public. Or maybe not even more sliders but more technical things, i.e. bigger. I think a D-UP contest would be great for the TV crowd. People just going out and hucking their biggest trick. I don't know maybe it's all for not but something needs to be done to either get more TV time, or just take it out of the X-games all together.

warlock00 06-18-2003, 10:12 AM

Do you think they will add wakeskating to the X-games someday?

snowdog 06-18-2003, 11:55 AM

Its just like 54321, they show 3 shots of wakeboarding in the opening sequence of every show, but refuse to feature wakeboarders on the shows! Corporate Media (Fox, Expn, etc.) is using the extreme image of wakeboarding to boost the appeal of their programs, but fail to give it the respect that it deserves!

I find it pathetic that media outlets dont recognize wakeboarding for the extreme acrobatic and athletic sport that it is! Speed climbers have skills, but when an wakeboarder is throwing down a whirly or 9 or something, now thats athletic!

IMO, Summer X-games should be FMX, Skate Bike & Blade (street and vert), Wakeboarding, and possibly speed climbing! Luge is cool, but not that extreme, same guys year after year.

(wakescene) · (wakescene) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 06-18-2003, 12:20 PM

Some of the best TV exposure that wakeboarding got was the Audi commercial. 30 seconds, and it still lives in my mind as the longest stretch of wakeboarding airtime on TV so far (sarcasm intended).

KG

warlock00 06-19-2003, 7:26 AM

Off the wall on Foxsports seems to show more wakeboarding than anything. Although I think it is put on by Vans so that would explain it.

(kristian) · (kristian) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 06-19-2003, 7:35 AM

I agree with "detonate69" definatly a D-up contest would be good.