Who has x-games e-mail? We might aswell write and ask them what they think of the idea.
Maybe set up a big arranged petition or some good solid facts about numbers of footbag players or something, send them some really styilised videos that show how 'cool' footbag is. Whos keen?
Let`s start thinking about Footbag in the Olympics
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Seath
- Craptacular Spatula
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This year's summer X games will be in LA
http://expn.go.com/expn/story?pageName=xg11_dates
I think a huge step towards anything productive would be to organize a promo show during this event. We need a media kit and someone who knows how to get such things done in the Cali area.
http://expn.go.com/expn/story?pageName=xg11_dates
I think a huge step towards anything productive would be to organize a promo show during this event. We need a media kit and someone who knows how to get such things done in the Cali area.
We could all petition ESPN to include our sport in the X-games and ask them to go to the next big event. I don't think they'd include freestyle in this coming X-games but we should shoot for the 2006 games.
If we all got together to flood them with letters/e-mails/phone calls they'd have to at least recognize us. The more we push the more they'll give and eventually they will show an event on late night/early morning. If we got that far all we'd have to do is write/e-mail/call about the show they had on and express our interest. They'll (hopefully) take note of our continuous barrage of letters with in the next year and hopefully our sport will grow from the small coverage they will give us.
After all of that...We'd have to start all over again with the letters/e-mail/calls to get freestyle into the X-games. If it worked the first time there will be no reason to beleive it wouldn't work again.
Sound like a long process? It should because that's what it's gonna take. Maybe someone should ask the jugglers how they got their World's on ESPN. That was pretty nifty.
If we all got together to flood them with letters/e-mails/phone calls they'd have to at least recognize us. The more we push the more they'll give and eventually they will show an event on late night/early morning. If we got that far all we'd have to do is write/e-mail/call about the show they had on and express our interest. They'll (hopefully) take note of our continuous barrage of letters with in the next year and hopefully our sport will grow from the small coverage they will give us.
After all of that...We'd have to start all over again with the letters/e-mail/calls to get freestyle into the X-games. If it worked the first time there will be no reason to beleive it wouldn't work again.
Sound like a long process? It should because that's what it's gonna take. Maybe someone should ask the jugglers how they got their World's on ESPN. That was pretty nifty.
Joshua Annis
"Don't Panic..."
"I woke wanting nothing more than a box of Gushers....
DENIED
I shake my first at the sky."-Matt Cross
"Yeah, seriously! When I got back into my cubicle Jazz started throwing dimes at me. What an asshole."-David Wilder
"Don't Panic..."
"I woke wanting nothing more than a box of Gushers....
DENIED
I shake my first at the sky."-Matt Cross
"Yeah, seriously! When I got back into my cubicle Jazz started throwing dimes at me. What an asshole."-David Wilder
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Seath
- Craptacular Spatula
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Yea until then though we gotta promote this sport like crazy, the more people who know about it the more receptive they would be to including it in the big show, a demo in this years would do wonders for us now.
It's also good that this year the world championships are in Finland, I bet it'll get a shitload more media coverage than 04.
It's also good that this year the world championships are in Finland, I bet it'll get a shitload more media coverage than 04.
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King Monkey
- Post Master General
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- Location: Sydney, Australia
On my flight to the UK on Thursday, there was a little X-Games show screening on the plane, and there was a mention of Surfing as an X-games event (which it is now) and it said it was '8 years in the making'. If it takes Surfing 8 years, it will take us about 30 
Ian Pritchard - http://www.ausfootbag.org
'People, just play Footbag and stop being dickheads!' - Michał Biarda
'People, just play Footbag and stop being dickheads!' - Michał Biarda
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FootbagginBum
- Flower Child
- Posts: 2018
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- Location: Grass Valley and Las Vegas
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I don't how how you'd describe surfing events though...
