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X Games 16 Predicition

With the X Games upon us, myself and Brad Jay, the voice of the games, got our head together to make a few predictions. Check back and see how we did in 5 days.

Skate Big Air

Athletes: Pedro Barros, Jake Brown, Bob Burnquist, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Rob Loriface, Andy MacDonald, Edgard Pereira, Adam Taylor, Lincoln Ueda, Danny Way

Tyler Tate: Jake Brown

Reason Why: As the returning champion from 2009 Skate Big Air, Jake Brown feels like he needs to redeem the win. A part of him feels that Bob Burnquist should have won last year and he wants to show that he is at the top and can do it without controversy.

Brad Jay: Bob Burnquist

Reason Why: Because he has is own mega ramp in his backyard

Skate Park Men

Athletes: Pedro Barros, Chad Bartie, Bob Burnquist, Curren Caples, Jake Duncombe, Rune Glifberg, David Gravette, Omar Hassan, Ben Hatchell, Bucky Lasek, Johnny Layton, Andy MacDonald, Andrew Langi, Alex Olson, Alex Perelson, Collin Provost, John Rattray, Keegan Sauder, Ryan Sheckler, Tony Trujillo

Tyler Tate: Ryan Sheckler

Reason Why: Two-time XG gold medalist, Sheckler is having his first healthy season in three years. Ryan has come back strong finishing 2^nd at the Boston Dew Tour in June.

Brad Jay: Rune Glifburg

Reason Why: Because he can skate everything, plus he helped design the park course so he knows it in and out!

Skate Street

Athletes: Brian Anderson (USA), Mark Appleyard (CAN), Justin Brock (USA), Nick Dompierre (USA), Corey Duffel (USA), Adam Dyet (USA), Stefan Janoski (USA), Nyjah Houston, Johnny Latyon, Sean Malto, Shane O’Neill, Alex Olson, Chaz Ortiz, Peter Ramondetta, Roldolfo Ramos, Leo Romero, Omar Salazar, Bastien Salabanzi, Nick Trapasso, Ryan Sheckler, Jamie Tancowny

Tyler Tate: Bastien Salabanzi

Reason Why: Back to riding competitions in 2010 and looking great in the Boston dew tour stop, this technical rider will have his southern California home crowd behind him and will use that energy for the win.

Brad Jay: Bastien Salabanzi

Reason Why: Because he is just that good, the flying French man will kill it.

Skate Vert

Athletes: Pedro Barros (Alternate), Marcelo Bastos, Bob Burnquist, Sandro Dias, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Bucky Lasek, Andy MacDonald, Danny Mayer, Rob Loriface, Alex Perelson, Shaun White

Tyler Tate: Shaun White

Reason Why: If he is healthy after pulling out from the Boston Dew Tour, Shaun is looking to make the first big splash to kick his summer season off. Expect consistency with big air and huge rodeos

Brad Jay: Pierre Luc Gagnon

Reason Why: Coming off two wins already Asian X Games and Boston. Dude has a big bag of trick fo sho!

BMX Big Air

Athletes: Andy Buckworth, Alan Cooke (Alternate), Chad Kagy, Steve McCann, Anthony Napolitan, Kevin Robinson, Morgan Wade

Tyler Tate: Kevin Robinson

Reason Why: Guinness Record holder of the biggest air and the only rider to land the double flair. Enough Said.

Brad Jay: Kevin Robinson

Reason Why: He has the biggest no handed flair you have ever seen on the 27 foot quarter pipe

BMX Park

Athletes: Brett Banasiewcz, Drew Benzanson, Cory Bohan, Diogo Canina, Scotty Cranmer, Rob Darden, Daniel Dhers, Brandon Dosch, Chris Doyle, Dennis Enarson, Ryan Guettler, Chase Hawk, Dave Mirra,, Andy Buckworth (Alternate), Ryan Nyquist, Garrett Reynolds, Geoff Slattery, Jeremiah Smith, Morgan Wade, Mark Webb, Gary Young, Craig Mast (Alternate)

Tyler Tate: Morgan Wade

Reason Why: Morgan is considered a wild rider who brings all eyes to the course when he drops in. Driven more by the desire to have fun and push his limits than to play it safe for consistent contest results, he is full of surprises. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t, but everyone will be talking about what he did regardless.

Brad Jay: Daniel Dhers

Reason Why: Because he is hungry for his 1^st win.

BMX Vert

Athletes: Jamie Bestwick, Vince Byron, Chad Kagy, Steve McCann, Dennis McCoy, Kevin Robinson, Simon Tabron, Jimmy Walker, Tim Wood, Coco Zurita

Tyler Tate: Jamie Bestwick

Reason Why: 5 straight Dew Tour cup wins, 1 win already this season, it’s gonna be the grand slam for Jamie this year

Brad Jay: Jamie Bestwick

Reason Why: Nobody can stop him

Moto Best Trick

Athletes: Taka Higashino (Alternate), Rich Kearns (Alternate), Kyle Loza, Clint Moore, Travis Pastrana, Todd Potter, Paris Rosen, Cameron Sinclair, Jack Strong, Blake “Bilko” Williams

Tyler Tate: Paris Rosen

Reason Why: No handed front flip!

