The Long Emergency in the Short Term

Yesterday I came across this TED talk by James Kunstler and it struck up a memory of a Freakonomics quorum on the future of the suburbs. Kunstler, the Lewis Black of urban design, can be depressingly pessimistic but I am sympathetic with much of his analysis. His 2009 outlook is so dire he makes Nouriel Roubini look like Ben Stein.

I have always had a hard time understanding the parameters economic growth and Kunstler has a good case for contraction, however apocalyptic it may sound. I do not share his level of anxiety but it is surely something to consider in such tumultuous times.

Playing Communist

Stephen Marche over at Esquire offers some analysis of modern America’s fascination with socialist aesthetics. He cites Shepard Fairey’s Obama image as the most recent incarnation of pseudo socialistic sympathies hitting the mainstream. For generation Y it truly has been hip to seem red. In my early teens I rocked my Che emblazoned Rage Against the Machine t-shirt religiously and talked trash about NAFTA but I was just about as subversive as my Abercrombie dudded compadres. It will be interesting to see if this trend stays alive as the gap between the Cold War and the present widens.

X-Games Homerism

Capping off perhaps the most controversial event in X-Games history Simon Dumont took home the gold medal in ski big air, topping Jon Olsson’s switch kangaroo flip with his own double front flip. This comes on the heels of Friday’s bungled snowboard big air in which Travis Rice snagged gold despite reverting each time on his signature Double Cork 1080. Conspiracy!!! Corruption!!! Sadly neither can be blamed for the state of affairs at the 2009 Winter X big air.

This year ESPN decided to throw a bone to the spectators and let them determine the winner of the head to head big air match ups by texting in the initials of their preferred aeronautical maneuverist. In theory this idea has a lot of merit. Big air has long been unrivaled in its ability to draw crowds until the recent surge in halfpipe attendance. (I have no figures to back this up but my eyeballs tell me its true.) Why not let big air go to the dogs? Slap a wireless title sponsorship on the event for increased revenue and provide an avenue for fans to interact with the brand. (Wait, Winter X- did this without even having a wireless associate sponsor, D’oh) If anything it should create some drama and unpredictability.

After two nights letting the crowd judge it turns out that nothing could have been more predictable. In both events Americans (Dumont, Rice) advanced through semis and finals over foreigners (Olsson a Swede, and Norsemen P.K. Hunder, Torstein Horgmo, and Andreas Wiig) who had clearly executed better jumps. Dumont’s double front layout, while impressive, could not hold a candle in difficulty to Olsson’s switch kangaroo or Hunder’s switch double cork 1260. In Rice’s case the issue wasn’t difficulty but simply that he scrubbed the landing on his dub cork 1080 while Wiig and Horgmo each threw near flawless switch backside 1260’s.

Ordinarily I am not one to get fussy about judging. It is always subjective and almost antithetical to the underlying spirit of these sports. However, with only one medal being awarded for each big air discipline valued at $30,000 it betrays my sense of justice to turn a blind eye to this issue. During Friday’s semifinals Wiig egregiously could only muster 8% of the vote in his matchup with Rice. Leaving judging to a fan base that is so clearly lacking knowledge on the intricacies of these sports makes the event into a popularity contest.

Now that the athletes have a better understanding of the fan judging aspect, maybe it would be better to retain the format for somewhat of a mockery competition. (Calling Tom Dolezel and Rory Bushfield) As my sister said it could be the People’s Choice awards to the X-Games Oscars.

Nevertheless, the American/foreigner dynamic troubles me such that I think ESPN should scrap the text judging. There should be no place in sport for this type of bias.

Loathing in Aspen

As the Winter X-Games coverage kicks off this evening the ink has yet to dry on an agreement to keep the event in Aspen for three more years. Announced yesterday, the contract cements an eleven-year stay for the ESPN property in the home of the Freak Power movement. The length of this partnership signifies that ESPN is incredibly comfortable with what Aspen has to offer. After attending the 2005 event I can vouch for the resort’s strengths. A single dedicated venue for all events, a large hotel capacity, vibrant nightlife, and a local airport are all valuable assets.

In spite of its past success, the stability that ESPN has found in Aspen is actually diluting the X-Games brand. Part of the appeal of premier events such as the Olympics and the Super Bowl is that the host city offers a little local flavor to the event. Staying in Aspen for the past eight years has made winter sports taste a little vanilla. The world of winter sports has so much more to offer. Whistler, Mammoth, Park City, and Tremblant would all be excellent host resorts. ESPN is losing potential to build the X-Games brand for the sake of the Aspen’s convenience.

ESPN reports that attendance has doubled since first coming to Aspen 2002 and that last year’s viewership grew 17% from 2007. What was Aspen’s role in this growth? Would the X-Games have struggled at another resort? Can the success be attributed to the growing viability of action sports as a whole? As encouraging as the numbers are I am positive that there is at least one viewer who is becoming disillusioned with the brand. While I’m at it, the Summer X-Games need to get out of L.A. for a bit. Philly was a great host city. How about Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, or Toronto?

Ready, Set, Biography!

On the eve of Obama’s inauguration I would like to post this piece by David Maraniss. Maraniss is among the plethora of authors who have declared they are writing Obama books in the coming years. This process will likely descend into a rat race, but I am eagerly awaiting Maraniss' (Clemente) and David Remnick’s (King of the World) respective offerings. Other notable names taking on this monumental charge include Time’s Mark Halperin, the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza, and Newsweek’s Richard Wolffe.

G'd Up From The Feet Up

As reported in Sports Business Journal this past Monday, Gatorade has stepped on to the actions sports scene by signing skateboarder Chaz Ortiz, BMX rider Nigel Sylvester, and snowboarder Ellery Hollingsworth. This may be just the beginning for the Pepsi Co. Brand. 5ones brings us the following “Whats’s G?” video that features snowboarding legend Terje Haakonsen. (.22 in sandwiched between Basketball icons John Wooden and Jason McElwain) Word on the interweb is that the announcement of Terje’s signing is being delayed until around the Super Bowl to provide Gatorade with a double shot of coverage.



It is always nice to see more investment in the industry but this particular entry is encouraging because Gatorade appears to be a company that understands the action sports dynamic. Ortiz won the 2008 Summer Dew Cup just one year after conquering the Dew’s amateur Free Flow Tour. Sylvester is a charismatic dude who appears to have the business savvy and passion to reach outside the core demographic. He just received a signature frame from Mirraco and continues to throw down on the street scene. Hollingsworth hails from the hallowed halls of Stratton Mountain School. If her third place showing at this past summer’s New Zealand Open is any indication, she is poised to follow in the tracks of SMS alumni Lindsey Jacobellis and Ross Powers.

It is of note that Gatorade is receiving consultation from the Fuse Marketing agency. Fuse, a longtime accomplice of Mountain Dew, has recently orchestrated the rebranding of Eastern Mountain Sports, Converse, and New Balance toward the action sports set. I personally think that EMS and Converse are both resounding success stories. The New Balance campaign leaves me a little skeptical but otherwise I am a huge fan of Fuse’ work. It will be interesting to see what athletes and properties Gatorade chooses to align themselves with in the coming year.