Fredrik Winsents (11) teaches beginners the elementary tricks. Ollie, Popshuvit, 180 Ollie and Shuvit are shot in Os, outside of Bergen, Norway.
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Riding as a professional BMX rider includes several aproaches for anyone that likes to ride BMX. One possible approach is the professional street BMX riding, flat land professional BMX, professional vertical and BMX half pipe riding that star in ESPN X Games and NBC's Dew Tour. Other areas it is possible to go professional for BMX enthusiasts is BMX motocross. BMX motocross is not only an Olympic sport it is also featured on the Dew Tour and includes two professional racing leagues, the American Bicycle Association and the National Bicycle League.
The advent of the X Games and the later creation of the dew Tour, has vaulted most styles of BMX to the fore front. The most popular BMX events at the X Games are the half pipe, super half pipe and the X Games Big Air. For someone wanting to break into these type of events as a professional rider is to qualify as the individual tours travel across the country.
There are also local shows in most cities that include professional street and flat land professional BMX riding contests. Winning a local contest can launch a relatively unknown rider into the national spotlight if the event receives coverage from a national BMX rider magazine. Learning tricks and technique is as easy as traveling to the local skate park. Many professional BMX riders hone their skills right along every day BMX riders.
Acquiring sponsorship from BMX bike manufacturers, clothing manufacturers and BMX parts manufacturers is as easy as posting videos on the Internet. Posting a video on the Internet will give a potential BMX professional an outlet to show new tricks and get their name into the mix. The more style and new tricks that are displayed by a BMX rider on their Internet video postings, the more likely a rider can sign sponsorship contracts.
Sponsors are looking for style as much as substance. A rider that is flamboyant and stylish while doing tricks and has a great persona while speaking in front of a camera is gold for a BMX sponsor. Their goal is for the riders they sponsor to represent them on and off the bike.
One aspect of being sponsored is that of promotion. Many sponsors require their riders to make appearances for them in cities across the country. This helps the rider not only gain exposure it also helps the sponsor sell their products.
professional BMX motocross is another way to become a BMX professional rider. There are two ways in which a rider can become a professional. The American Bicycle Association is the original professional BMX motocross series and features professional BMX riders that travel across the country with the national tours. professional BMX events are on a course that includes large table top jumps, a rhythm section and large wide berms in the corners to allow for passing.
To become a professional rider in the American Bicycle Association is easy. Race through the ranks from beginner to expert and win to rise to the next level. There are professional beginner classes to ease riders into the professional class and once racing against the professional BMX riders it is easy to catch the eye of BMX sponsors. The goal to gain sponsorship in BMX motocross is the same as all forms of BMX disciplines. Personality and style are just as important as talent.
National Bicycle League is another form of BMX motocross and it is home to most BMX riders that race in the Olympic BMX motocross events. National Bicycle League competitions across the country also and professional BMX classes are extremely competitive. riders that compete at the high level of the National Bicycle League can rise to national prominence quickly.
The fans follow BMX riders with fierce loyalty and the riders are beloved in the tight knot community of fans. What sponsors are looking for is a rider that will transcend this and rise to national professional eminence much like a Matt Hoffman or Ryan Nyquist.
How to Become a Pro BMX Rider and Earn Money Doing What You LoveThe summer months are the hardest for snowboarders to keep up their skills for the slopes. But there are a number of alternatives to help you practice and hone your boarding abilities once the snow has melted.
We don't all have the luxury of jetting off to New Zealand and Chile to indulge in the alternate snow season, some of us are stuck in the UK and stranded on dry land. So, here are four alternatives which promise to give you skills and thrills of snowboarding, without a trip to the rockies.
Snowboard Simulator
Snowboard simulators are a piece of apparatus designed to allow the user to simulate the action of a snowboard, often used during dry land training.
Often found in amusement arcades or available for hire from many outdoor entertainment retailers, snowboard simulators are a fun way to get on a board and enjoy the feeling of riding the slopes without covering any ground.
The simulator tests your balance and coordination skills and challenges you to ride downhill and off piste as it tests your agility. Riders stand on the electronic snowboard and are challenged to move in unison with the board, requiring good coordination and first class core stability.
This is not the easiest piece of equipment to master and it certainly doesn't come cheap. If you were to buy a snowboard simulator it would set you back several thousand pounds and to hire the equipment you are looking at a rate ranging from £300 to £600 for just a few hours.
