Aaron Colton gets busy on...
Aaron Colton gets busy on a Ducati Monster.
The Web forums were blazing and press releases flowing in the weeks preceding X Games 16 with the big news that the XDL stunt riding championship was going to be a part of the annual extreme sports event. Riders from across the country packed up and headed for LA to take part in the invite-only demo that was to mark the closest the sport has come to mainstream exposure.
While technically the event wasn't a part of the X Games, it was near the venue and helped put the sport in the public eye. Spectator turnout was dreadful and the lack of X Game
positive outlook on the potential for inclusion in the true X Games for 2011. Rider Aaron Colton commented, "I think that the X-Games demo was a solid step forward for the sport."
Kane Friesen performs for...
Kane Friesen performs for a much smaller audience than expected.
Another rider, Kane Friesen, expressed his concern over the poor spectator turnout, "I'm worried about the lack of live spectator support. I feel the riders are, and have been, ready for an X Games chance for years, and only hope that in 2011 we may finally get a real chance."