Citizendia

The X Games logo
The X Games logo

The X Games is an annual event with a focus on extreme action sports. The Winter X Games are held in January or February and the Summer X Games are usually held in August. Competitors perform as best as they can trying to win bronze, silver and gold medals,and prize money. The competition often features new tricks such as Tony Hawk's "900" in skateboarding, and Travis Pastrana's double backflip in Motocross. Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968) is an American professional Skateboarder He is credited with being the first recorded skater to land the The 900 is a 25-revolution (900 degrees spin that is considered to be one of Skateboarding 's most difficult tricks because of the technical skill required to perform Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard. Travis Alan Pastrana (born October 8, 1983, in Annapolis, Maryland) is a Motorsports competitor who has won championships and Motocross is a form of Motorcycle sport or All-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed Off road circuits Concurrent with competition is the so-named X Fest—ultimate action sports and music festival, which offers live music, athlete autograph sessions, interactive elements. The location of the Winter X Games is in Aspen, Colorado through 2010, while the location for the Summer X Games is in Los Angeles through 2009. Aspens are Trees of the willow family and comprise a section of the Poplar genus Populus sect The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. The X Games also has international competitions and demos around the world that are held at varying times throughout the year. The games are shown live on ESPN and ABC television. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network.

Contents

Events

Current Summer X Games Sports

Overview

The Winter X Games is, as described by EXPN (2008), a competition compiled of the greatest winter action sport athletes from around the world, all competing for medals (gold, silver, bronze) and prize money on an annual basis. Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars The competition contains day and evening events including skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. The first Winter X Games took place at Mountain Resort in Big Bear Lake, California in 1997. The following two years, the Games were held at Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. The two years following that, the Games were held in Mount Snow, Vermont. And since 2002 the Winter X Games have been held at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, and according to ESPN they will continue to be held there through 2010.

Popular Participants

Some of the star participants who have participated in The Winter X Games:

Economics

The Winter X Games gained media exposure due to their big name sponsors and star-studded athletes. However, their marketing ideas add to that because of the number of fans who attend the actual events. As the Journal of Sport Management (2006) explains, Generation X and Generation Y are the two most highly valued by marketers. This creates a broad approach on marketing towards that certain demographic, which is why the Winter X Games' marketing and economic outlook is so “out of the box”. According to EXPN (2008); The Winter X Games inaugural year, 1997, was televised to 198 countries and 38,000 spectators attended the actual four day event. In 1998, the attendance dropped to 25,000 spectators. But just two years later, a record attendance of 83,500 people attended the Winter X Games’ east coast debut. The Games continue to grow thanks to certain marketing plans such as The Interactive Village, Musical Line-Ups, and the Snowskate Park.

The Interactive Village

The Interactive Village is described by EXPN (2008) as the designated Official Winter X Games Sponsor Booth area. It is usually located by the main entrance of the event and it offers fun activities for all attending fans. Some activities include scheduled autograph signings, giveaways for spectators, climbing walls, video game experiences, and the chance to try new and upcoming products that are presented by sponsors.

Snowskate Park

The Snowskate Park is an actual layout provided by the Winter X Games sponsors in order to provide real-life interaction for all spectators. The Snowskate Park posts a schedule so that fans can enter the park in order to “play” around or show off their skills. The schedule usually includes: Open Park for the Public, Invitational Practices, Special Kids Events, Experienced Snowskate Sessions, and Competitive Sledding.

Merchandise

All Winter X Games merchandise can be found and purchased commonly on the number of X Games Gear websites. And, since the X Games are an ESPN event, all merchandise can be found on the popular ESPN Shop website.

Musical Performances

Throughout the Winter X Games, live music line-ups are prepared in order to give fans the non-stop action that they came to see. Some performing music acts are up-and-coming bands/artists that are looking for serious exposure, but well-known talents perform at the Games as well. DJs are a fixed piece of the X Games, you can find them spinning the tracks during each athletes run.