Freeline Skates
Freeline Skates utilise the same movements as snowboarding and can be used on normal slopes, not just ones of the dry or artificial snow variety.
The skates are dual independent skates that combine elements of skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding.
Freeline Skates offer a new experience for snowboarders, which requires them to utilise existing skills and transfer them to a new manner of riding. These provide a challenging and innovative way to carve big turns and invent new tricks, all on dry land.
Freeline Skates are ridden in a similar manner to a snowboard with riders shifting their weight from heel to toe to change direction allowing them to carve smooth 'S' turns while riding downhill.
The skates are independent, but unlike skates and blades they are not strapped to the rider's feet, this offers an added bonus to riders by allowing them to achieve high levels of traction on the flats and uphill providing a wide range of locations that are suitable for the skates.
Freeline Skates cost £85 a pair and spare wheels are priced at £25.
Mountain Boards
Mountain Boards are often described as offroad skateboards. They carve like snowboards and can be ridden on grass, dirt and tarmac.
While mountain boards can be pushed up a hill they are intended for downhill use mostly. Mountain Boards are viewed as an alternative to snowboarding, the dry land alternative to surfing and wakeboarding, and the off road alternative to skateboarding.
From carving to freestyle to boardercross, this exciting piece of equipment really does offer a dry land riding experience. It replaces snow with dirt and builds on the premise of skateboarding with its four wheels and snowboarding with its foot bindings and riding stance.
All terrain boards (ATB) costs more than a skateboard but are far less expensive than a high quality bike. Most mountain boards are £200 or less. After-market parts are on the cheap-side too. Mountain boards are fairly simple with few maintenance needs - http://www.atbshop.co.uk.
Xscape
With some of the country's biggest real snow slopes, boarders may want to take a trip to one of the three UK based Xscape centres. Xscape Milton Keynes, Braehead and Castleford offer the ideal place to brush up your boarding skills out of season.
It may seem a little far fetched, but these slopes come complete with real, fresh snow. It's the nearest thing you'll get to the white stuff indoors, short of shipping back a mountain on your next boarding holiday.
The centres offer lessons, a beginners' area and dedicated Freestyle nights for you to hit some rails, jibb the slide box and get some air off the jumps and pipes.
Freestyle sessions are every Thursday and Friday from 7pm to11pm. A two hour Freestlye session will set you back £25 if you're an adult and £20 for children, add £10 for an extra two hours.
Off peak rates apply on weekdays from 9am - 5pm, excluding school and bank holidays. Peak rates apply at all other times. Prices start at just £13 per hour off peak and £21 on peak.
Don't Let the Lack of Snow Stop Your Boarding PracticeIf you are going to learn to skateboard then the first easy skateboard trick that everyone will tell you to learn is the ollie. The ollie is the definitive skateboard trick and is required learning if you want to perform any aerial moves.
As everyone will tell you to learn the ollie, this list looks at the next tricks you can learn as a beginner and combines a number of aerial, flatland and rail tricks that you can get to work on to start building your trick arsenal.
Why not practice all of them and see which tricks you, your riding style and your body prefers? Work to your strengths and you'll look pro in no time!
The manual is a great flatland trick that you can learn before or after learning to ollie. A manual is basically like a wheelie on a bike and involves travelling round on the rear wheels of your board with the nose in the air. A nose manual is a little harder, as balancing on the nose whilst travelling forward requires a bit more finesse.
The 50-50 grind is great rail trick you can learn once you've got the ollie perfected. You need to be able to ollie onto the edge or the rail you plan to grind. The board then runs along the object on the trucks with the board split 50-50 over the object. Remember to wear a box or a cup if you are trying this grind for the first time!
The Pop Shove It involves the first part of the ollie (the 'pop') in which the rear of the board is kicked down, causing the board to rise up. As you pop the board, you kick the tail which causes the board to rotate. The board rotates through 180 degrees and stop as your feet drop back to earth.
The kickflip is a good progression from the ollie as the motion is pretty similar. In the process of the ollie you drag your front foot up the board toward the nose to level it out. To kickflip, you drag the foot to the nose and across the board causing it to flip through 360 degrees underneath your feet. The heelflip is another similar trick but you kick your foot to the toeside causing the board to flip in the opposite direction.