Brad Jay: Travis

Reason Why: Because he will land the infamous TP Roll

Moto Best Whip

Athletes: Beau Bamburg, Josh Grant, Josh Hansen, Jarryd McNeil, Todd Potter, Jeremey Stenberg

Tyler Tate: Todd Potter

Reason Why: Do I hear three-peat? He rarely competes anywhere but X, and he is a showman and competes well under the pressure

Brad Jay: Todd Potter

Reason Why: He has the whips on lock down

Motocross Freestyle

Athletes: Nate Adams, Rob Adelberg (Alternate), Lance Coury (Alternate), Nixey Danielson (Alternate), Take Higashino, Adam Jones, Robbie Maddison, Mike Mason, Jim McNeil (Alternate), Todd Potter, Travis Pastrana, Mat Rebeaud, Jeremy Stenberg, Eigo Sato, Levi Sherwood, Jackson Strong, Dany Torres, Andre Villa, Brody Wilson

Tyler Tate: Travis Pastrana

Reason Why: After being off the podium last year Travis is here to get the top spot this year. With another year underneath him and time to develop the final few touches on his tricks, expect big air and massive combinations.

Brad Jay: Nate Adams

Reason Why: Just missed the win last year, this year Bilko is out opening up the door for the destroyer.

Motocross Step Up

Athletes: Max Anstie, Nate Adams, Brian Deegan, Ronnie Renner, Josh Hansen, Josh Hill, Kevin Johnson, Mike Metzger, Travis Pastrana, Mat Rebeaud, Cole Seely, Jeremy Stenberg, Ivan Tedesco, Aron Harvey (Alternate)

Tyler Tate: Ronnie Renner

Reason Why: Experience and passion is going to get Ronnie up and over the top this year. He was a finalist last year in X Games 15, look for him to go big.

Brad Jay: Ronnie Renner

Reason Why: With The G.O.A.T. out, no more double gold’s here. Ronnie who’s your daddy Renner will be victorious.

source:

T-Squared Sports

Sheckler Qualifies First In Street

The elimination round of Skateboard Street at X Games 16 was held today at the Staples Center. Ryan Sheckler qualified first making teenage girls everywhere jump for joy.

There was some controversy too. Brian Anderson and Bastein Salabanzi finished tied for tenth, being the core legends that both are no one wanted to see either eliminated. After a few discussions it was decided they would add up all of their run scores, instead of counting the best one run, with which they were deadlocked at 77.0. In the end Salabanzi's total was higher moving him into the Final.

Here are the full results:

1. Ryan Sheckler - 95.0
2. Chaz Ortiz - 93.0
3. Rodolfo Ramos - 90.0
4. David Gravette - 87.66
5. Ryan Decenzo - 83.33
6. Mark Appleyard - 81.33
7. Nyjah Huston - 80.00
8.Sierra Fellers - 78.00
9. Eli Reed - 77.33
10. Bastien Salabanzi - 77.00
11.Brian Anderson - 77.00
12 Shane O'Neill - 75.66
13. Justin Brock - 75.66
14. Nick Trepasso - 61.33
15. Adam Dyet - 57.66
16. Stefan Janoski - 55.00
17. Alex Olson - 45.33
18. Garrett Hill - 40.00
19. Tony Tave - 26.33
20. Omar Salazar - 12.00

source:
Grind TV

What happens at X ...

Sheckler, perfectly comfortable on all terrain.

SKATE
By Adam Salo
Men's Street Elimination saw some unusual faces that might be more interesting to watch than the favorites to win. With defending champ Paul Rodriguez, 2007 champ Chris Cole, and three-time medalist Greg Lutzka all out due to Street League commitments, skaters with much lighter competition resumes have filled the void. Skaters like Creature's David Gravette, Zoo York's Eli Reed, Omar Salazar, Ryan Decenzo, and Garrett Hill impressed the crowd along with favorites like Ryan Sheckler, Nyjah Huston, Rodolfo Ramos, and Chaz Ortiz.

The most interesting features on the course are the bowled transitions faced off like two sides of a broken tea cup. It was easy to see which skaters were more comfortable on rails and ledges and which had more well-rounded game. Gravette is definitely the latter: he stuck a backside 360 alley oop from the high tea cup transition into the lower portion.

"I really like the tea cup and feel I'm pretty weak in other areas," said Gravette, who's rookie X Games performance is also his first pro contest. "I thought I was going to get dead last, but I'm stoked that I made the finals. It's my first contest in a really long time."

With Rodriguez, Cole, and Lutzka out of the way, the Final could be dominated by Sheckler, so long as he stays on his board. His first roll through the course was perfect, with a backside tailslide on the precarious rail set atop the hub ledge. Ortiz and Decenzo are both technical and consistent enough to give Sheckler some competition, but Sheckler's familiarity with the transition section gives him an edge. He was raised on both street and serious transitions and was clearly right at home in the tea cup.