X Games Going “Green”

The X Games has a successful program, X Games Environmentality (XGE),that focuses on reducing waste through recycling and compositing greenhouse gas emissions through the use of alternative fuels. Disney (2008) explains that the X Games use bio diesel fuel, bio fuel-powered RFTA shuttles, and 100% post-consumer recycled paper. In 2006, nearly 70% of event waste was diverted from Aspen-area landfills to be processed at specialized facilities. The X Games work to beat the record each and every year. Educational outreach for fans, staff and vendors will include opportunities to contribute to XGE’s efforts.

“Get Caught Recycling”

“Get Caught Recycling” is a program created by the XGE in order to encourage recycling. Environmentality (2008) explains that the program works as follows: Fans who get caught recycling during the Games will be rewarded with tokens that they can redeem for valuable prizes at the TRASHed Recycling Store. The program produces solid results with voluntary recycling by fans in exchange for fun, environmentally-friendly prizes

Showing the Proof

Thanks to the X Games and their continuous efforts on improving the environment, it is difficult for the results to go unnoticed. Habitat protection and enhancement, energy and water efficiency, green development, waste management, recycling, and alternative transportation are what have help to elevate Aspen Ski Company to serve as the country’s Green Leader in the mountain resort industry; all thanks to XGE.

Growth

The Winter X Games are the leading winter action sports competition and tour in the whole world, and the Games’ growth is well documented by EXPN (2008). The ratings, attendance, and participation have continued to grow over the years. In the Games’ first year, 1997, the actual attendance of the event was about 38,000 people. In 1998 the attendance dropped to about 25,000 people with the Games’ move to Crested Butte, but new sports were introduced including free skiing, SnoCross, and SkiBoarding. Women’s Free Skiing was introduced a year later and attendance showed an increase at its second stay at Crested Butte. A year later, the Games moved to the east coast for the first time and recorded a record attendance of 83,500 people in Vermont. Also in 2000, the Games added the Snowboard SuperPipe event. Again in Vermont in 2001, the Games posted another great fan turnout along with the addition of the Moto X Big Air event.

Publication

Winter X Games VIII in 2004 marked the first time that an X Games event was televised live and also featured coverage by ESPN's flagship news program, Sports Center. Viewership across the three networks that carried coverage of the event - ABC Sports, ESPN and ESPN2 – exceeded last year's household average by 30% according to Nielsen Media Research. The event also reached record highs in several major demographic categories. To accommodate the first-time live coverage, nighttime competitions were added, resulting in record attendance for the Aspen/Snowmass venue.

Winter X Games 2002

The 2002 Winter X Games were a huge year for ESPN and the X Games. It was the first year that the games were held in Aspen Colorado at Buttermilk Mountain. The Games continued to added new events including the Ski Slopestyle event and the Ski SuperPipe event. The most memorable incident of the 2002 Games was when the entire 2002 U. S. Olympic Freestyle Snowboarding Team showed up to compete in the Winter X Snowboard SuperPipe event, just weeks prior to the Salt Lake City Olympics. Also in 2002, ESPN announced the establishment of the X Games Global Championship. The Global Championship featured two distinct venues hosting competitions in summer and winter action sports simultaneously. It consisted of six teams of the World’s top athletes, grouped together by their region of origin, to compete in the four day event. The winter sports were held in Whistler Blackcomb Resort in British Columbia, and the events included snowboarding and skiing.

Growth, Post 2002

In 2003, the Games were broadcasted live for the first time on three separate channels. The Games were still being held in Aspen and it was in this year that the new events, Moto X Ski, Snowboard, and Snowmobile were introduced. As attendance continued to soar, the Games saw a record-high attendance in Aspen with 69,750 people. In 2006, the Winter X Games introduced the Snowmobile Freestyle event along with the first ever disabled discipline, Mono Skier X. The Snowboarding Department added the ever-popular Snowboard Best Trick Showdown in 2006 as well. 2007 was another record breaking year for the Games, this time it topped the old Aspen attendance record with 76,150 people. The Winter X Games that year were broadcasted on ESPN and NBC along with television, internet, and iPod live streams. In 2008 the Winter X Games enhanced their coverage on ESPN and continued to add new disciplines. This time it was the addition of Snowmobile Speed & Style, Skiing Big Air, and the Snowboard Big Air that tried to attract more viewers and fans.