Got the Ollie Down? Learn the Top 4 Easy Skateboard Tricks Quickly & Easily!Those who attended the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan in 1998 were the first to see the addition of snowboarding to the list of events that take place. The sport had been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1994. It is really no surprise that it found its way into the largest sports competition in the world. It had been and still is growing in worldwide popularity since the 1960's. In the middle of the 1980's snowboarding was permitted in fewer than 10% of the ski spots in the U. S. Today, in 2010, it is allowed in about 95%.
A snowboard is not too different in design to a skateboard or surfboard. Inside of the water or cement, it is made for a snow covered slope. A snowboard looks somewhat like a wide, short ski. Flexible bindings are used to secure the boot in place, perpendicular to the board rather than facing forward as is the case with skis.
The largest demographic for participants to the sport is young people, aged 18-24. The primary reason is the cost factor. While it may cost 0-0 to get a pair of skis, one can get himself a snowboard plus boots and bindings for about 0. Another main reason is that its opportunity for athletic creativity makes this a "hip" sport. It allows a person to test out many different styles, tricks and techniques.
The most common form for new snowboarders is freestyle. Few, if any, tricks are added to a run. A freestyle board is generally lighter, wider and more flexible and stable than other boards. With this type of board a newbie has an easier time navigating turns and bumps.
The form most embraced by boarders is freeride. Freeriders can board down dry slopes as well as snow-covered slopes and are able to adapt to various snow conditions, from powdery to icy. A repertoire fro freeriders usually includes a few half pipe, aerial and surface tricks. A freeride board is a stiffer board, which helps riders make hard turns.
When it comes to speed, the form to watch is called freecarving. Since the focus here is on speed, there are rarely tricks or jumps included in a run. Carving is generally done on hard packed snow and involves making very hard turns. This style is not recommended for beginners as an advanced control of the board is required. Freecarve boards, also referred to as Alpine boards, ) will be narrower and longer than most other boards.
One of the big attractions to snowboarding is the opportunities to learn and perform several tricks. As in skateboarding and surfing, tricks involve twists and turns and jumps. Among the popular tricks are melons, nollies, ollies, flails, poptarts, Canadian bacon and Japan air.
It is expected that snowboarding will continue to grow in popularity as a winter sport. Its inclusion in the Winter Olympics helped give this sport the exposure it needed to expand. Television coverage as increased in other events and worldwide competitions, making it as mainstream a sport as any other.
A Look Into The World Of SnowboardingSkimboarding may sound unfamiliar to many, but it is a popular board sport like skateboarding and surfboarding today. It is similar to skateboarding in the sense that you use your skimboard to do tricks and develop techniques. But the difference with surfing is the method in which you use the board, especially with mounting it.
There are a variety of ways to ride one of these boards. You can flatland, ride the waves, or perform sand skimming, A beginner would start with sand skimming and once that is perfected move up to flatland. The next step would then be riding waves with different techniques.
Learning to ride one of these boards always begins with the sand skimming method. It is the easiest and best way to learn balance and to shift your weight to control a board. To begin one learns how to drop their board while running so that they are able to jump onto a board smoothly. The board will then glide across the thin layer of water that is on the sand.
The most popular form, although not the most advanced, is flatland skimming. It has incorporated many of the same techniques as skateboarding such as riding rails, ramp jumping, and technical tricks. This can be a very difficult type of skimming because of the many different tricks being done.
The most advanced is wave riding and this can produce many impressive tricks with a common move called the Wrap. When a skimmer reaches a wave they shift their weight so they can wrap around the wave and this will push him back to the beach. To advance that a bit, instead of heading back to shore you turn slightly to get into the barrel of the wave to Wrap the Barrel, another popular trick.
Skimboarding may not be a common term for many, but its popularity is growing on every beach. Combining the surfing of the waves with the tricks of skateboarding make this a challenging yet exciting sport for many. When learning to skimboard, you need to be prepared to kick your board across the water with frustration and fall on your backside a lot till you have finally mastered the art of skimboarding like a pro.
A Quick Look At Riding A SkimboardWakeboard Videos fetch double benefits of being a memento and a tutorial
Wakeboard videos may be a pleasant surprise to you, as you may have never expected yourself to be captured while wakeboarding. These videos can really help you to recapitulate those days, when you were new to this sport and struggling to make each move. These are invaluable memories of your wakeboarding experience because after some years even if you want to see how were in your initial days, you won't be able to recapitulate unless you have a wakeboard video done.