Jake Brown repeated as Skateboard Big Air champion, beating prohibitive favorite Bob Burnquist. Brown threw a backflip over the 70-foot gap before spinning a huge backside mute-grab 540 on the quarterpipe on his second of four runs to earn a 93.66.

That score edged Burnquist, who tossed a switch backside 180 into a backside 540 in his second run to earn a 93, into second place. Last year, the 36-year-old Brazilian released a segment in the Flip Skateboards movie "Extremely Sorry" that featured a slew of never-before-seen mega ramp tricks that had many feeling Thursday's event was his for the taking. Early buzz was that Brown would have to land the first-ever 900 on the mega ramp quarterpipe to take Burnquist down, so it's ironic that it was Burnquist left trying the 900 in an effort to catch Brown. He came tantalizingly close on his third and fourth runs -- so close, in fact, that even after Brown had been announced the winner, Burnquist unsuccessfully attempted several more 900s in an effort land one unofficially.

BMX
By Brian Tunney

Cody York/ESPN Action SportsYoung brought pool skills to the Park course.

Park Elimination was a mix of creative line-finding and an outright bloodbath. Gary Young repeated his number one qualifying performance from last year with a grind over the visor and one of the longest downside double peg grinds around a corner ever seen -- It's the first time a rider has qualified first on the merit of grinds. The rest of the top five was 15-year-old Brett Banasiewicz, Diogo Canina, Jeremy Smith, and Daniel Dhers.

The visor, a unique plexiglass extension that runs over the course and looks like something a beach volleyball player would wear, only really big and standing on its end, was Young's favorite section of the course and was assaulted by all 20 riders.

Many of the pros came into the comp looking like they'd already been assaulted: Ryan Guettler (separated shoulder), Drew Bazanson (separated shoulder), Mark Webb (broken foot), and Morgan Wade (two-day-old concussion, 10 stitches above his eye) all rode injured and none held back. But Wade destroyed his front wheel on a transfer gone wrong and broke open his stitches, while Bezanson repeatedly put himself at risk with unsuccessful attempts at an icepick on the roof above the rider staging area.

During Street practice, X15 bronze medalist Van Homan bailed while attempting to air from one side of the tea cup to the other. Homan landed on his feet but then fell backward and hit his head on the concrete. On-site medics forced him to sit down for over an hour while they monitored his condition. They eventually cleared him to leave the contest and head back to the hotel.

"I'm okay, just a little dazed" said Homan while leaving the venue. Street eliminations commence at 12:30 p.m. on Friday and Homan intends to ride the event.

Friday also sees Vert Finals, and whether or not Jamie Bestwick can make it a four-peat in Vert will be the topic of the day. If his performance at last week's Dew Tour is any indication, it might not even be a contest. Chad Kagy rode flawlessly in Chicago and still finished three points behind Bestwick. We're saying a four-peat is more than likely.

MOTO X FREESTYLE
By Ryan Leyba
Never bet against Travis Pastrana. Though he hasn't competed in Freestyle since 2006, Pastrana stunned his competition by completely dominating both the Elimination and the Final. His big tricks were relatively stock -- nac nac and indian air backflips -- but his use of the course was more creative than his competitors, as he threw backflips off random features and used every inch of the wallride. It was enough of an edge to beat out 18-year-old New Zealander Levi Sherwood, who had much bigger tricks but was more timid on the more unusual course features.

Chris Tedesco/ESPN Action SportsTravis Pastrana won a record seventh gold Moto X Freestyle medal at X16 on Thursday night.

"Honestly, I thought Levi had way better tricks -- Pastrana was just a little more exciting to watch," said Jeremy 'Twitch' Stenberg. "But I think Levi's going to be untouchable next year -- that kid's freakin' badass."

Repeating his same performance as last year, Nate Adams garnered another bronze medal after putting in a flawless run, which included some of the biggest 360s we've seen from him in a really long time. However, his staple tricks just weren't enough to top Sherwood's smooth style and radical extension.

Friday is the Best Trick Final, which is the most anticipated event at X16 for hardcore FMX fans. Cam Sinclair will throw either a one-handed or no-handed double backflip, which could possibly be topped by Kyle Loza and his new variation on the Electric Doom that he used last year to win his third consecutive gold in the event. Then there's Paris Rosen with the frontflip and Aussie newcomer Clint Moore, who's keeping his bag of tricks on the DL.

My guess? Gold Friday night is won by an unexpected rider throwing a completely unexpected trick.

MOTO X RACING
By B.J. Smith

Chris Tedesco/ESPN Action SportsGrant, relieved to finally find a win.

Three days ago from the comfort of his couch, Josh Grant decided that he'd like to come try to win Men's Super X. By now he's back on his couch polishing a gold medal. Grant, the second fastest qualifier was second place in the final at the end of lap one. Defending champion, Josh Hansen enjoyed a four second lead for the majority of the race but gave it up on lap ten when Grant flew by him in the whoops. Half a lap later, Hansen was off the track and back in fourth place. He pulled himself together to close out the podium. Justin Brayton rode much of the race back in fourth place and took advantage of the mayhem ahead of him to take his second consecutive silver medal.

