How the X Games keep Shanghai out on the edge

Shanghai is lots of different things: it’s exciting, it’s crowded and it’s loud. But come April 30, it’ll also be extreme for the third year in a row when it plays host to the ESPN X Games Asia and 200 of the world’s gnarliest athletes. But why have the X Games–showcasing what are still largely undiscovered sports in China–done so well in Shanghai?

According to Senior Event Manager Michael Wang, the Games, now in their 11th year worldwide, originally came here because of the city’s status as a hub of Asia. But it stayed because the event has been so well attended–over 52,800 fans showed up last year. “They really love action sports here … we’ve always gotten really warm welcomes and the athletes love coming back,” he says. “We had 150 competitors our first year, and every year we have more athletes and more big names.”

Undoubtedly, many of those big names are also drawn here by the lure of the Jiangwan SMP Skate Park, the world’s biggest playground for skateboarders, BMXers and aggressive inline skaters. The project got its impetus from skateboarder Danny Way’s 2005 jump over the Great Wall, but local skaters really took up the mantle later that year by convincing the Chinese Ministry of Extreme Sports (yes, it really exists) to buy up the necessary land and put up ¥100 million to get Australian companies Convic and SMP to build the necessary rails, nipples, bowls and half-pipes.

Necessary, of course, is a matter of opinion. Some of it is really awesomely unnecessary. “The deepest bowl is so big, even bigger than the standard 13-14 foot (competition) high ramps!” gasps Brazilian competitor Lincoln Ueda. Minh Tuan Khu, owner of popular local skate shop Icon X, has seen the sport grow immensely during his 10 years in China, and he couldn’t be happier with the X-Games’ growth. “I brought the Vans Skate Team over eight years ago,” he says with a laugh, “and the trip got more press back in America than it did here. Now, that wouldn’t be the case.”

Matt Garcia, a local skateboarding coach and snowboarder, agrees. “There’s a great new feel about it here … kids are getting into it, whereas in America, skateboarding is less popular now than when I started 10 years ago. It’s a growing industry and lots of money’s being pumped into it. Skillwise, they’re not quite up to par yet, but they’re getting there–and fast!” Geoff Ng

Details
Where: KIC Jiangwan Stadium, 346 Guohe Lu
When: Thursday, April 30-May 3
Web: www.kiaxgamesasia.com