As more and more people opt for these exciting sports, the value for wakeboard videos has also grown manifold. In fact, these videos can be a very good thing to present someone on a particular occasion. If you own a video camera, you can easily 'zero in' on a particular person and take the videos, when he/she is wakeboarding. You can also sell them to the person and keeping in mind the tremendous popularity of wakeboard videos, it can really be a lucrative business. People would be overwhelmed to see themselves in those videos, which shows how they have managed to gather the skill. It would be a very good memento as wakeboard rider would be able to see his/her own sacrifice to learn the sport.
Types of Wakeboard DVDs
There are mainly three categories of wakeboard DVDs, named as instructional wakeboard DVD, the ones centered on the lifestyle of a wakeboard rider and another type which are almost exclusively riding footage behind the boat. The instructional wakeboard DVDs are the best to learn different tricks of wakeboarding. The tricks are filmed by professionals and are broken down to make it easy for learning. This particular type of DVDs also contains valuable tips by various expert wakeboard riders.
The second categories of DVDs are the ones centered on the lifestyle of a wakeboard rider. Along with some solid riding, the DVDs also have the life of a pro wakeboard rider featured outside the world of wakeboarding. These are extremely popular as they reflect wakeboarding as an art and not just a sport with few exciting tricks.
The third category can be an inspiring DVD for any aspiring wakeboard rider as it mostly contains riding footage behind the boat. They contain some of the newest tricks and variations and get someone really excited and interested about wakeboarding.
The wakeboard videos can really be a useful way to learn. All you need to do is watch the moves shown in the video very minutely and practice those. If you are a beginner, try to watch the videos of a beginner only as it will help you to learn and show you the way about how to get started. Moreover, it will also make you aware of the mistakes that a beginner generally commits. Practice various moves seen in the video by following the instructions given. If you face seasonal constraints, you can practice on a skateboard, surfboard or a snowboard. However, try to attach the fun factor to it because if you enjoy the experience then you will be able to learn it fast. Thus, wakeboard videos can really help you as both a memento as well as a learning tutorial.
Learn About Wakeboard Videos and Wakeboard Video TipsWhen you turn the pages of history of sports and recreational activities, you will discover that the pace with which skateboarding has moved into the main stream culture and has become one of the most fun-filled and loving sports activity, is simply amazing. The graph of progress and growing popularity is awesome.
The main reason that one can see behind it is that the sports is highly popular amongst the youth as well as all other ages of people, irrespective of their gender, and the scope you get for displaying your creativity and innovative qualities is also great. One might easily be tempted to buy skateboard decks when you see a large variety of amazingly attractive equipments. But, it is very important that before you buy skateboard decks, you understand your skill level and potential.
For a beginner, who might pursue that sport solely for fun, the requirement varies. He might not indulge in personalizing their decks or getting too fanciful deck for himself, because he simply enjoys a joyful ride on the streets. Any piece which looks fine and appeals to him might serve his purpose. With practice he masters the art, but if does not involve professionally, still his requirement would perhaps not change. But for the professional skater, who has overpowered skating qualities with perfection and believes in displaying an array of innovative stunts, would have in mind to create a signature look, so that he is distinguished even in a crowd. Obviously when he has to skateboard deck, he will have to be careful and get appropriate skateboard decks.
Besides this, before you buy skateboard decks, you have to determine your skill level and the kind of stunts you perform. Where for a simple ride, slightly broader and larger decks are preferred, but for tricky performances and stylish jumps and turns, you must possess decks that are sleeker and shorter. Basically, when you have to Buy Skateboard Decks, you have to actually keep in mind the level of perfection with which you perform and the reason behind your performance.
No matter what your skill levels or potentials are, there should not be any compromise in the quality of the decks. Before you buy, you have to make sure that it is made out of fine wood compressed in layers to flex under your body, hold up your body weight without any problem and support your stylish and imaginative performance and tricks. If you search on the Internet, you will derive information about some of the best qualities skateboard decks and other peripherals, which belong to world famous brands. You can also get the accessories to personalize your decks online. And if by chance you have to get some good piece displayed on sale, it would be like an added advantage. So, you should study the market strategy very well and understand your requirements well, before you buy skateboard decks.
