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X Games: Skateboarding, ESPN, Summer And Winter X Games
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Published: November 14, 2006
For years, young men and women with a passion for action sports had to practice and compete in parks or homemade arenas. Skateboarders and those with a knack for bike tricks perfected their crafts without formal recognition. That is, until one man changed everything.
In 1993, Ron Semiao, Director of Programming for ESPN, began playing with the concept of a formal competition for athletes from alternative, or extreme, sports.
It took a couple of years of careful planning, but 1995 marked ESPN’s first Extreme Games, better known as the X Games.
The first X Games took place in Mount Snow, Vt., during late June and early July of 1995. For the launch of a new—and different—sports competition, initial spectator turnout was not bad; attendance reached around 198,000. ESPN saw promise in the newly-created X Games and sponsored them again a year later.
The 1996 X Games were even more successful, with a larger spectator turnout. Continuing to expand the games, ESPN decided to include more extreme sports with the creation of the Winter X Games. The first winter games were held in Big Bear Lake, Calif., in 1997.
Steadily, spectator turnout increased over the years, with 221,000 in 1997, 233,000 in 1998 and 275,000 in 1999. While the turnout for the Winter Games has not been quite as promising as its summer counterpart, the games themselves remain just as exciting with competitions in snowmobiling, snowboarding and ski slopestyle.
Summer X Games include events in the Bike Stunts, Speed Climb, Moto X Freestyle, Wakeboard, Skateboard Street, Aggressive In-line Skate, Moto X and Downhill BMX categories.
Aside from the games themselves, extreme sports fans have plenty of other X Games-related events to enjoy. For example, the X Trials are qualifying events leading up to the X Games. ESPN has also developed an X Games Road Show, a two-day interactive exposition traveling across the United States. Enthusiasts also can enjoy Xperience, an X Games promotional tour. On an international level, the X Games hosts competitions all over the world.
Perhaps one of the highlight events of the X Games is X Fest, the ultimate action sports and music festival complete with live music, athlete autograph sessions, interactive elements, a mini skate park and BMX park, demos and more. What more could an extreme sports fan want?
Though less than 20 years old, the X Games have done much to popularize extreme sports for a mainstream audience. Fans can look forward to more annual Games in the years to come: the X Games are set to take place in Los Angeles through 2009, and the Winter X Games are scheduled for Aspen through 2010.
Sources:
X Games. Wikipedia. 2006. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 2 Nov 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Games>.
X Games History. 2006. XTREME SPORTS CENTER. 2 Nov 2006 <http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC030417/html/xgameshist ory.html>.
In 1993, Ron Semiao, Director of Programming for ESPN, began playing with the concept of a formal competition for athletes from alternative, or extreme, sports.
Related Articles
The first X Games took place in Mount Snow, Vt., during late June and early July of 1995. For the launch of a new—and different—sports competition, initial spectator turnout was not bad; attendance reached around 198,000. ESPN saw promise in the newly-created X Games and sponsored them again a year later.
The 1996 X Games were even more successful, with a larger spectator turnout. Continuing to expand the games, ESPN decided to include more extreme sports with the creation of the Winter X Games. The first winter games were held in Big Bear Lake, Calif., in 1997.
Steadily, spectator turnout increased over the years, with 221,000 in 1997, 233,000 in 1998 and 275,000 in 1999. While the turnout for the Winter Games has not been quite as promising as its summer counterpart, the games themselves remain just as exciting with competitions in snowmobiling, snowboarding and ski slopestyle.
Summer X Games include events in the Bike Stunts, Speed Climb, Moto X Freestyle, Wakeboard, Skateboard Street, Aggressive In-line Skate, Moto X and Downhill BMX categories.
Aside from the games themselves, extreme sports fans have plenty of other X Games-related events to enjoy. For example, the X Trials are qualifying events leading up to the X Games. ESPN has also developed an X Games Road Show, a two-day interactive exposition traveling across the United States. Enthusiasts also can enjoy Xperience, an X Games promotional tour. On an international level, the X Games hosts competitions all over the world.
Perhaps one of the highlight events of the X Games is X Fest, the ultimate action sports and music festival complete with live music, athlete autograph sessions, interactive elements, a mini skate park and BMX park, demos and more. What more could an extreme sports fan want?
Though less than 20 years old, the X Games have done much to popularize extreme sports for a mainstream audience. Fans can look forward to more annual Games in the years to come: the X Games are set to take place in Los Angeles through 2009, and the Winter X Games are scheduled for Aspen through 2010.
Sources:
X Games. Wikipedia. 2006. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 2 Nov 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Games>.
X Games History. 2006. XTREME SPORTS CENTER. 2 Nov 2006 <http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC030417/html/xgameshist ory.html>.
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