skittles_of_SDC 0 #26 July 11, 2008 Why was I never informed there was skysurfing in the x-games? Granted I would have been 13 when it ended but still. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #27 July 11, 2008 Actually, the only true leave from an airplane discipline that has a chance is Swooping. In reality, ground launching will probably be the sport that actually makes it mainstream and it'll probably be on the Winter X Games.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sagan 0 #28 July 11, 2008 Quote ground launching I presume you mean speed flying with skis or a board on. Even so, it's like "extreme skiing" (not the supercorss stuff but the real stuff that gets timed and what not) which is hardly ever televised. Let's face it, our sport is much more fun to participate in and get the first person perspective, than it is to watch. The only ones that like watching are us, but don't worry, freeflyers will watch the same jump from 8 different cameras and never know it's the same jump, so maybe that can make up for some of the loss in viewership -Patrick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #29 July 11, 2008 Quote I presume you mean speed flying with skis or a board on Nope. I'm talking about foot launch with a skydiving type canopy. What people call speed flying. Freestyle moves are sometimes done and the courses could incorporate a couple of marked courses with blades and areas for freestyle.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #30 July 11, 2008 QuoteQuote1)The truth is one routine looks a lot like the next one in skysurfing. 2)Most people cannot see themselves doing that routine whereas most of the audience can see themselves doing the latest skateboard routine, or something close to it. 3) Artistically judged sports are lame. Everything you said could apply to figure skating, which always manages to sell out venues at Olympic and World Games on whatever continent they are held, as well as invite millions of TV viewers. Most of those people don't own skates, anymore than they own parachutes. Artisitcally judged sports aren't lame - sometimes the judges are. And usually, the people calling them lame are the ones who didn't win. Canuck That's simply wrong. A lot of people have been on skates. They can relate to the situation.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck 0 #31 July 11, 2008 QuoteThat's simply wrong. A lot of people have been on skates. They can relate to the situation. Spoken like a Canadian... Canuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #32 July 11, 2008 QuoteThat's simply wrong. A lot of people have been on skates. They can relate to the situation. Spoken like a Canadian... I've never used a big rock and a broom on ice, though and that has been "in" the Olympics. Whats that a-boot?--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigairnut 0 #33 July 12, 2008 Remster hit the nail closer than anyone. People who have not jumped out of an airplane simply cannot relate. I love the X-games because I admire what the athletes can do and wish I could do it. Even though I've never tried BMX Vert I can appreciate how diffucult it is and I think most people can as well. Non-jumpers cannot appreciate how difficult fighting a 120mph relative wind is. So nobody watches it and as a consequence no sponsor is interested. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinhi79 0 #34 July 12, 2008 Quote Quote And of course, why sponsor something you can't sell... Exactly, why sponsor something that people can't sit in bleachers and watch and then run out and purchase ... I have a solution! We just need to figure out a way to bring skysurfing closer to the ground Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #35 July 12, 2008 Quote Remster hit the nail closer than anyone. People who have not jumped out of an airplane simply cannot relate. I love the X-games because I admire what the athletes can do and wish I could do it. Even though I've never tried BMX Vert I can appreciate how diffucult it is and I think most people can as well. Non-jumpers cannot appreciate how difficult fighting a 120mph relative wind is. So nobody watches it and as a consequence no sponsor is interested. The last time that it was on ESPN, I sat at the counter of my local pool hangout. My son and I stopped playing pool and watched. I wasn't really sure how they scored the event. I was mainly watching because my son and I knew a few of the competitors. Other than that, pretty boring. If skydivers get bored with it, non-jumpers must be snoozing. Womens figure skating has skimpy little outfits too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #36 July 12, 2008 Quote I've never used a big rock and a broom on ice, ,... Whats that a-boot? Try it. You'll never go back. Hurry HARD!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #37 July 12, 2008 QuoteQuoteThat's simply wrong. A lot of people have been on skates. They can relate to the situation. Spoken like a Canadian... Canuck Or someone from the top 1/2 of the US, or any of the scandinavian countries, or several others in Europe.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #38 July 13, 2008 QuoteQuoteQuoteThat's simply wrong. A lot of people have been on skates. They can relate to the situation. Spoken like a Canadian... Canuck Or someone from the top 1/2 of the US, or any of the scandinavian countries, or several others in Europe. ...all of whom talk funny. End of discussion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #39 July 19, 2008 You know what? I am too fucked up to remember if I ever answered this question in this thread (out of the 20 other "why did skysurfing die" threads), but I will bite anyway. Skysurfing failed on ESPN and at the X-games because, simply, 14-year-olds could not go out and buy a rig, a board, and compete immediately. It, required a great deal of skydiving proficiency prior to even attempting a board jump. The LEAST qualified guy I EVER trained was John Hoover of the Golden Knights. I taught him on his, literal 200th skydive. He threw his pilot chute right between his legs and nearly died. That was in either 1989 or 1990. I had already made over 200 skysurf jumps by then. I made my own boards (which I also sold) out of Conelly trick skis (42" and 44") and always landed mine downwind, only relaesing my rear heel loop to slide out the landings. I loved it, but it found out very quickly that there was NO way that a person on a skysurf board could out-fly another skydiver (including Joe Jennings). Any and ALL of the Patrick Passe video of Deug and the other stuff from the USA of anyone else which might have portraid a skysurfer of having more "range" than a standard skydiver was simply hogwash. It was simply an optical illusion created by the video guy tracking past the skysurfer who was "racing" across the sky. I loved the discipline, but it was cheesy, easy (to me at least) and perpetrated to the masses as much harder than it actually was. That said, there was simply no way a 14-year old X-game watcher was going to be able to go out, buy as board, and be able to get into it. Particularly when there were no corporate sponsors of any kind for us skydivers, yet you could get rich by being able to do a back flip on your YZ 125. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