Buy Skateboard Decks - Understand Skill Level Before You BuyIf you are a skateboarder, then you may be interested in playing skateboarding video games when the weather is too bad for you to skateboard outside, or it's already dark out. These video games allow you to simulate your favorite skateboarding moves. Many of these popular titles include the likeness of famous pro skateboarders. In the game, you can perform the various moves and tricks made famous by your favorite skateboarders.
One of the earliest skateboarding video games was a 1987 title called "Skate or Die," for early Atari and Nintendo systems. It allowed up to eight people to play at once, which is several more than even most modern skateboarding games. However, it was a short game, featuring only five events, and the downside was that most skateboarders could master it very easily. Modern skateboarding games have rectified this by included many more levels for players to master, including some that are 'unlocked' by special moves.
One of the most well-known of all pro skateboarders, Tony Hawk, has lent his image to many different skateboarding video games, fifteen different titles in all produced since the late 1990s. They are produced for nearly every popular gaming console or system, including GameCube, GameBoy, Playstation, and Xbox. Popular titles include Pro Skater and Underground. Some of these are story-based, while others are based solely on the tricks you learn to perform. Most feature other popular skateboarders besides Tony Hawk, while some of the players whose personas you can take on as a player in the game are fictional.
Introduced in 2002 for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, Evolution Skateboarding is one of the top selling skateboard video games yet. Including lots of professional skateboarders, such as Danny Way and Rick McCrank, this game is known for offering plenty of tricks to master. You must master certain ones before the game will allow you to move on and explore other moves.
Disney has also entered the popular world of skateboarding video games with their game called Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure. Designed for younger players, and even those who may be too young to actually skateboard, it features favorite Disney characters from Toy Story, Tarzan, or Lion King. Their second title, 2003's Disney Sports Skateboarding, included classic characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Targeted towards a younger audience, it is geared towards those who may have never been on a real skateboard before, unlike most other skateboarding video game titles.
The best skateboarding games historically have been those with a soundtrack that resonates with skateboarding enthusiasts, as well as well-done graphics that can bring the skateboarding tricks to life. Like skateboarding itself, skateboarding games offer many different levels, from beginner to advanced, making it easy for anyone to enter this world. Some manufacturers are currently working on new technology that will allow players to stand on a skateboard-like board in their living room to control the player's movements in the game. Movements will be captured by the foot motion and leaning.
All About Skateboarding Video GamesSkateboarding is a world wide sport and does take a lot of practice to learn the tricks you need to fully understand the sport of skateboarding.
The first trick that a learning skateboarder should learn how to do is the ollie. This is the most important skateboarding trick a new learner should learn first, in order to do a kick flip, pop shove it, and pretty much every other skateboarding trick.
To ollie, you need to put your front foot in the middle of your board and your back foot on the tail, and bend your knees. Then you snap the tail of your board down, and then jump. After you jump, you need to move your front foot up to the truck bolts at the front of your board to even out.
To ollie high takes much practice but the beginning skateboarder should learn this trick first before they move onto more complicated tricks. The more you practice the better you will get.
A pop shove-it is when your board does a 180 spin in the air. To pop shove-it you ollie, then you move your back foot in backward sweeping motion, then you move your front foot forward just a little bit, after the board does a 180 the skateboarder will catch the board with their feet and finally they have completed a pop shove-it trick on their skateboard.
To kick flip, you put your back foot on the tail of your board and your front foot behind the front truck bolts, just like you would do for the ollie. Except you have to have your front foot at an angle. As you ollie, move your front foot to the where the board starts to rise, next you flick your foot to the side, and then you bring your foot back and after the board has went all the way around you will catch the board with your feet. Finally, the trick is completed.
The kick flip is one of the hardest tricks to learn, so it will take a lot of practice for the beginner to get this trick down but, practice makes perfect in the sport of skateboarding.
The beginning skateboarder should wear proper protective gear to protect themselves before trying any trick on a skateboard. This can be a dangerous sport and can result in injury if the skateboarder does not land the trick the correct way.
Skateboarding Tips and TricksWhat are you guys expecting from a freestyle deck?
