2001 X-Games Preview

The theme for the 2001 Games is xpress yourself.

X Games

Inline skating

You'll see two new events, a new location on the east coast and there's even a chance Tony Hawk might drop by. What's even better? It's free. The 2001 X-Games are just around the corner.

When and Where?
This year's Games run from August 11th - 22nd in Philadelphia. It'll be the first time the Games have been held on the east coast since the 1996 Games in Rhode Island. Most of the skateboarding and inline skating will be at the First Union Center (that's where Iverson and the Sixers play.) The street skating will be outside Philadelphia City Hall and the biking, motorcross and wakeboarding will be at sites just outside the city.

Who's Gonna Be There?
The competitors in the 2001 Games include the top athletes from the Japan X-Games, the European X-Games and other qualifying events from around North America. The big names showing up include BMX master Dave Mirra, inline skating gold medalist Fabiola da Silva and there's even rumors that Tony Hawk may come out of retirement to compete again. Your mom, your dirty old science teacher and those buttmunches from the chess club probably won't show.

What's New?
This year's Games will have two new categories - downhill BMX and a skateboard street event. Downhill BMX will be the only bike-racing event at the Games. It will see guys race down a course which includes 40 foot gaps, table tops and tight corners. For the first time the skateboard competition will test the skaters' real street smarts. In the skateboard street category, riders will go over obstacles on the actual streets of Philadelphia including hand rails, the steps of City Hall, park benches and ledges. It makes sense cuz the street is where pretty much everyone skates anyway.

What's It Gonna Cost?
This is the best part of the Games - there are no tickets. You just have to make it to Philadelphia. That means you, all your broke friends and anyone else who decided they didn't need a summer job can check out the Games for free. If you can't make it to Philly, you can always catch them on the tube. They'll air August 18th - 23rd on ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2. Check out your TV guide for more details.