"Big Air"

Big Air contests have also been added to the Winter X pillars of Skiing and Snowboard. Featuring only four competitors in each contest, the scoring of every run will be fan interactive: 50% of each competitor's score will come from live fan text voting and the second half will be judged by the analysts calling the competitions live on TV. The fan text voting really gives fans a chance to interact and be a part of the scoring of the event. It was first introduced during the summer games for the skateboarding event.

Volunteers

ESPN Event Media (2008) states that all volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, commit to at least two days, and attend orientation. The X Games provide free gifts, snacks, meals, refreshments, and raffles for their volunteers.

Current Winter X Games Sports

Snocross at the 2007 Winter X Games
Snocross at the 2007 Winter X Games

Defunct events

Summer X Games events


Winter X Games events

History

Summarized from EXPN.com

Summer X Games


Winter X Games

X-Games Global Championships

Main article: X-Games Global Championships

From May 16 up until May 18, 2003, the X-Games held a special event called the Global Championships, where 6 continents competed in 11 disciplines. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. Mount Snow is a mountain and Ski area in southern Vermont located in the Green Mountains. The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United Winter X Games IX were held from January 29, 2005 to February 1, 2005 in Aspen, Colorado. Winter X Games XI were held from January 25, 2007 to January 28, 2007 in Aspen, Colorado. Winter X Games XII were held from January 24 to January 27 2008 in Aspen, Colorado. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The event was held in two locations, the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (where 7 of the events, including In-line skating, Skateboarding, BMX and Freestyle Motocross, were held), as well as in Whistler, British Columbia (where the Superpipe events for Snowboarding and skiing took place). The Alamodome is a 65000 seat multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football /basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas Whistler is a Resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a Snow -covered slope on a Snowboard attached to a participant's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment

The final team results were:

Position Team/Continent Overall Points
1 USA 196
2 Europe 167
3 Australia 142
4 Canada 132
5 Asia 122
6 South America 70

References

1. ) http://expn.go.com/expn/feature?id=3190295

2. ) http://disney.go.com/environmentality/xgames/winterxgames12/

3. ) http://expn.go.com/xgames/wxg/2001/s/history.html

4. ) http://skateboard.about.com/cs/events/a/XGamesHistory.htm

5. ) http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC030417/html/xgameshistory.html

6. ) http://expn.go.com/teasma/2002/s/skierte.html

7. ) http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_735.htm

8. ) http://www.shaunwhite.com/

9. ) http://www.espneventmedia.com/pdf/SpectatorInformation.pdf?eventmedia_session=b5e3ba113

10. ) http://www.aspensnowmass.com/travelinfo/events/detail.cfm?&eventID=9

11. ) Beal, Becky. "Disqualifying the Official: an Exploration of Social Resistance Through the Subculture of Skateboarding. " Sociology of Sport Journal (1995): 252-267. Sport Discus. 26 February 2008.

12. ) "Media Preferences of Generation X and Y. " Journal of Sport Management 20 (2006): 573. Sport Discus. 2 March 2008.

13. ) http://www.planetaexpn.com.br

See also

External links

X Games [Brazil] *[1]

AST Dew Tour is a balarina sports tour that consists of five major multi-sport events spanning across the country with a cumulative points system a $2 The Extremity Games is a Multi-sport, Action sports competition similar to the X Games, for athletes with amputations and limb differences Velocity Games is an internationally-recognized action sports event founded in Texas in 2003 and considered "the most publicized windsports event in the nation" Gravity Games is a multi-sport competition originating from Providence Rhode Island that is broken down into Winter and Summer adaptations
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org