Thank you Ken!! I am so glad someone brought this topic back up, the last thread mentioning it was extinct more than a year ago at least, and you did the initial hw to give us all goal. Personally, I tell people all the time we're trying to get in in the 2012 olympics, but I guess no one is trying to hard...I thought steve was doing something though...
I think we definitely need to get steve on this thread to give his thoughts and prior information on the matter.
According to footbag.org "There are currently 998 clubs in 52 countries." And since I'm sure there are a few people exposed and starting up in other places, or recently moved like singapore, we only seem to need 15 more countries. And I have one additional big idea to contribute in getting them going.
In addition to getting Vasek to do a routine at the X games, and maybe a sick 3 or shred 30 or something, we should think of the things that are already more similar to footbag:
Many of you who went to worlds (and some others) are aware that we have a new shredder and footbag group started in Brazil. The first thing most asked him was "do you play soccer?" If we were to get a big screen enhanced, half time spot at the biggest soccer/football event(s) in south america (and central america if they have a big one of there own) in addition to spots at the World Cup and throughout Europe to pick up the last few countries not already started there, we would not only pick up almost if not all the neccessary countries, but we could expose hella people, because they're hugely attended AND they're already televised! And all the fans are already diggin fancy footwork! Just have vasek up to do a routine with a really hard combo at the end, similar to the Mr. Woo soccer half time show, and we'll be on our way. And you could leave http://www.footbag.org on the bottom of the big screen (as well as the tv hopefully) for the entire routine. This would burn it into peoples subconscious and send TONS of people to check it out, especially the soccer players who are sitting at home and already hack and have a commercial break to fill before the second half. I really think we should take any steps toward this that we can.
Now, as for the X games, I have been disuaded over the years by people who point out the X, but still feel that the fans who watch the games would like it. I feel it is at least as xtreme as flatland freestyle, or at least as dangerous. I think we could pretty easily convince them to let us hold a demonstrational rippen run between (flexible) Vasek and Honza where they each are doing old routine pieces and stuff in addition to there easist hard stuff (alpine foodprocessor, montage...) or if not that, at least like a vasek shred 30 or routine. They know how many people play hacky sack, and they know they'll like it, and it won't take a unique setup location and it won't take much time... I think we shoud surely be working towards these or similar ends in addition to soccer/football exposure if we wish to get footbag into either the x-games or the olympics.
Also, as the best informative pieces, I believe a short dvd should be sent to both organizing committes, letting them know that we're on the way to fulfilling they're requirements, with 3 things on it: The book of cool footbag sections little preview (showcases many aspects), bila lavice, and a dropless Vasek or mulroney routine (I say Vaseks worlds 02 semi run) or maybe even two routines showcasing different style and growth in trick difficulty (like putting the ryan 97 routine and the new vasek todexon on on it).
Lets keep this thread at the top without stickying it, its the only way to make sure we're working hard enough. Peace.
Bum
Thank you Ken!! I am so glad someone brought this topic back up, the last thread mentioning it was extinct more than a year ago at least, and you did the initial hw to give us all goal. Personally, I tell people all the time we're trying to get in in the 2012 olympics, but I guess no one is trying to hard...I thought steve was doing something though...
I think we definitely need to get steve on this thread to give his thoughts and prior information on the matter.
According to footbag.org "There are currently 998 clubs in 52 countries." And since I'm sure there are a few people exposed and starting up in other places, or recently moved like singapore, we only seem to need 15 more countries. And I have one additional big idea to contribute in getting them going.
In addition to getting Vasek to do a routine at the X games, and maybe a sick 3 or shred 30 or something, we should think of the things that are already more similar to footbag:
Many of you who went to worlds (and some others) are aware that we have a new shredder and footbag group started in Brazil. The first thing most asked him was "do you play soccer?" If we were to get a big screen enhanced, half time spot at the biggest soccer/football event(s) in south america (and central america if they have a big one of there own) in addition to spots at the World Cup and throughout Europe to pick up the last few countries not already started there, we would not only pick up almost if not all the neccessary countries, but we could expose hella people, because they're hugely attended AND they're already televised! And all the fans are already diggin fancy footwork! Just have vasek up to do a routine with a really hard combo at the end, similar to the Mr. Woo soccer half time show, and we'll be on our way. And you could leave http://www.footbag.org on the bottom of the big screen (as well as the tv hopefully) for the entire routine. This would burn it into peoples subconscious and send TONS of people to check it out, especially the soccer players who are sitting at home and already hack and have a commercial break to fill before the second half. I really think we should take any steps toward this that we can.