Grant, who hasn't finished a supercross style event since May 2009, was surprised and relieved by the result: "It's a breath of fresh air for sure but it was last minute and I didn't expect to come out and do that."

As for Hansen, he admitted that he was distracted by his pants, which wouldn't stay up. "Everything was going good but I got a little flustered at the end," he said. "I just started thinking too much about dumb stuff and then blew off the track and went back to fourth. Yeah, it's pretty frustrating. I didn't even know what was going to happen. I was waiting to maybe even cartwheel into the stands at one point."

The Womens' Super X final was a battle of who could make fewer mistakes on a course that was quickly turning into a dust bowl. At the end of lap one Ashley Fiolek and her main rival, Jessica Patterson led the way. Both women were struggling with the timing on the 75-foot triple jumps, often under jumping them.

Lucas Gilman/ESPN Action SportsFioleck successfully defended her title.

The battle was hot on lap four but Patterson crashed on the finish line jump when she landed right on top of the 'plastic track boundaries. The crash knocked her out but she walked away.

Fiolek then cruised to her second consecutive gold medal while former gold medalist, Tarah Gieger and Sara Price battled for second and third, respectively all the way to the finish.

With defending champion Chris Ridgway out of competition due to a swollen left patella, Mike Schultz was the clear favorite to win gold. Dave Turner was the surprise leader at the end of lap one but Schultz pulled the gutsiest move of the day when he jumped over top of Turner on the set of 75-foot triples. Schultz was the only adaptive rider jumping the two biggest obstacles on the track.

Despite a big lead, Schultz continued to clear the big jumps, a strategy that almost cost him. On the final lap he landed hard enough to break his prosthetic leg. It locked up at the joint in a 45-degree angle and his foot dangled off the side of the bike. He rode the entire last lap with one leg and his pace was so slowed he beat Todd Thompson by only a bike length.

source:
ESPN

Grant, Fiolek are X Games gold winners

Their plans were completely opposite.

Josh Grant did not decide until the final 48 hours that he would attend X Games 16. Ashley Fiolek had the date circled on her calendar since winning the gold medal last year.

The pair won the supercross gold medals Thursday on a Coliseum track they called dusty and blind because of the afternoon sun.

"It's a breath of fresh air for sure," said Grant, the Riverside native said. "It was last minute. I didn't expect to come out and do that. I wanted to go out and have fun. I haven't had fun outdoors."

It's been a tough two years for Grant. He won the 2008 AMA supercross opener in Anaheim and then had to sit out more than a year because of two broken feet.

"I figured it was our weekend off from the outdoor stuff," he said.

"I can't really win the title there. (Ryan) Dungy's run away with the points. I figured there was nothing to lose. I'd do some big jumps and hang out."

It appeared as if Josh Hansen would win the race. He had a big lead, but missed a jump.

"I kind of let the pants drop to my knees and I let it get to me," last year's gold medalist said. "I was struggling, overshooting stuff. I got in my own way and I almost cartwheeled into the crowd."

Justin Brayton finished second for the second consecutive year and Hansen was third.

"The whole track was sketchy," Grant said. "It was dusty. You couldn't see. When I was behind these guys, I was just following their rear wheels because that's all I could see. The whole track was pretty much blown out. It wasn't good."

Fiolek, who is deaf, took the lead going through the megaramp tunnel on the first lap. Both Jessica Patterson and Tarah Geiger nearly caught her, but Fiolek had the better lines to pull away.

"Christmas is early this year," she said. "X games is the best thing ever. I was struggling with the whoops, but everything worked out."

Gieger said she hit her helmet on her handlebars on the triple, the same one the men complained about. Patterson, running in second, lost in the sun, went down and out of the race because of that sun.

"The dust and the sun, it was impossible to see," said Gieger, wo finished second.

Sara Price, who had the holeshot, finished third in her first supercross race.

Waiting for the crash-fest

Tanner Foust, who has competed in every rally event at the X Games, trained for the first Super Rally competition, which will feature four cars racing at the same time, by taking part in the sport's European version of the sport, rallycross.

The drivers will practice for four hours this afternoon at the Coliseum and then race on Saturday night.

"They're freakin' insane," Foust said of rallycross drivers. "The European guys who drive them are ticked off all the time. There is so much crashing and sliding. It's probably a lot like supercross in a car. Guys like (Brian) Deegan and (Travis) Pastrana, they are used to shouldering in on somebody, It's going to be just like that except you're in a rollcage. It's a video game mentality."

Andrew Comrie-Picard, who has also started in every X Games, said the start will be the key.

"It's a whole level up from what we've done before," he said. "I like them upping the ante."

The cars have increased their horsepower, from 320 to 600, but because the entire course is on dirt, both Comrie-Picard and Foust said that will have a negligible effect.

"It's how you're going to take out - not take out - is how you're going to win," Comrie-Picard said.

Elimination rounds

Ryan Sheckler and Gary Young had the top scores in elimination rounds on Thursday.

Sheckler, from San Clemente, scored a 95.0 in men's street skateboard. The top 10 advanced to Saturday's competition at L.A. Live. Simi Valley's Paul Rodriguez, who won last year's competition, did not compete.

