Finding
the Spirit
Behind The X Games
Imagine
sitting next to Tony Hawk while watching Bob Burnquist pull a fakie
5-0 to kickflip at the Vert Best Trick contest, or even hearing
the deafening roar of the capacity crowd as 17 year old Travis Pastrana
attempts a first ever backflip on a motorcycle.
These
are just a few of the hundreds of exciting moments that couldn't
be enjoyed by watching the games on television. For the third
season in a row, I was able to lead a small press team to cover
the X Games for my Internet company and other correspondent portals.
Armed with a Canon XL-1 digital video camera, I headed to San Francisco
to go behind the scenes to capture the stories of the athletes that
didn't get shown on ESPN's worldwide TV coverage.
When
I arrived to the X Games, there were thousands of people in a two-mile
long line outside the complex waiting to enter. They had been waiting
for hours, but seemed in good spirits and willing to wait. Fortunately,
as a reporter I had full media credentials, so with a flash of our
press credentials to security guards, our team was ready to get
to work.
Inside, the event could have been mistaken for a sold out N'Sync
or Britney Spears concert, considering the amount of pre-pubescent
little kids and their parents. People from all walks of life
were there to enjoy the games, from fans with purple hair, nose
rings and tattoos to people with skateboards strapped to their backpacks
to clean-cut young professional types.
The
event seemed less of an alternative sports event than a typical
pro basketball game, with huge corporate sponsors such as Taco Bell
and Mountain Dew. You couldn't help but notice the constant
advertisements for these billion dollar companies in this made for
TV event. Later, I would have nightmares of chihuahuas, soda,
and that annoying 1-800-CALL-ATT guy.
With
the intent of bringing back some exclusive footage and interviews,
I went behind the scenes and ESPN TV cameras and into the athlete
areas. Considering the amount of money and exposure the athletes
receive from the X Games, I was under the impression that there
would be much tension and competition among the athletes.
To
my amazement, I found that there was more camaraderie here than
that of a pro football team. Although the X Games offered
$1 million in prize money, with $10,000 dollars on the line for
the Vert Best Trick contest, each competitor was actually rooting
each other on to achieve their best. It was great to see that
no matter how much money or prestige was at stake, the true grass-roots
essence of the sport itself could actually still be alive and well,
if not on TV, but definitely in person.
It
was interesting how a venue such as the X Games can bring new life
and interest into sports such as freestyle motocross and skateboarding
which previously have had little mainstream exposure.
 Although
some core sports critics believe the X Games have sold out by commercializing
the "extreme" sports lifestyle, it is an amazing achievement to
have introduced millions of people to a whole new sports culture
that had been previously ignored by the media. Many athletes
like Tony Hawk have been turned into media superstars, a fame that
may never have been achieved without the big commercial push of
television.
- AC Team's Mike Kai
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More related articles:
Brothers take Gold and Silver at the 2000 X
Games
Related links:
www.goodskates.com (Japanese)
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