Summer Sports Go Gangbusters
by Adam Davis, Editor
June 2006
You’re young. You’re brash. You laugh in the face of steep drop-ins, sigh in nonchalance at body piercings, and shrug at the odds of breaking your wrist while trying to pull an indy 540 on the halfpipe. In a word, you are extreme. And if this summer’s long list of extreme sports events is any indication, you’re not alone. First and foremost is the spectacle that started it all: the Summer X Games. Fast on its heels is the Dew Action Sports Tour, which lands in multiple cities with the promise of big-name athletes and big prize money. Rounding out these two mega-events is a jam-packed schedule of competitions that could keep you on the circuit all summer long. The bad news: there are too many events to catch them all. The good news: they’re spread out all over the country, so whether you’ve got an airplane ticket, a car, or even a BMX bike, chances are you can get in on the action.
Summer X Games 12
Entering into its 12th year, the Summer X Games hasn’t even reached its teens, but it’s already the granddaddy of extreme sporting events. If you’ve ever watched it on TV, then you’ve gotten a taste of the “anything can happen” charge in the atmosphere. After all, this is where legendary skater Tony Hawk landed the first-ever 900 (two and a half hair-raising rotations) on the half pipe. Along with competitions that the run the gamut of extreme summer sports, the four-day event also features a festival showcasing big-name entertainment, sponsor booths brimming over with free swag, and mini-skate and BMX parks where amateurs can strut their stuff.
Featured Sports: BMX, motocross, skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding
Inside Tip: Show up early if you want to get into the Staples Center for the indoor competitions.
Be There: August 3-6: Summer X Games 12, Los Angeles, CA
2006 Dew Action Sports Tour
In only its second year, the Dew Action Sports Tour is turning the X Games concept into something of a road show, with five major events lined up from coast to coast, huge sponsorships, and hefty $2.5 million competitive purse to be divvied up among the top dogs in skateboarding, BMX, and freestyle motocross. With that much prize money on the table, this series of competitions is sure to draw the best extreme-sports athletes from all over the world. Like the X Games, each stop on the Dew Action Sports Tour will feature live concerts and loads of non-competition diversions like special events and prize giveaways.
Featured Sports: skateboarding , BMX, freestyle motocross
Inside Tip: Leave your skateboard and BMX bike at home; they’re not permitted at the venues.
Be There:
June 22-25: Panasonic Open, Louisville, KY
July 13-16: Right Guard Open, Denver, CO
August 17-20: Vans® Invitational, Portland, OR
September 7-10: Toyota Challenge, San Jose, CA
October 12-15: PlayStation® Pro, Orlando, FL
Oregon Trifecta '06
They don’t call it the Beaver State for nothing. This is logging country, so it’s no surprise that the locals get their kicks by grabbing a slice of lumber (make that seven-ply cross-laminated maple), slapping some polyurethane wheels on it, and conquering every inch of sidewalk, curb, and other low-lying edifice in sight. A few years ago, recognizing that skateboarding really wasn’t just a fad after all, Oregonians did the kids proper by building skate parks. Enter the Oregon Trifecta, a World Cup Skateboarding sanctioned event that stops in three towns over the course of three truck-grinding days in August. This year, each day starts off with a kids’ giveaway jam with prizes going to the youngsters (ages 6-12) with the best tricks. Translation: try to remain calm as you watch your child drop in on a 10-foot cement bowl.
Featured Sport: bowl skateboarding
Inside Tip: Get to the skate park well before 11am if you want to register for the kids’ giveaway jam.
Be There:
August 11: Golden Otter, Lincoln City, OR
August 12: Crown Royale, West Linn, OR
August 13: Corn Cup, Newberg, OR
2006 AMA Supermoto Championship
Imagine a motorcycle race that suddenly runs off-course through someone’s farm, and you’ve got a pretty good picture of the loud, dusty, and dangerous sport of Supermoto. This hybrid of motocross and road racing is quickly gaining momentum in the United States, and there’s no better way to see it in action than to catch the AMA Supermoto Championship. This year’s AMA race series began in April and culminates in November, bringing many of the top names in motorcycle racing to multiple racetracks along the way. Summer stops on the tour include Utah, Michigan, and Colorado.
Featured Sport: Supermoto racing
Inside Tip: Get to Miller Motorsports Park a day early and you can also catch a Superbike competition.
Be There:
June 17: Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, UT
July 8: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
August 26-27: Venue to be announced, Denver, CO
BMX Racing
When On Any Sunday hit the big screen in 1971, kids all over America were instantly smitten with the sport of motocross. But they were just kids, so they had to settle for the next best thing: bicycle motocross, or BMX. Today, the American Bicycle Association (ABA) and National Bicycle League (NBL) each sanction BMX race tours which make their way through cities scattered throughout North America, making it easy to check out a race without traveling too far from home. Both organizations maintain Web sites with everything you need to know to register, get the right bike and equipment, and find race tracks that are close to home.
Featured Sport: BMX racing
Inside Tip: Be sure to visit the ABA and NBL Web sites for official BMX registration and racing guidelines.
Be There:
ABA Races:
June 16-18: Midwest Nationals, Rockford, IL
June 23-25: Lumberjack Nationals, Eugene, OR
June 30-2: Land-O-Lakes Nationals, St. Cloud, MN
July 7-9: Volunteer Nationals, Athens, TN
July 7-9: Black Gold Nationals, Cumberland, BC
July 21-23: Quaker State Nationals, Bensalem, PA
August 4-6: Great Salt Lake Nationals, West Jordan, UT
August 11-13: Mile High Nationals, Dacono, CO
August 18-20: Land Of Lincoln Nationals, Brighton, IL
August 18-20: Gateway Nationals, Prince George, BC
September 1-3: Black Jack Nationals, Reno, NV
September 15-17: Canadian Grand Nationals, Chilliwack, BC
NBL Races:
July 8-9: Freedom National, Woodbridge, VA
August 5-6: Speedway National, East Moline, IL
August 12-13: Constitution Classic, Trumbull, CT
August 19-20: Great Lakes National, Pontiac, MI
Tips on Attending Extreme Sporting Events
- Get your tickets in advance and arrive at the venue early to get good seats.
- For outdoor events, check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. If you’re going to be in the sun, bring a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
- Find out ahead of time whether your skateboards and BMX bikes are permitted at the venue.
- If you’re planning to bring your BMX bike on an airplane, you’ll need to break it down and pack it according to the airline’s policies. Expect to pay an odd-sized luggage charge of about $50-$80 each way, and be sure to check the airline’s baggage policies for other rules and restrictions.
- If you start to suffer from extreme-sports overload, take some time away from the event to explore the local scene.
For more travel tips and advice, check out Amy Ziff’s monthly column, Travel Trends & Advice from A to Z, at www.travelocity.com/atoz. To suggest a topic for a future column or to tell about a travel experience of your own, please email Amy Ziff at ask.amy@travelocity.com.
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