Young, from San Diego, had the top score in BMX park with an 82.00.

Scotty Cranmer, who won gold last year, took the 10th and final position.

source:

Daily News

Ryan Sheckler Tops Skate Street Elims

source:
ESPN

face time: Ryan Sheckler

source:
ESPN

Kevin & Bean spoke with 20 yr old Ryan Sheckler who is getting ready to compete in X Games 16 this Thursday through Sunday in Downtown L.A. Sheckler is no stranger to the X Games, winning 3 different X Games events in the past. Sheckler was injured during last year’s games and is looking to make up for lost time. “ I wanna see some of the rally cars, some motocross and definitely the free-style events.
” -Ryan Sheckler w/ Kevin & Bean

Ryan is focused and even said he won’t be doing much pre-partying before his events. He plans on focusing on competing and “lurking around” all weekend.

Ryan Sheckler will be competing in the Skateboard Street Event this Saturday and the Skateboard Park event on Sunday at the Event Deck at L.A. Live.

Tickets are available in advance only at ticketmaster.com

For information on all the events and TV schedules of the X Games go to ESPN.com

source:
KROQ Radio

X Games 2010 Practice Video

Check out some of the skating from today practice today at the 2010 X Games in Los Angeles. Ryan Sheckler warmed up the street course, and Omar Hassan, Chad Bartie, Curren Caples, Andy Mac and more kicked things off in the skate park course. Stay tuned for the contest action later this week right here on skateboarding.com.



source:
Transworld Skateboarding

End of the World by IT Boys

source:
It Boys Music

Obscure Sports That Pay Big

We all know that players in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and PGA are well compensated for their athletic abilities. They make millions of dollars and enjoy the adulation of fans across the country. You may not have known, however, that athletes in lesser-known sports are highly paid as well. Although they do not receive all of the national attention of their more famous counterparts, they are able to make a nice living toiling away in anonymity. (Find out about overpaid athletes in Top 10 Most Hair-Raising Sports Contracts.)

In Pictures: 8 Money-Saving Tips For Sports Fans

Bowling
Walter Ray Williams Jr. has the most wins in the Professional Bowling Association's (PBA) history with 47 tour wins. He has the single season earnings record raking in $419,700 in the 2002-03 season. Williams Jr. has made over $4.2 million dollars throughout his bowling career.

Unlike NBA, MLB, NFL stars, Williams can continue in his career despite his advanced age. At 50 years of age Williams plans to continue bowling for the foreseeable future. Bowling has produced other multimillionaires such as former PBA Tour champion Pete Weber. Weber has earned over $3.2 million in his playing career.

Darts
Phil Taylor is as popular in England as Michael Jordan is in the United States. Taylor has won an impressive 15 Professional Dart Championships (PDC) and over 150 professional tournaments throughout his illustrious career. Taylor has been rewarded handsomely for winning 15 of the last 21 PDC Championships earning over $5 million pounds (or $7.7 million dollars) in career earnings.

Table Tennis
Table tennis is full of great players such as Ma Long and Wang Hao of China. Long and Hao are the number one and two ranked players in the world. They have both won the International Table Tennis Federation's (ITTF) Pro Tour Grand Finals Championship. Their reward for winning first place in the ITTF Men's Singles Championship was $40,000. (Check out Sports Stars Worth Every Penny.)

Table tennis players can win purses ranging from $2,800 to $33,000 for winning tournaments during the season.

Skateboarding
Do you think skateboarding is just a fad? Well, tell that to Tony Hawk, Paul Rodriguez Jr. and Ryan Sheckler. Hawk has built a multi-million dollar empire on the action sport. He is the highest paid extreme sports star generating $12 million dollars a year in income according to Forbes. Hawk makes money on everything, including skateboards, clothing apparel and videogames.

Skateboarder Ryan Sheckler earned $5 million in 2008 and scored a reality show on MTV. Paul Rodriguez Jr. is one of the most popular skateboarders going. P-Rod earned over $2 million dollars and has his own Nike shoe and a clothing line. P-Rod has been featured in Tony Hawk videogames as well.

Cricket
Cricket players now make the salaries of NFL, NBA and MLB players. The highest paid cricket player in the world, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, makes over $10 million dollars a year. He recently signed a two-year, $42 million dollar marketing deal to endorse numerous different products.

Dhoni is not alone. Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar earned over $8 million dollars last year. According to Forbes, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is home to nine of the richest cricket players in the world. Each player's salary is well over a million dollars a season. These players make as much as $100,000 per three-hour contest.

Fishing
Who knew that there was big money in fishing? Three-time Bassmaster Classic champ Kevin VanDam has made over $4.7 million dollars in earnings throughout his career. FLW Champ David Dudley has made over $2 million dollars during his pro career. Angler Skeet Reese has accumulated $2.3 million dollars during his 13-year career. Michael Iaconelli and Gerald Swindle are millionaire anglers as well.