A little ease while spinning, a real envy to twist it, having the pleasure to manipulate a kind of toy which fits perfectly your legs and feet, your whole body; in acquaintance with your moves, basically a part of yourself you can control entirely.
The Rome Graft is a board which should stay in the Park and only inside. It basically does not handle well high speed due to its lightness and flexibility. The Core Rome included is the Pop Core Matrix which is lighter than their basic wood core. The purpose is to give smooth flexing and lightweight for a nice pop from the tail and tip and quick transition from edge to edge.
Rome did understand what railing is about and if you are heading the jump with jibs ideas, the 2 years warranty is behind their strong base. The graft is shipped with their second level base which is a good balance between strength and speed. So do as much as you want 270 to Frontside Board slides without worrying about the deck.
As Burton strives to making the boards feeling like skateboards, Rome did it with the Graft. Imagine you are having a skateboard stuck to your feet, how many tricks do you think you can achieve, believe me and get your skate and hit the handrail with your board attached, how easy is this?
Then take your Graft and do the same, you will have similar sensations!
The Straight Biax Carbon Laminate featured in the Graft gives the board added pop for Ollies and a suitable feel for Jibbering. The board is butter itself and it will lead you to a smooth riding with easy spins right on the groom or in the air. And to make things even more buttery, Rome inserted Impact Plates in the core for anti compression protection.
Rome is working on this Freestyle deck since only 1 year, this is the second version and Casey Neefus, a member of the Rome Team, has enjoyed it last year already. Because of all nice reviews Rome has met about this board, they decided to continue working on this true Freestyle Rome Graft snowboard.
I would personally say every rider can try it, beginners can even train on this deck; freestyle boards suit admirably novices as they are soft and not so fast, they are thus very forgivable and very maneuverable. On the other side, don't even think about Freeriding and ice carving with it. While it can be used for all terrains, its main purpose is to stay in the park.
Rome Graft ReviewLearning some good skateboarding tricks like how to boardslide is the most gratifying part of learning how to skateboard.
How to boardslide
Basically a board slide is when you ollie your skateboard onto either a pipe or some kind of curbing, and slide over it with the middle of your deck.
My advice to beginners is that you get these 3 things down PAT before you try and learn this skateboard trick. I have huge tips and tricks up my sleeve but most things have their own prerequisites! In this case, it's crucial that you know how to ride a skateboard, how to ollie, and how to 360 ollie, or at least 180 ollie.
There's no sense in putting the cart before the horse here, so now let's learn how to board slide! I'm assuming you already know how to wax so I won't get into that.
Now I'll describe the board slide on a curb first, only because it's a safer place to start and get the feel for it, find a curb going slightly downhill if you want.
Your stance should be just as you would going for an ollie, we're going to be turning our board into the slide, I discussed earlier that you should be able to at least 180 ollie first. You want your stance to be the same as your 180 ollie.
Now before you go for it you have to set it in your mind that you're going for it, if you second guess yourself in the middle of executing any semi dangerous skateboarding trick, YOU WILL BAIL. So make sure you're committed before you go for it.
Many skateboarders I've skated with like to slide their front foot up a little bit on the skateboard when they land on the curb or rail, whatever creates the best balance for you will be fine. Now a lot of skaters out there thing that staying level with the ground is the best way to be, but really if you picture it, your board will slide out from under you resulting in A BAIL. And if you lean to far forward of coarse you're going to do what we like to call the face plant. So it's important that you get a feel for maintaining your balance while sliding before you go for anything dangerous.
That part right there is the hardest part about learning how to board slide. And the most crucial.
Coming off of a rail is the easy part, and where you get your excitement because YOU DID IT! As you're coming off the rail you just want to turn your board in the direction you're going, land with a little bit of cushion in your knees, and you're off. Keep in mind that your skateboard will be moving pretty fast down your rail so make sure you land it, especially if you're skateboarding buddies are video taping you!
So now that you learned the boardslide you can go out and have a blast. Make sure you own everything you wax up and skate on, no one wants a fine for skateboarding.
How to BoardslideThe detailed graphics, excellent presentation and refined game play of Summer Games put it head and shoulders above other comparatively crude joystick- waggling sports games. In the following three years, during which time US Gold took over their UK distribution, Epyx continued to produce sports simulations in the same innovative vein, constantly bettering each previous release in terms of graphics, sound and depth of game play.
