yoink 321 #1 February 12, 2004 OK... after reading numerous threads about skydiving involvement in the X-games, I think it's worth another go... After watching some programmes on the X-games tonight, I think skydiving should be involved. What I need to know is; Should we be involved? Have you got any experience of this sort of thing before? What can you offer the X-games? (Swooping / FF / FS etc ) What would be the best way of presenting skydiving to the masses? I think we all realise that freefall is boring to the whuffo masses... how can we alter this? (all opinions are welcome) I'm going to cross post this to Talk Back, and if I get enough interest, I'll contact the organisers of the X-games, stating our case. If anyone has already done this, please let me know by the 21/2/04. This will be when I call the organisers... I've been involved with organising UK-wide events for the BCPA events for the last year and a half. I'd really like to see skydiving become commonplace on TV, but we have to offer the distributors a serious event. Would you be interested? If any very experienced skydivers would like to help, to lend creedance to my case, please post hereMany thanks Will PS: Feel free to tell me that I'm way out of my league Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #2 February 12, 2004 I think Swooping is going to have the most visual appeal for a ground-bound audience. It will also be the easiest for them to understand.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsbbreck 0 #3 February 12, 2004 I agree, swooping would be the best for spectators. I'd contact someone with the Pro Swooping tour for more information.David "Socrates wasn't killed because he had the answer.......he was killed because he asked the question." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnny1488 1 #4 February 12, 2004 I spoke with Jim Slaton (PST) about this when I was out at Perris. He said in order to be marketable, there has to be a rock solid way of rating competitors. Someone like the xgames would want the top 20 (or whatever) and you can tjust hand them 20 good swoopers. They want proof of numbers that they can sell to an audience. Plus with almost every other event in the xgames, a kid can go out and emulate what they see on tv. BMX, motocross, surfing, skateboarding ect. Swooping works good as a quick attention getter, but I wonder how it will hold the attention of an audience (ie kids and young adults) who if they ever expierence skydiving, will probably be only once and will not be swooping. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #5 February 12, 2004 Don't. The eXtreme thing is for lame donkeys."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #6 February 12, 2004 Didn't they used to have SkySurfing on the XGames back in the 90s? The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #7 February 12, 2004 QuoteDon't. The eXtreme thing is for lame donkeys. Voice of reason. www.WingsuitPhotos.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerryfuss 0 #8 February 12, 2004 I think quite a bit was said here http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=906597;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread only a few days ago. Are you sying you read through this and are looking for more imput? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yoink 321 #9 February 12, 2004 I've read most of the posts on skydiving involvement in the X-games before posting this one. I did so firstly because most of the other threads seem to lose focus after a while (hence the directly answerable questions in this one) and secondly because I would like more input, not on whether it should be involved, but how we can get it involved. It's that distinction that I didn't explain in my first post. As has been stated on all previous threads on the subject, is that there is a problem with merchandising our sport and the costs involved in getting into it etc. I do not propose to start up that debate again... instead I've been looking at it from the other way round. What can we offer them? How can we make it more spectator friendly? How can we sell ourselves to the public. There will always be those who don't wnat skydiving to be involved in the X-games, either for safety reasons or for the stigma attached to the extreme sports label. Both are valid arguments, but instead of saying 'we can't'... I'd like to try and say 'how can we...' This is where any help would be invaluable. Will Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #10 February 12, 2004 Screw the X-Games, I'd like to see Swooping in the Olympics. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samhussey 0 #11 February 12, 2004 Olympic skydiving, thats a cool idea... Hell they've got rhythmic gymnastics and stuff like that, so why not? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickfri59 0 #12 February 12, 2004 Is subjecting a competitor to inherent physical peril a requisite for an activity to be considered "X"? If not, how about some Tunnel competition? I saw some Tunnel promotional video this past weekend of Freefly and RW that would get plenty of wow from whuffos. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #13 February 12, 2004 QuoteWhat can we offer them? Hey, if you want to suck up to Mt. Dew and the eXXXtreme douche-bags involved in that marketing event, then have at it. A dropzone here or there might even get a tandem customer out of it. Understand that those games are a marketing venture pursuing the pimply faced male 10-18 age bracket. This is done by showing these events (agressive inline skating?) on ESPN with many pimply faced 10-18 year olds (PF1018YO's) crowded around. Now, this PF1018YO sees this on TV and says, "Cool, I'm like that. That's how I roll." Then he gets his can of mountain dew, gets on his bike and goes and jumps curbs. Marketing complete. This can't be done with skydiving because that kid can't go try the skydive tricks he saw on eXpn. He cannot empathize with the skydiver and their event because he cannot be involved. So, he won't buy mountain dew."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rudderow 2 #14 February 12, 2004 *** This can't be done with skydiving because that kid can't go try the skydive tricks he saw on eXpn. He cannot empathize with the skydiver and their event because he cannot be involved. So, he won't buy mountain dew. *** end of sentence period. won't ever happen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJohnson 0 #15 February 12, 2004 I predicted a while back that tunnels would be replacing skydiving just due to the spectator aspect. Couple that with less equipment to buy, less risk, less insurance....Soon tunnel competitions are going happen and eXpn will no doubt be there. Skydiving might always be there but I think tunnels are going to take a big chunk of it.JJ "Call me Darth Balls" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r2hubert 0 #16 February 12, 2004 Headdown racing! -- Renaud SMA #9 "Mind is like parachute. It only functions when it's open." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyRamone 0 #17 February 12, 2004 Didn't they used to have SkySurfing on the XGames back in the 90s? *** They had skysurfing in the 2000 xgames...I sponsored Keith Snyder and Rook Nelson. That was the last year skysurfing was in the games. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
