Rally X

Got hooked-up with tickets for the X Games rally car on Sunday. It was pretty damn cool. We happened to have optimal seating, as it was at the end of the landing ramp for the 35" jump. That sucker took it's toll on the cars. One of the cars got body work in-between elimination and the finals. There was a guy wailing away with a sledge hammer, and then the tried and true; hook-a-tow-cable-to-another-car-and-pull/tug-the-frame-straight. I don't think that stuff made the telecast. The final was underwhelming, as three of the races were red flagged and no car actually had to finish the race. But it was a great time.

 

Also, Mirra and Pastrana had interviews in-between races and the booth was just behind the section I was in. So, both guys got within 30' of me. That was cool. They got semi-mobbed, so I had no chance at an autograph or photo-op.

 

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X Games

Took a day off yesterday and went to the X Games. Very cool. They had moto-x practice, FMX jumping practice, Rally car runs, & mens halfpipe practice at Home Depot Center. It was my first time there and I can see why they have had X Games there for so many years in a row now. The place gets set-up like a mini-Olympic venue. There're separate areas for the halfpipe, moto-x & rally car, street and park. All of the events were more impressive in-person, especially the FMX jumping. 50-foot backflips are way more impressive live and in-person. Also the sense of scale for the halfpipe skating is better. Those guys are getting serious air. Rally car translates well to TV, but I got to stand next to the burnout corner (basically, a U-turn that the cars drift around) and you don't get the tire smoke and rubber smell on TV.

 

I also went to the Staples Center events that afternoon. I've been dying to see the mega-ramp in-person and finally did. That sucker is wild. Its cool to have a better sense of scale with the ramp indoors. These guys are basically launching down from the cheap seats. The ramp is at a 60-degree angle. I'm glad I experienced it. I took a ton of pictures with a new camera we JUST got. I didn't even consider that it would be delivered in time. The camera came within 48-hours of being ordered, must have been out of a local warehouse. Expect a link to pictures soon.