Now, as for the X games, I have been disuaded over the years by people who point out the X, but still feel that the fans who watch the games would like it. I feel it is at least as xtreme as flatland freestyle, or at least as dangerous. I think we could pretty easily convince them to let us hold a demonstrational rippen run between (flexible) Vasek and Honza where they each are doing old routine pieces and stuff in addition to there easist hard stuff (alpine foodprocessor, montage...) or if not that, at least like a vasek shred 30 or routine. They know how many people play hacky sack, and they know they'll like it, and it won't take a unique setup location and it won't take much time... I think we shoud surely be working towards these or similar ends in addition to soccer/football exposure if we wish to get footbag into either the x-games or the olympics.
Also, as the best informative pieces, I believe a short dvd should be sent to both organizing committes, letting them know that we're on the way to fulfilling they're requirements, with 3 things on it: The book of cool footbag sections little preview (showcases many aspects), bila lavice, and a dropless Vasek or mulroney routine (I say Vaseks worlds 02 semi run) or maybe even two routines showcasing different style and growth in trick difficulty (like putting the ryan 97 routine and the new vasek todexon on on it).
Lets keep this thread at the top without stickying it, its the only way to make sure we're working hard enough. Peace.
Bum
"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Gandhi
Amen.
We shoud do something IRL not just discussing about doing something. I'll shred a heck of a lot outdoors where other people are this summer and try to get more people in and more publicity (...for footbag obviously, not me). I have to say that I'm definitely not the best one to do much more than that because I'm just 15 and there are no other players here where I live.
I think we'd need a well-organized and planned campaign to make footbag more popular. If no shredder can do such thing, then WFA/IFPA/other should consider hiring someone who can.
Anyways if someone has good suggestions what could I do here, please tell it out loud.
Oh, and I almost forgot. I'm planning to organize a small jam in Tampere this summer 'cause Tampere is the only bigger city in Finland where is no/minimal footbag scene. I'm going to call it "Crusade" (in Finnish: Ristiretki).
We shoud do something IRL not just discussing about doing something. I'll shred a heck of a lot outdoors where other people are this summer and try to get more people in and more publicity (...for footbag obviously, not me). I have to say that I'm definitely not the best one to do much more than that because I'm just 15 and there are no other players here where I live.
I think we'd need a well-organized and planned campaign to make footbag more popular. If no shredder can do such thing, then WFA/IFPA/other should consider hiring someone who can.
Anyways if someone has good suggestions what could I do here, please tell it out loud.
Oh, and I almost forgot. I'm planning to organize a small jam in Tampere this summer 'cause Tampere is the only bigger city in Finland where is no/minimal footbag scene. I'm going to call it "Crusade" (in Finnish: Ristiretki).
Lauri Jaakkola
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peanutbuterboy
- Fearless
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- Location: Plano, Texas
- Contact:
It would gain popularity very fast. Like when I first did some easy footbag moves in my "hacky sack" circle at school every one was just like 
over atw and legover. If all the skater people in the world saw footbag on the xgames they would be like . The next day there will be a run on lavers and footbags. We will have taken over!
....what...huh...oh sorry for sleeping in class....
over atw and legover. If all the skater people in the world saw footbag on the xgames they would be like . The next day there will be a run on lavers and footbags. We will have taken over!....what...huh...oh sorry for sleeping in class....
Luke Andrews
BMX-freestyle, skateboarding, inline skating . . .
all went through this stage where there were multiple pro teams traveling and doing shows at shops.
