The Summer X Games have grown exponentially since its inception in 1995. Along the way, it has adapted and picked up both new disciplines, as well as new sports. From Rally X, to Moto X and even this year’s new event, Stadium Super Trucks, there’s been plenty of growth over the years.
But there are a few sports not in the games that leave many scratching their heads, which is why we came up with five that should be included – several of which were at one-time.
Ed Miller is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
5 Should Be X Games Sports
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Surfing
There’s no denying the popularity of surfing and that the sport has a tremendous following, thanks to the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), which holds its own World Tour – with the help of sponsorships from some of the industry’s biggest companies. While it seems unlikely these two would ever join forces, it could propel the X Games to a whole other level. Finding locations with surfing spots would be difficult, however, given the sport’s set of standards for waves.
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Inline Skating
Another X Games dropout, inline skating was involved with the event in both vert and street form during its inception in 1995, that is, until 2005, when ESPN decided it had seen enough. That time period marked the peak for the sport, however today it has moderate, at best, success – mainly in much of Europe, South America and Australia. Despite its decline, there are still various competitions held and plenty of sponsorships being thrown around. So what if it is very similar to skateboarding and BMX, can’t we give it another chance?
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Parkour
Sounds a little cheesy, we know. But there’s no denying what these people do takes a serious amount of skill and at least a little bravery. There’s a lot more to the world of parkour than just a few silly YouTube videos; it’s a whole underground thing. There are worldwide events, like ones sponsored every year by Red Bull, and so much more, which have further helped its growth over the years. Think of the elaborate settings and funky athletes – hell, turn it into American Ninja Warrior if need be.
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Street Luge
Back in the early days of the X Games, ESPN showcased street luge despite the difficulty the sport had finding a niche audience. During the same time, the street luge found moderate success in NBC’s own version of the X Games, known as the Gravity Games. Today, the sport has disappeared entirely off the mainstream radar, though it still has a fairly cult-like underground following. Events of this caliber – though with snow – continue to be huge at the Winter Olympics, so maybe it’s time for a revival?
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Wakeboarding
Though it had a brief stint in the games (starting with X Games II), the popularity for the sport is there but there is one tiny little problem with it – the games need to be near a body of water. That’s not too big of an obstacle and the payout could prove worthy. There are well over 50 tricks to the sport, adding to the excitement, and with yearly staples like the Red Bull Wake Open and the Nation Championships, it’s clear from the turnout that fans dig the sport.
