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."
Chris Stiepock, X Games general manager, defended the effort that went into building the course and pointed out it is mostly vert skaters and vert BMX riders complaining.
He added it is impossible to please everyone -- especially skateboarders -- and that, sure, in this tough economic time, money is an issue.
Of X Games athletes Stiepock said, "They don't care what things cost. They don't want to hear about it. They just want to have things pristine and glorious when they come here."
I've been getting the feeling that the skateboarders have been increasingly getting the shaft by ESPN.
Last night during the vert contest ESPN changed the channel that it was broadcasting on during Burnquist's run. Now I know that they had other programs run long and they were correcting the scheduling problem that that created. Still they could have waited until there was a break in the action to make the switch. As it is I missed two skaters runs while changing channels to keep up with the action. I was a bit angry to say the least.
I've been getting the feeling that the skateboarders have been increasingly getting the shaft by ESPN.
Last night during the vert contest ESPN changed the channel that it was broadcasting on during Burnquist's run. Now I know that they had other programs run long and they were correcting the scheduling problem that that created. Still they could have waited until there was a break in the action to make the switch. As it is I missed two skaters runs while changing channels to keep up with the action. I was a bit angry to say the least.
Ive missed more runs due to bad camera angles, panning to spectators, and commercial breaks! (Not to mention Channel Changes)
Truly, ESPN action sports need to learn what a TV timeout is!
Oh, and they better televise the Superpark Legends comp!
I've been pretty let down by x games this year. It seems like the motor sports community has taken over the games. There were like seven moto events that all got full coverage, meanwhile they only showed the very tail end of skate street and superpark (which was lame anyway) had like 5 min of commercials during the 10 min jam sessions. I thought Tony Trujillo's performance was pretty cool though. It probably would have been a lot more impressive had the course not been the size of a bath tub.
I've been pretty let down by x games this year. It seems like the motor sports community has taken over the games. There were like seven moto events that all got full coverage, meanwhile they only showed the very tail end of skate street and superpark (which was lame anyway) had like 5 min of commercials during the 10 min jam sessions. I thought Tony Trujillo's performance was pretty cool though. It probably would have been a lot more impressive had the course not been the size of a bath tub.
i agree. ###### motors are weak. the mega ramp was way more impressive than the ###### best trick thing the moto guys were doing.
__________________
[worldridr768] 10:33 pm: yo there was this kid named ryan, aka tha dagga
[worldridr768] 10:33 pm: walked around, talkin and walkin witha stagga
[worldridr768] 10:33 pm: thought he was ill #### harshin on some bitch's perk
[worldridr768] 10:33 pm: just to say "beat it, ya val jerk
I have to say as lame as the "super" park was it was a hell of a lot more exciting than the piece of #### moto cross racing. Men's and Women's? How much motor cycle racing do we really need. I'm okay with the freestyle moto cross, but if there is going to be racing atleast bring back luge and speedboarding.
my only complaint about superpark was that i didnt get to skate it it looked super fun but i agree with benito and id like to be able to watch speedboarding on a chanel other than telemundo.
I liked how tight the course was, a little more bowl/poolish, and it was tight like what i skate on a regular basis.
as for xgames loosing its roots. what the hell is motor cross doing in that... they already have their own events.. and that has nothing to do with xgames.
IMO there should be no motor sports at all in the xgames. I enjoy the rally racing, but why is that in the xgames? Are we going to get stock car racing in the xgames next?
It should be Skate, surf, bike, and that’s it. It is only different from that because they are trying to make more money, which they are a business, not a charity, so that is their job, to make money, but still, I wish it were true to the spirit of the contest, but its not even close any more, just sucks. Though, here is an idea for a new event. Pool skating, build an actual kidney pool, and that’s it.. that would be rad.
I would love to see dh skating back in it, and to be honest, I think we will see that in the next few years with how the popularity has grown, and the rule changes since it was last in with being able to put hands down.
Anyway, I watched about 15 minutes of it this year and saw everything that I wanted to see, saw the big air, and the super park, just about everything else seems like a waist of time now, and I try not to see any motor cycles, cause that just makes me mad
superpark complaints ?