Footbag can't go from shredding in someones bedroom and posting video on the internet to the olympics.
Asking, won't get footbag into the X. Showing up with 500 people ready to kick and get thrown out will. If you want footbag in the X, make a scene (disturbance) so large it gets covered on TV. Take the crowd away from the advertisers, and let the advertisers negotiate the sport into the games.
all went through this stage where there were multiple pro teams traveling and doing shows at shops.
Footbag can't go from shredding in someones bedroom and posting video on the internet to the olympics.
Asking, won't get footbag into the X. Showing up with 500 people ready to kick and get thrown out will. If you want footbag in the X, make a scene (disturbance) so large it gets covered on TV. Take the crowd away from the advertisers, and let the advertisers negotiate the sport into the games.
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junkyardjew
- BSOS Beast
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Thanks for being a voice of reason. I feel really bad for the people posting enthusiastically in this forum about the x-games and the olympics.Footbag can't go from shredding in someones bedroom and posting videos on the internet to the olympics.
I hope you do work hard to make the sport more popular, but you're definitely not ready for the x-games. You're going to have to work pretty hard just to get noticed. There isn't even a tournament once a month in the US, it's more like once every two months. Six big jams a year does not a popular sport make. You can't just say "there are lots of people who like hacky-sack, so they'll obviously pay lots of money to see footbag".
That's what it's really all about. Money. People pay money for skateboards and they pay money to watch skate vidoes etc, so advertisers pay money to skateboard companies to advertise in their videos, and that's how the money gets passed along. Footbag just doesn't have the potential or the audience yet.
Work really hard to get footbag noticed in your area. That's the best thing you can do for the sport. Trying to get noticed by the x-games is just going to steal your energy and dissapoint you.
When there is even a single shredder in a single city in every state, then we can start talking about starting to talk about the x-games...
Jared MacKay
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Seath
- Craptacular Spatula
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I agree, the x games is not an option until we have way more of a global presence. But getting a demo at this X games seems definitely doable, it's a fresh, unique sport that is associated with what most know as hacky slack. Which I can assume is favoured by many of the fans and athletes of the X games.
If we have any hopes that it will be accepted as a competitive sport in the X games or olympics in the next ten or twent years, or even at all then we HAVE to show our presence at huge internationally televised events like this.
And everyone needs to become an ambassador of the sport too. For many of you, you are the only one your city knows about footbag, you are the sports representative, keep that in mind! Try to really push it in your city, this sport is so underground it's sick! sick in a bad way.
Ok tangent:
Know what may be holding down footbag? the non-competitive nature of it all. We need more crew rivalries (friendly of course) we need people to start representing and being competitive, people like watching competition, it makes it more interesting for the spectator.
So I officially call out the KFM to step up on 420 day and see if they can stand up to the CCFC. We'll document our battle.
If we have any hopes that it will be accepted as a competitive sport in the X games or olympics in the next ten or twent years, or even at all then we HAVE to show our presence at huge internationally televised events like this.
And everyone needs to become an ambassador of the sport too. For many of you, you are the only one your city knows about footbag, you are the sports representative, keep that in mind! Try to really push it in your city, this sport is so underground it's sick! sick in a bad way.
Ok tangent:
Know what may be holding down footbag? the non-competitive nature of it all. We need more crew rivalries (friendly of course) we need people to start representing and being competitive, people like watching competition, it makes it more interesting for the spectator.
So I officially call out the KFM to step up on 420 day and see if they can stand up to the CCFC. We'll document our battle.
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KronoKicker
- Atomsmashasaurus Dex
- Posts: 750
- Joined: 27 Apr 2004 10:39
- Location: Morrisville, NC
X-games is not the goal in mind, X-games is just a means of exposure. Getting footbag accepted into X-games would help, but I think its more important to just get huge amounts of expose.