Having set new standards, and surpassed all expectations in the process with Summer Games II. Winter Games, and World Games, Epyx can only do the same again witty California Games - the fifth release in the Games series, featuring six new events based on the exploits of the beautiful people who live in America's Golden State.
As is the case with the preceding three titles in the Games series, up to eight players can compete in one some or all six of the events - or you can practice an event to your heart's content. On the Commodore 64 disk version, the high score table that records the best scores or times achieved is saved to disk for posterity.
Unlike its predecessors however California Games does not allow players to play for the country of their choice - instead, a choice of nine relevant American sponsors is displayed, including Casio and Kawasaki. US Gold hope to persuade nine UK sponsors to buy space, replacing the names featured on the American version. Another difference is that trophies are awarded after an event - presumably a Californian custom.
HALF PIPE SKATEBOARDING
After sweeping the nation in the late seventies, the skateboarding craze has since died down and we don't hear about the sport in Britain. Major competitions are still held in the States though, and this event is based on one part of such a competition. You have one minute and 15 seconds to manoeuvre a skateboard inside a large pipe, performing tricks to earn points. Three different moves are available and all take a bit of getting used to - kick turns and aerial turns are hardest to perform, but the hand plant comes easiest with practice Repetitive but fun.
FOOT BAG
The Foot Bag didn't make much of an impact in the UK, despite a devoted cult following in the States. Set against the tranquil location beside the sea points are scored by juggling a pseudo- spherical leather bag with the head and feet. Pressing the fire button at the correct moment hits the bag into the air, and bonus points are earned by performing tricks such as Half Axel, Full Axel, Axel Foley, and Jester. Foot Bag is very playable, requiring a great deal of coordination, and has more scope than other events.
SURFING
The aquatic forerunner to the skateboarding craze. The aim is to catch a wave and ride it for one and a half minutes, collecting points for turning and riding underneath the curl of the wave or near the break - wipe-out four times and your surfing exploits are over. The surfing judges are even more impressed if you can ride to the top of the wave, clear it, turn and land without wiping out. This is not the easiest of events to score points in, as it seems to take some pretty radical surfing to impress the computer-controlled judges. Either that or the computer is biased.
ROLLER SKATING
With wheels on your female feet, speed is of the essence as you negotiate a horizontally scrolling beach boardwalk, avoiding obstacles that include cracks and gaps in the pavement, banana skins, beach balls and puddles of water. Performing simple stunts such as ducking and 360 degree spins earns the approval of the judges. Speed, and a commendably authentic skating feel is achieved by sweeping the joystick from top to bottom and vice versa to push off from either leg. The event finishes when the skater has fallen three times - or reaches the finish line.
BMX BIKE RIDING
Pedal power is called for along this horizontally scrolling course set in the California desert. Jumps, bumps, dips, obstacles and comments from the spectators appear at bottom of screen as you pedal madly along, aiming to cover the course as quickly as possible time. There's a two minute time limit and stunts performed en route, such as jumping, backward or forward flips, twisting the bike (a Table Top), and 360 degree turns all earn those magical points. Falling three times brings the race to an end - but a single serious fall on the head is fatal. This is perhaps the most enjoyable event of the six on offer.
FLYING DISC
Rather like the most Californian of picnic games, Frisbee, this event requires you to throw a disc through the air to a partner at the opposite end of a playing field. The power and the angle of a throw have to be judged, then your partner moved left or right ready to intercept the disc. Points are scored for the accuracy of throw and catch. Disc throwing is one of the easiest events to play - but the hardest to master.
IMPRESSIVE
Epyx undoubtedly lead the field with the Games series - no-one has yet managed to get close to producing a product of such high quality - with the notable exception of Anco's excellent Winter Events and Summer Events for the C16. Such quality imitations are indeed flattering and a spoof of the Epyx style is also in the pipeline from Gremlin Graphics in the form of Alternative Olympics (further details elsewhere in this issue).
California Games is easily as impressive as its forerunners, with the six events providing plenty of pay ability and long-term entertainment. The instructions are up to Epyx's usual high standards - informative and they include a few helpful playing tips. Added to this is a beginner's guide to Californian slang, explaining the use of such quaint terminology as 'dude', 'radical' and 'tubular'.
My rating for this game is 5 out of 5.
Classic Game Review: California Games 1987