http://www.latimes.com/theguide/outd...,3379312.story
Skateboarders not happy with superpark course or vert ramp
Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times
ESPN brought in a BMX ramp builder, who is criticized for making the course small and the transitions tight.
By Lucas Shaw, Special to The Times
August 2, 2008
After going mega in 2007, the X Games opted for mini in 2008.
With ratings in the skateboard vert event falling, ESPN has been trying to bring exciting new events to skateboarding. Last year, the mega-ramp was staged for the fourth time and continued to gain in popularity.
"It was probably one of the most exciting skateboarding events ever," pro Rune Glifberg said.
This year, ESPN wanted to cancel the vert in favor of a superpark event, but most of the skaters opposed the idea. ESPN decided to have both events. Much to the chagrin of the skaters, a BMX ramp builder designed the park. The result, according to Glifberg, was a "half-assed superpark and a half-assed vert ramp."
Yet the first casualties of the park can be seen not in skateboarding but in Friday's BMX freestyle superpark elimination.
Despite owning more than 50 X Games medals between them, Dave Mirra, Chad Kagy, Ryan Nyquist and Jamie Bestwick failed to qualify for the finals.
Mirra, who holds more X Games medals than any other athlete, specializes in the park event.
"We tried but ESPN wouldn't listen to anything we said so they went ahead to have a BMX ramp builder design and build the thing," Glifberg said. "It just doesn't work for skateboarding and I hear the BMXers aren't too happy about it either."
Traditionally, ESPN brings its athletes in to make suggestions about courses and competitions. According to both Glifberg and Bucky Lasek, ESPN refused to listen this year.
"It all comes down to the mighty dollar," Lasek said. "I think what we wanted to build was too much money and they saw how bad the contest went last year because of the format and they felt like they didn't want to blow their wad on something like that."
Complaints about the park range from its small size to its poor banks and transitions.
"I think it's pretty terrible," Glifberg said. "It's built like [expletive] basically. The guy that built it needs to be fired."
As ESPN brings in more events and achieves higher ratings, problems such as the park leave some feeling that the network has lost touch with the event's roots -- board-based events.
"We have some say but this year they kinda stuck it to us," Lasek said.
Shaun White, last year's gold medalist in the vert, felt that eventually ESPN would get it right.
"It is a little small and the transitions are a little tight," he said. "I think with anything it's in its first year. You can tell that. I'm hoping that it goes well and they make really amazing changes for next year."