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Phoenix Day Two
Hot as Hell... And the Weather's Warm Too
By Jared Souney
For the entire month of August, the temperatures in Phoenix stayed over 110 degrees. The temperatures on the tarmac were enough to boil my eyes in my skull, but the action sports fans of Arizona braved the heat to pack into the Jobing.com Arena for a Labor Day weekend filled with excitement.
For the most part, the equipment in the arena was recognizable. There was a massive vert ramp, a take off and landing ramp for freestyle motocross and a sound stage for two of the hottest upcoming bands. But there was also a new apparatus, a series of jumps like a petrified dirt course with quarter pipes at either end. This was the BMX box jump, and it turned out to be one of the most intense competitions of the year.
As usual, the freestyle motocross shows were a highlight of the weekend. Robert Distler, Jimmie McGuire and Greg Hartman brought the crowd to their feet with every whip, flip and – well, hell, every time they gunned their engines.
The FMX ramps bookended the intimate pit section where VIP fans gathered to cheer for their favorite athletes, and shriek for the bands. Saturday night saw the Screamo stylings of Hawthorne Heights, followed on Sunday by The Starting Line.
But the centerpiece of the arena was the 14 1/2’ by 59’ vert ramp, the largest portable ramp in North America. A roll-in on one side boosted a dozen BMX riders, fifteen pro skateboarders and nine amateur skateboarders as they battled for honor, cash and, in the case of the pros, a position at the Action Sports World Championships in Dallas, Texas.
To follow the action on TV, tune in to CBS October 13 at 2 PM.