We should concentrate on gathering and flooding huge televised sports events, not just X-games and the World Cup but any major event. Getting on a sports network = a huge amount of exposure to a crowd of people more likely to accept footbag, sports fans. When all major footbag events start attracting large amounts of people, are we real goal, Olympics, will be much easier to achieve.
We should concentrate on gathering and flooding huge televised sports events, not just X-games and the World Cup but any major event. Getting on a sports network = a huge amount of exposure to a crowd of people more likely to accept footbag, sports fans. When all major footbag events start attracting large amounts of people, are we real goal, Olympics, will be much easier to achieve.
Aric McIntosh
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FootbagginBum
- Flower Child
- Posts: 2018
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- Location: Grass Valley and Las Vegas
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This may be how we get access to a lot of our inpiration, but this is not whats going on predominantly. They may not be that big, but we have a really large number of events in the footbag world, at least a large enough number that if you told someone who didn't know about footbag they'd be blown away.Tsiangkun wrote:
Footbag can't go from shredding in someones bedroom and posting video on the internet to the olympics.
Also, the WFA (back in the day) used to go around and tour all the time, and footbag camp used to be much more popular (although it seems to go down in Europe to some degree now. We should get in touch with the WFA (maybe I should, I'm good friends with Bruce and Randy...) and try to set up certain people throughout each footbag region to be new age official tourers/demonstrators. This way we can take they're old school school programs into our own hands so to speak, and instead of charging a school 4-6 hundred dollars, do like whole day PE programs and lunch shreds and go around turning all the high school hackers that are good but ignorant into shredders. There's no reason that things like that should be going on rarely. Evan, Ben and I went to a church and did a big program for about 30 kids from 4-12 and most of them loved it, and we got paid. It was so much fun for all involved, didn't take much time, and exposed to the sport to the next generation before most of them knew about hacky sack. Stuff like this helps, but we need to organize it so we can make it even broader and more widespread.
Let keep this snow-ball rolling. Soon we'll have an avalanche...
Bum
"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Gandhi
Fairly obvious but until footbag becomes more popular or more exposed its best to do it close to other events or when there not going. People at the moment would rather watch the other events (skating, bmx, inline). There was a small footbag event in the Australian X games but it seems they didnt get much attention.
Not quite the same but in New Zealand this year we had the Footbag Nats with the Vodafone X-Air. The footbag events were off in another location (although all the X-Air events were spread out aswell) that was out of view from anyone. I know more people would rather watch the X-Air. People still went to the footbag but not as much. It would of been good if it was open and people who were going around the X-Air would have seen the footbag and might have checked it out.
I think it was the same with the Aussie X games. The footbag had an area set aside for them but my guess it was probably on during other X games events and out of view.
So if footbag was in the X games (Internation or wateva) then it would be best if possible side by side with the X games events or on when others can check it out when X games events werent running (or not when the more popular events are running)
Not quite the same but in New Zealand this year we had the Footbag Nats with the Vodafone X-Air. The footbag events were off in another location (although all the X-Air events were spread out aswell) that was out of view from anyone. I know more people would rather watch the X-Air. People still went to the footbag but not as much. It would of been good if it was open and people who were going around the X-Air would have seen the footbag and might have checked it out.
I think it was the same with the Aussie X games. The footbag had an area set aside for them but my guess it was probably on during other X games events and out of view.
So if footbag was in the X games (Internation or wateva) then it would be best if possible side by side with the X games events or on when others can check it out when X games events werent running (or not when the more popular events are running)
Clayton Chin
A big step forward would be conquering South America and Asia (also the continent, not just Japan). In these countries there's lots of potential that goes almost completely to football (I wouldn't say "go to waste" because I enjoy watching football (soccer, blah, whatever) too. Very Happy ).
I know one reason why football is so popular for example in Brazil, is that for many young people it's the only way to get a better life (with this I mean a proper home and reasonable wealthy). Footbag can't offer sport cars or manors to the top players, but I still think that there'd be a lot of creative people who'd do great in footbag if they ever had chance.
