Los Angeles, CA. August 3-6, 2006: The premier action sports competition took center stage as X Games 12 arrived in Los Angeles the first week of August. Over 300 of the world’s best alternative sports athletes competed for medals and nearly $1 million in cash.
Skateboarding was the only event open to the girls but they still managed to make some headlines.
Stakes Raised - Prize Money & Exposure Increases For Women at X Games
There’s been a lot of controversy about the lack of TV coverage the women get at the X Games. Add to that the paltry prize money offered and what you get are a lot of disgruntled athletes and spectators.
This year however, female participants stood up to ESPN regarding gender inequity in the nation’s largest action sports event. Skateboarders Mimi Knoop and Cara-Beth Burnside of the Action Sports Alliance met with ESPN Vice President John Skipper, to discuss the gross inequities. ESPN committed to making changes in this year’s competition and more significant changes in the future.
With the stakes raised, Burnside and Steamer won $15,000 first prizes (a $13,000 increase over last year). Not quite the $50,000 purse that gold medalist Sandro Dias won in the Men’s Vert final but notable nonetheless.
Elissa Steamer Makes History; Rolls to Three-peat in Skate Street
August 5, 2006: Professional skateboarder Elissa Steamer took home her third consecutive gold medal at the X Games, making history as she rolled to the top of the podium.
Steamer’s ongoing stellar performances within the X Games have made her the only woman to be able to hang the women�s skateboard street gold medal around her neck. Other medalists were Lauren Perkins and Lacey Baker in second and third respectively.
Cara-Beth Burnside Rules Vert
August 3, 2006: Cara-Beth Burnside won her second consecutive gold in the women’s skateboard vert competition at X Games 12.Fresh off her ESPY nomination for Best Female Action Sports Athlete, Burnside (Encinitas, Calif.) showed the crowd why she deserved that honor. Burnside punctuated her medal-winning run with several Judo Airs, a Pop Tart Disaster and a Feeble To Fakie.
Mimi Knoop (Encinitas, Calif.), a multiple X Games medal-winner herself, took the silver medal after three straight X Games skateboard vert bronze medals (2003-2005).
Karen Jones (Sao Paulo, Brazil), the bronze medalist said, “It was a great vibe to skate with today’s group of women. This is the biggest competition for women’s skateboard, and I am proud to take home bronze to Brazil.”
Invited Female Skaters & Results
Street Women - Saturday, August 5th 2006
Elissa Steamer - Ft. Myers, Fla. GOLD
Lauren Perkins - Huntington Beach, Calif. SILVER
Lacey Baker - Covina, Calif. BRONZE
Evelien Bouilliart - Aalter-oost, Belgium
Amy Caron - Huntington Beach, Calif.
Marissa Del Santo - Lahrange, Ill.
Vanessa Torres - Modesto, Calif.
Vert Women -Thursday, August 3rd 2006
Cara-Beth Burnside - Encinitas, Calif. GOLD
Mimi Knoop - Chesapeake, Va. SILVER
Karen Jones - Santo Andre, Spain BRONZE
Jen OBrien - Carlsbad, Calif.
Holly Lyons - Encinitas, Calif.
Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins - Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.
Tina Neff - Muenster, Germany
Apryl Woodcock - Chino, Calif.
Check out xgames.com for more info.
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[…] Action Sports Alliance, a nonprofit organization that provides a voice for women skateboarders that lobbied ESPN executives as early as 2006 before X Games 12. In the current corporate and economic environment, t’s great when […]