The Bottom Line
As you can see, you don't have to play one of the major sports to strike it rich. There are lots of athletes that toil away in obscurity and manage to eke out a pretty good living. (For the flipside, check out Baseball Greats Who Were Paid Like Benchwarmers.)

Catch up on your financial news; read Water Cooler Finance: Goldman Fined, Financial Fixes And Apple's "Apology".

Original story - Obscure Sports That Pay Big

Copyright (c) 2010 Investopedia ULC. All rights reserved. Investopedia.com is a Forbes Digital Company.

source:

SF Gate

The Role Models Of Skating — A Good Glimpse Of The Ambassador Concept

Skateboarding happens to be participating in a extremely substantial resurgence in fame at this time. The competition ıs popular for nearly 10 years at this point, nevertheless its status even now waxes and wanes based on the mindset belonging to the recent generation of youths.

Luckily for individuals who count on skating’s status to place meals on their family table, right now is a fairly good point in time for the sport. Younger ardent skaters along the lines of Ryan Sheckler (yes, the man lurking behind the ryan sheckler shoes) have became connected well with youths, and are also offering something critical: A presence which the youths are able to relate to.

It’s no hidden knowledge that professional skateboarding lives and dies by its teen market. Once hip-hop experienced an enormous upswing in status in the early 2000’s, youngsters begun to push away from skateboarding. It was subsequently no longer known as popular being a skateboarder, with the suggested punk look not to mention mindset.

It is often a little something which most people fail to see. Skating is not only a sport, it’s also a style. Even if almost all skaters could well be loathe to accept it, these people dedicate nearly as much time & money searching for wardrobe and skate shoes as they do skateboards and bearings. That is why the sport’s reputation encounters these surges and dips. It’s actually style based, just like just about any fashion.

So exactly what has it been that determines if being a skater is going to be in this specific season? Clearly, first off, whether there may be anybody that will signify the fashion that could be at the same time captivating to young people and also marketable overall.

When skate boarding first hit it big time, this was Tony Hawk. The man’s ability to diversify out and assist with video gaming in addition to commercials managed a terrific job for distributing understanding for the sport. Individuals like Bam Margera along with the earlier mentioned Ryan Sheckler have took the torch since then. Not surprisingly, whenever skateboarding is with no adequate ambassador, it’s taken a plunge of attention.

The entire ambassador phenomena is not really specific to professional skateboarding, however. It’s found in different competitive sports, along with trend-centric groups. Basketball seemed to be broadly regarded as being at its best at the time participants such as Jordan and Shaq had been at the forefront.

In the same way, the rap community was greatest when there were good personas in the role of reps. Men along the lines of Jay-Z do an admirable job with representing the scene’s constant “never say die” frame of mind and also teaching urban teens that one can get from rags to riches with a little bit of expertise together with a generous helping of elbow grease. Curtis Jackson displayed that it’s doable to go from a neighborhood hoodlum to the platinum musician, actor, and also computer game celebrity. Marshall Mathers proved to the world that hiphop was not related to the color of one’s skin. The examples could continue indefinitely.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that fair weather skaters will appear and disappear, there will invariably be a collection of true skaters who’ve already been there ever since the outset. No matter whether it is trendy or otherwise, they’ll be here, and they’re the building blocks that the empire cemented on. Whenever Ryan Sheckler fades in the limelight, they will certainly always keep the home fires burning up to the point the next ambassador is just about to move up towards the plate.

source:

Maritime Armed Security

CCS in NJ

Click on to see the pictures!

Ryan Sheckler Skate Life, Episode 4

source:

Red Bull USA

Ryan Sheckler JC Penny Signing At The Skate Open 2010

source:
Vodpod

Bill My Parents Lets Kids Shop And Parents Pay… Extra

The birthday list, the holiday gift list, the wedding registry are all designed to help your loved ones know exactly what you want. Because after all, even the people that know you best need a little bit of guidance when it comes to the shopping department.

Teenagers are especially particular about what they want. Choose the wrong color t-shirt and hormones erupt. Suggest a brand that may not be the latest and greatest and expect harsh laughter in your face.

How do you solve the problem of getting a bratty teen exactly what he or she wants? Bill My Parents claims to have found the solution.

“Now there’s a way for you to get exactly what you want — the right brand, the right color, the right style. That’s because YOU do the shopping,” the site promises teens. “Shop millions of items online at a BillMyParents participating retailer. Create a shopping cart filled with exactly what you want. Your parents are sent the shopping cart to review and check out.” Currently, teenagers can enjoy products from Amazon and PacSun.

But what’s the difference between sending a shopping list through Bill My Parents and simply creating a “wish list” on any e-commerce site? Ah, that’s right! The fine printed 3-5% commission and transaction fee. Because in addition to buying your 13-year-old a shirt that he or she will hate in a week, mom and dad would love to pay 5% extra!

