What is it going to take to take Karting to X Games?

mal crosher · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:25 am Post subject:

yea I here you on mullen. Legend. He doesn't have to skate tbh.

Yea I know the obvious in relation to rally v skateboarding but at top level I can see some fair attributes a bit of truth to his statement. Reading and knowing traction and surface coupled with balance , speed and right weight distribution. quick judgement , reflexes, hand/foot/eye co ordination clean approach and exit. Commitment.

I can see that....

Chris Hurst · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 10:16 pm Post subject:

Tim Pappas · Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Posts: 795 Location: Burkina Faso,

mal crosher · Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 4:10 am Post subject:

yea I heard a quote like, can't recall from same except boxing, swimming and running. Anyway...

Yea you can bail early to knees, provided it's not on concrete bowl then that raises the stakes knowing you are going to have to run it out of every mistake . You still have to stomp the landing. Degree of getting hurt doesn't come into the commitment side as pain is pain regardless of how you do it. Imo , No you may not go up in a fireball but broken bones , punctured lungs,dislocated joints or stuck in a wheel chair crapping into a bag etc is still the same pain.

I guess it Comes back to what you class who is better in relation to what you know.

Tbh I don't rate any drivers as great athletes in comparison to what else is out there, I'd put motogp , top mx/sx before any 4 wheel motorsport .
I'd put rally before f1.

Alan Dove · Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:35 am Post subject:

Chris Hurst · Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:01 pm Post subject:

Cory Ross · Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:45 pm Post subject:

The younger and younger age of sports development I would not say is from commercialization. It is just the competitive nature of sports. The US ski team, if you are not on their radar and part of a development team by 16 you have about a 10% chance of making it on the team. Almost any ski team if you are over 20 and not on a national team you are done. Ski racing has very little money in it unless you are part of the top ten in the world.

Sports are so competitive and specialized now that if you are not developed along the right path from a very young age teams are not interested. So many kids in their 20's start to wonder if they really want to be doing what they are doing yet stay with it because it is all they have. This is a big problem in motocross. Kids are pulled out of school so they can train. If they do not make it they do not have much of an education to fall back on.

Matt Dixon · Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:58 pm Post subject:

Cory we live in a ski town. It starts much younger than you say. We have Skier Contracts at our school (which benefits us because Garrett is allowed to miss school to travel and race) but the kids have to maintain their grades and we have frequent meetings with the teachers.

BTW my academic standards for my son is much higher then the schools.
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Matt Dixon
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Cory Ross · Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:14 am Post subject:

Oh I know a lot about skiing. 16 was a safe number. I have a private ski coach that lives with me a few days a week when he is here training the kids of the property owner of the land I live and work on. As of this year I will also be grooming the terrain park at Buttermilk(host of the X Games).

I wish all people held their kids to higher standards. That is not always the case. To often the kids fall way behind yet somehow the schools they report to let them slip by.

Matt Dixon · Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:22 am Post subject:

Very cool we are in Tahoe City. My son is the only kid in town that doesn't have a season pass, he chooses tires and top ends over skis... Haha. Sorry back on topic...
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Matt Dixon
94y Energy Corse/Swedetech

Eric Gossard · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 16

mike clements · Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:15 pm Post subject:

A Huge smoothe slab of concrete, slightly wet down and call it "Drifting Karts".OK, maybe not wet at all. Just make sure the karts and keep the rear tires smoking for the entire event. Karts going through a road course, tandem, smoking the tires, and an inch apart. I believe this would do it.
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Began kart racing 1959. Made many friends along the way.

TJ Koyen · Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 1456

Chris Hurst · Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:40 pm Post subject:

Some really interesting points being made. I didn't realize they started kids in sports like skiing that early. It makes sense though since you sort of grow with the sport and your brain is still developing so you are laying the foundation for the kid as they get older.

I don't think it's always the case that if you don't start doing something at 5 or 6 you are going to be horrible at it if you start later in life. Jim Clark was born in 1936 and didn't have his first race until 1956 making him 20 years old.

How many teams now would look at a 20 year old Jim Clark and take a 13 year old Lewis Hamilton instead? There is no denying that Clark was a brilliant driver.

Since we're all going off on tangents I figured I'd go on one too Laughing

To get back on topic I just shot an email to the X-Games and asked them about karting and what it would take to get karts into the venue. Eagerly waiting the reply and I will copy and paste it when (if) it's received.

mike clements · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:53 pm Post subject:

How about, Full contact, figure 8 Karting ? Put up a bunch of money for the first guy to complete 5 laps in the final event. That intersection should draw some viewers !
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Began kart racing 1959. Made many friends along the way.