FAO Tombs re skicross thing at the olly impics

It isn't a new thing, at all.

I'd always found skiing dull, probably because I've never done any - I bet it's brilliant fun. But as a spectator sport, I always found it lacking. i used to say "That'll only be good to watch if they send them all down at the same time".

So anyway, imagine my delight at discovering, in 1994, the Winter X Games where they did precisely that. Also they did insane things racing snowbuggies over jumps - I have video of someone getting a snowbuggy full tilt on the back of his napper, and walking away in decent (if shaken) shape.

Then along came the Summer X Games, and they were brilliant too. BMX bike tricks on a half-pipe! I had found my perfect spectator games.

Sadly the telly merchandisers got hold of both, and a scant few years later everyone in the coverage was wearing sponsored gear and we were getting replays from 16 angles of the superstars, while the blokes doing ski jumping in dress suits, and the guys who'd rather do an extravagant trick on a snowboard than qualify for the next round, went sadly unseen.

A lot of you are going to disagree with me, but I loved those early X Games where competition came second to style.

Sigh.

Posted By: Sugbad The Bad, Mar 1, 18:35:33