LOS ANGELES (AP) Hip skaters and bikers met out-of-touch ESPN executives for the first time in Rhode Island in 1995. For a number of the athletes, the made-for-TV Extreme Games that resulted seemed like a busted blind date.
``I showed up and they had this massive street course ... painted teal blue with pink swirls on the ramps. And I was like 'These guys have no idea what they're doing,''' said skateboarder Andy Macdonald.
The studied individualism and low-key cool of the alternative sport lifestyle had been thrown into competition alongside such spectacles as bungee jumping and speed climbing. Everything was far too ``extreme.'' Athletes complained that rivalries were overhyped.
``It built a bridge from our backyard ramp to the living rooms of millions,'' said Mat Hoffman, who won the contest's first BMX vert championship. ``But they didn't know exactly the difference of the culture of our sports versus traditional sports.''
The rift has largely healed over the years as the network has reached out to athletes, pared some sports and even shortened the competition name to X Games.
But now a few are wary of the latest step in the made-for-TV production of their sports heavily structured live broadcasts. For the first time, ESPN and ABC will air 14 hours of live programming from the tenth X Games, which began Thursday in Los Angeles.
``We're not very choreographed people, so it's tough to do it,'' said motocross rider Travis Pastrana.
Pastrana, 20, had never lost a motocross freestyle contest until last year's Gravity Games, which were broadcast live on NBC. He said restrictions imposed by the broadcaster partially threw off his routine.
``Live television is tough for us, because we normally do a warm-up lap, we come up to the line and then we're amped, we're ready to go,'' said Pastrana, the returning Moto X freestyle champion. ``But on live TV, not only are you nervous ... you're not getting the juices flowing and then when you want to go, you can't.''
The collegial atmosphere of a typical gathering of skaters or bike riders is already tweaked by competition. BMX rider Ryan Nyquist said the addition of commercial breaks provides even more of a distraction.
Not that he isn't grateful for the TV coverage.
Nyquist still remembers his excitement at seeing himself on a sports broadcast for the first time, and like other athletes, is quick to praise X Games as critical to the growth and marketability of action sports.
``ESPN single-handedly took us to the forefront,'' he said.
X Games general manager Christ Stiepock said live coverage is needed to expand the popularity of action sports.
``The big events, the most watched events on ESPN are all live: live baseball, live football,'' he said. ``We wanted to join the ranks of the big, mack daddy sports.''
Live coverage cuts into the network's ability to develop a story line or narrative for each event, such as highlighting a close rivalry or comeback. It also limits time for replays, essential for viewers to catch intricate mid-air maneuvers.
``Some of those bells and whistles we aren't able to provide any more, but that is a minor sacrifice compared to the buzz of being live,'' Stiepock said. ^NOTES:@ On Friday, five teenagers compete in the women's skateboard street final, including 14-year-old Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins and 13-year-old Brazilian Karen Feitosa. Later, 24-year-old Matt Buyten defends his Moto X Step Up title against Tommy Bowers and three other riders. And all-time X Games medal leader Dave Mirra tries for another against Jamie Bestwick, Kevin Robinson and seven other BMX vert competitors.
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