So in the case of Bill My Parents vs. The Wish List, we’ll have to vote in favor of the oldie. Bill My Parents may have a flashy website and Ryan Sheckler as a spokesperson, but if you ask us, the whole thing seems a tad pointless, if not scam-y.

source:

Styleite

Amare Stoudemire has 100m reasons to be happy

LOS ANGELES -- This annual ESPYS week kickoff soiree at the Playboy Mansion began at 8 p.m. PT Monday. But two hours into the Sports Dream Celebrity Poker and Pool Party, the pool lay still. The poker tourney was the thing. Talk among the crowd -- which was heavy on first-timers like skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, Raptor Amir Johnson and Raiders first-rounder Lamar Houston -- centered on LeBron, of course. And the host was still trying to snag his first drink at the open bar.

"Is my money good here?" Hugh Hefner asked, waiving a $5 bill at his bartender.

"It sure is?" the tender stammered.

It sounded like a question.

But the vibe picked up at around 10:30 p.m. That's when a dozen women leapt into the pool to splash each other. That's also when -- and this might be a coincidence -- a tall man stepped out of his limo, a Yankees cap atop his head and a "Damn, I just signed with the Knicks!" type smile splattered across his face.

Amare Stoudemire, New York's newest star, is a human firecracker. And these days, in places like this, he's kind of a big deal.

source:

ESPN

JCPenney's "New Look. New Year. Who Knew!" Back-to-School Campaign Features Cutting Edge, Creative Marketing Aimed at Teens

Campaign Encourages Teens to Take Control and Discover JCPenney's Affordable Fashion Assortment

PLANO, Texas, Jul 14, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- J. C. Penney Company, Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!jcp/quotes/nls/jcp (JCP 22.75, -0.24, -1.04%) today launched "New look. New year. Who knew!(TM)," an innovative, integrated marketing campaign for the 2010 Back-to-School season. When it comes to marketing to teens, JCPenney has always led the way with cutting edge, creative marketing and this Back-to-School season is no different. Underscoring JCPenney's position as the national Back-to-School fashion headquarters, this year's campaign combines traditional marketing initiatives with the latest digital, social and mobile experiences -- from haul videos and augmented reality to mobile iAds -- while inviting teens to discover JCPenney as a destination for affordable style.

"Personalization and self-expression are important to teens and they want their look to reflect their unique personalities and style. And for teens, there is no better time to put their best fashion forward than Back-to-School," said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. "Our campaign will solidify JCPenney's leadership as a fashion-forward destination for creating complete head-to-toe looks. Using an array of innovative interactive and user-generated content, our Back-to-School marketing encourages teens to take control and discover our extensive assortment of exciting styles and brands at affordable prices."

JCPenney offers a variety of lifestyle options and is a one-stop-shop for all teen style needs from apparel and accessories to beauty with the Company's Sephora inside JCPenney concept. Underscoring JCPenney's leadership at the No. 1 department store in the mall for teens, the campaign will highlight JCPenney's assortment of private, exclusive and national brands such as The Original Arizona Jean Company(R), Levi's(R), Decree(R), City Streets(R), RS by Sheckler(TM), Olsenboye(TM), Rusty(R), Vans(R), Ditch Plains(TM) and Converse(R) as well as new brands this season -- Uproar(TM), Supergirl(TM) by Nastia and Zoo York(R). Additionally, JCPenney continues to be a leading destination for denim, special sizes and school uniforms -- all key categories for the Back-to-School season.

"New look. New year. Who knew!" Integrated Marketing Campaign:

Created with agencies, Saatchi & Saatchi New York and Razorfish, JCPenney's "New look. New year. Who knew!" marketing campaign incorporates an integrated series of online and offline innovative marketing elements to connect with teens this Back-to-School season, while highlighting the Company's extensive fashion assortment:

-- JCPenney's extensive TV and in-cinema campaign will feature students taking over school picture day with their own high-energy fashion shoot as they model the latest head-to-toe looks and styles from JCPenney. JCPenney's impromptu fashion shoot theme will continue with national print ads in Teen Vogue, Seventeen and People StyleWatch.

-- A Juniors experience on jcp.com will feature "hauls" -- the new viral phenomenon in which teens show off their recent shopping purchases through short product review videos posted online -- with videos featuring real teens showcasing their JCPenney shopping finds. Teen girls can also view JCPenney's fashion assortment -- including the daily Top 10 favorite items voted on by visitors to the Juniors Back-to-School online experience -- and create a virtual styleboard that can be e-mailed to friends. In addition, jcp.com's Young Men's and Children's interactive experiences will feature a horizontal scroll, allowing users to easily browse head-to-toe looks. The Young Men's experience will also link visitors to a behind-the-scenes video of JCPenney's Back-to-School broadcast spot, highlighting the season's must-have trends.

-- As part of JCPenney's Back-to-School promotion with Seventeen magazine, JCPenney will be the exclusive retailer for its augmented reality experience on Seventeen.com, which is part of the Hearst Magazines Digital Media network of sites. Through the view of a web cam, Seventeen.com's augmented reality experience will simulate JCPenney merchandise items into a real world environment, allowing users to virtually try on an item, then link to jcp.com for purchase. The application was developed in conjunction with Metaio a pioneer in the area of augmented reality (AR) technology.

