I refuse to believe in flying tomatos!
Posted by Justin Jacobs on January 28, 2008
I have to admit, I was reluctant to turn on the X-Games last night. It took some prodding from Chad to get me to finish up my homework, step away from my laptop, and turn on ESPN. After watching Shaun White (aka The Flying Tomato) put on the spectacle he did, I was glad I tuned in. If you missed out, here’s a look at some of the hi-jinks that went down last night in the Superpipe.
That’s right, Shaun White once again took the gold and did so in fine style. Shaun, who right now is at the ripe old age of 21 now has 7 gold medals at the Winter X-Games and also has a gold medal in skateboarding at the summer X-Games. Not to mention the Gold Medal he won at the 2006 Olympics in Torino. Ever since Shaun hit the X-Games scene in 2002 he has been the gold standard for action sports athletes.
“The Flying Tomato,” has become action sports most recognizable athlete, garnering sponsorships with Mt. Dew, Target, Redbull and Sony, to name a few. The fact that Shaun has won gold medals in snowboarding and skateboarding is a testament to his freakish abilities. I liken it to Deon Sanders winning a World Series and Super Bowl in the same year. There are only a few people who can master one discipline in sports, let alone two.
Now there are those detractors who would dismiss White’s accomplishments as trivial wins in competitions that are barely sports. These are the same people who dismiss blogging, video games, global warming and Obama for president. In other words, these people have no idea what they are talking about. Anyone who has ever tried to ride a skateboard or a snowboard can testify to just how hard it is to keep ones balance, let alone do the things that action sport’s athletes make look so easy.
While I don’t think action sports will every be more popular than your more traditional sports i.e. football, basketball, and baseball, people like Shaun White and Tony Hawk have taken action sports out of obscurity and into America’s living rooms. I for one am excited to see how action sports evolve, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the “flying tomato” leads that charge.
-JJ