Footbag in Olympic Games is not going to happen very soon, though it'd be wicked cool. Reality is to start making footbag more popular (Q: Do we want that?), and after that consider big events.
The image of footbag IMO is: a "lifestyle" (I hate that word though) sport/activity where you can compete if you want. The community is open - you can sense team spirit with someones you're competing against.
I know one reason why football is so popular for example in Brazil, is that for many young people it's the only way to get a better life (with this I mean a proper home and reasonable wealthy). Footbag can't offer sport cars or manors to the top players, but I still think that there'd be a lot of creative people who'd do great in footbag if they ever had chance.
Footbag in Olympic Games is not going to happen very soon, though it'd be wicked cool. Reality is to start making footbag more popular (Q: Do we want that?), and after that consider big events.
The image of footbag IMO is: a "lifestyle" (I hate that word though) sport/activity where you can compete if you want. The community is open - you can sense team spirit with someones you're competing against.
Lauri Jaakkola
Well if you want to start the e-mails for ESPN, here's the address.
http://espn.go.com/sitetools/s/contact/espn.com.html
I put "other" for category. I don't really think it should go in "extreme sports" but do what you want.
For the e-mail address it asks for, I didn't know if using my .org address make more work that they don't need, so I just used my yahoo addy. Maybe I should use both, huh?
http://espn.go.com/sitetools/s/contact/espn.com.html
I put "other" for category. I don't really think it should go in "extreme sports" but do what you want.
For the e-mail address it asks for, I didn't know if using my .org address make more work that they don't need, so I just used my yahoo addy. Maybe I should use both, huh?
Joshua Annis
"Don't Panic..."
"I woke wanting nothing more than a box of Gushers....
DENIED
I shake my first at the sky."-Matt Cross
"Yeah, seriously! When I got back into my cubicle Jazz started throwing dimes at me. What an asshole."-David Wilder
"Don't Panic..."
"I woke wanting nothing more than a box of Gushers....
DENIED
I shake my first at the sky."-Matt Cross
"Yeah, seriously! When I got back into my cubicle Jazz started throwing dimes at me. What an asshole."-David Wilder
What about the starburst/snickers tours they did in Europe back some years. Those promotions help in a large way. Maybe im incorrect but is that not how Vasek got introduced?
Large Corporate Sponsors is what we need. Big Money to do Big Things. Putting on our little tourneys doesnt help us *overall* until we can attract a big national type sponsor (depending on who *we* are, I am referring to Canada or US/ individual countrieS).
You need like a molson and a little roadshow, say 4 stops, big promo, big exposure. Im at work and just ranting, but I think that would be a step in the right direction.
Problem is there is no real heirarchy in footbag. Sure we have IFPA, but outside of the US and sanctioning tourneys, they dont provide the *structure* we need to evolve the sport. Maybe im wrong and delusional from looking at a screen for like 9 straight hours, but let me know what you all think.
How bout a tournament circuit in Canada to start. 4 stops, throughout the year? That would help attract major sponsors. We can appeal to the marketing demographics of many companies.
Cheers
Large Corporate Sponsors is what we need. Big Money to do Big Things. Putting on our little tourneys doesnt help us *overall* until we can attract a big national type sponsor (depending on who *we* are, I am referring to Canada or US/ individual countrieS).
You need like a molson and a little roadshow, say 4 stops, big promo, big exposure. Im at work and just ranting, but I think that would be a step in the right direction.
Problem is there is no real heirarchy in footbag. Sure we have IFPA, but outside of the US and sanctioning tourneys, they dont provide the *structure* we need to evolve the sport. Maybe im wrong and delusional from looking at a screen for like 9 straight hours, but let me know what you all think.
How bout a tournament circuit in Canada to start. 4 stops, throughout the year? That would help attract major sponsors. We can appeal to the marketing demographics of many companies.
Cheers
- Ben Cochrane
If you bang it once, I will punch you in the f*%kin mouth!
If you bang it once, I will punch you in the f*%kin mouth!