-- Along with its iPhone app and mobile coupons, JCPenney continues to be a leader in the mobile space, bringing its signature style and affordable prices directly to teens' fingertips with a special Back-to-School WAP site (jcpteen.mobi). This mobile hub includes JCPenney's Back-to-School TV spot and "hauls"; an opportunity to opt-in and receive weekly texts on the latest Back-to-School looks; view Back-to-School styles and even upload their own look, which can be voted on and shared with friends. JCPenney will also be one of a select group of companies to begin marketing to consumers through Apple's new iAd concept with the launch of an interactive Back-to-School ad that will appear when iPhone and iPod Touch customers use an app on their device.

-- JCPenney-branded digital experiences and display media will be featured on popular teen sites, including an exclusive retail sponsorship with Cambio, which brings teens closer to their favorite celebrities and content through exclusive groundbreaking, original programming. Beginning July 27, teens visiting the site can view JCPenney's Back-to-School broadcast spot, learn about hot looks from stars and their stylists in the show Cambio Style, and even enter for a chance to attend a Jonas Brothers concert.

-- JCPenney will bring its action-meets-fashion brand experience directly to customers in local markets this Back-to-School season. The Company will showcase its exclusive brand Supergirl by Nastia through the sponsorship of the Supergirl Jam -- the industry's only large-scale, all girls action sports competition, which will include appearances by Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin and additional top female action sports athletes. JCPenney will also showcase exclusive brand RS by Sheckler and national brand Zoo York through its sponsorship of the Dew Tour, which features Ryan Sheckler, Chaz Ortiz and other renowned skate superstars in a multi-city action sports competition. Each tour will include radio, TV, Internet and e-mail support along with personal appearances by Nastia Liukin and Ryan Sheckler in JCPenney stores across the country.

-- During the Back-to-School period, "fans" of JCPenney's robust and rapidly growing teen Facebook page, "JCP Teen", will be able to view the Company's Back-to-School broadcast spot as well as other special content to keep up-to-date on the latest trends, events and contests from JCPenney.

-- JCPenney will also adapt its Back-to-School TV spot for the Hispanic market, with the spot premiering on Univision during JCPenney's sponsorship of Premios Juventud -- the largest Hispanic music awards show in the U.S. -- and later during the Company's sponsorship of Miss Universe. Additionally, in conjunction with the popular International Secret Agents (ISA) concert -- which seeks to showcase the brightest and premier young talent among Asians and Asian Americans -- JCPenney will host an online contest, providing teens an opportunity to upload a video to YouTube to showcase their unique talents. The most talented performer -- chosen through popular vote -- will be awarded a JCPenney gift card and provided an opportunity to perform in ISA concerts in Los Angeles and New York.

This press release has an accompanying Smart Marketing Page providing further details about the organization, products and services introduced below. You can access the Smart Marketing Page via the following link: http://www.businesswire.com/smp/jcpenney-back-to-school/

About JCPenney

JCPenney is one of America's leading retailers, operating 1,107 department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, jcp.com, and the nation's largest general merchandise catalog business. Through these integrated channels, JCPenney offers a wide array of national, private and exclusive brands which reflect the Company's commitment to providing customers with style and quality at a compelling price. Traded as "JCP" on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company posted revenue of $17.6 billion in 2009 and is executing its strategic plan to be the growth leader in the retail industry. Key to this strategy is JCPenney's "Every Day Matters" brand positioning, intended to generate deeper, more emotionally driven relationships with customers by fully engaging the Company's approximately 150,000 Associates to offer encouragement, provide ideas and inspire customers every time they shop with JCPenney. For more information visit www.jcpenney.net

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6353412&lang=en

SOURCE: J. C. Penney Company, Inc.

source:

Market Watch

The Ryan Sheckler Foundation / The Athlete Recovery fund

Superstar’s Mom Charitable Work
The Ryan Sheckler Foundation
www.shecklerfoundation.org
www.athleterecoveryfund.com

Gretchen Sheckler, Mother of Skateboarding Superstar
Ryan Sheckler, CEO of The Ryan Sheckler Foundation

Ask any skateboarder on the planet who Ryan Sheckler is and you're sure to get an out-of-this-world answer. Ryan, a world-renowned athlete, teenage heartthrob, business owner, TV Star and charity founder has his name synonymous with extreme skateboarding.

Ryan and his mother started the non-profit Sheckler Foundation, www.shecklerfoundation.org, to help children and their families in need. Despite being a rising superstar in the skateboarding world, Ryan’s Mother, Gretchen Sheckler, instilled and inspired her son that giving back to your community is the most important measure of success.

Through her nutriment and devotion to her son and his passion, Gretchen has aided in Ryan’s profound success. She will be available to talk more about her and her son’s charity work and what it was like to raise a rising star athlete. They have also partnered up with A Taste For Success Campaign which is to celebrate the crucial role that mothers play in guiding their kids to achievement, Ball Park has assembled a roster of "all star moms" who will share the secrets of their success") and their partnering with The Athlete Recovery fund. The Athlete Recovery Fund provides benefits for athletes that suffer severe injury and is an official 501 (C) 3 charity. For more information, visit www.athleterecoveryfund.com

source:
Fox4