After last year’s successful return to California, the stage is set again as the action sports community takes over the Pacific Coast for X Games in Ventura.
More than 130 invited athletes will converge on Ventura’s beachside soil to battle in numerous Skateboarding, BMX and Moto X disciplines.
Contests will take place over the three-day weekend (June 28-30) with live concerts, food vendors and onsite activations keeping fans entertained under the summer sun.
Selema Masekela, Jason Ellis and Tony Hawk at 2023 X Games California ©Brett Wilhelm/X Games
The Sporting Tribune's Michael Silver spoke with Chief of Sport and X Games host Selema Masekela for a wide-ranging interview on the culture of action sports, a return to the broadcast booth and new Gen athletes making history.
First, I’d like to give this man his flowers. In my opinion you’re our Howard Cosell, Marv Albert and Mike Breen. The voice of action sports. Have you embraced that role over time?
“That’s very humbling, thank you. Those are names I thoroughly look up to. To this day Mike Breen is the gold standard of what a storytelling broadcaster looks like to me. I’d be lying if I didn’t say if I wasn’t influenced by him. I grew up with Howard Cosell being the voice of sports to America. To be compared with those types of voices in a space like ours, within action sports, which is near and dear to my heart is extremely humbling. It pushes me to be the best version of a storyteller and a broadcaster. Stuart Scott is the first person that gave me permission to be like, ‘oh I can do this.’ He explained sports in a language that I was familiar with culturally. You don’t have to do this just a certain way.”
There was a stretch of time where you stepped away from calling X Games broadcasts. Now under new ownership, you’re back in the fold and it feels whole again. Can you describe that feeling coming back and were there any reservations returning?
“You hear about those couples that get divorced and years later are re-married. That’s what it was like for me. The love was always there, and X Games remained near to my heart. The new ownership called me saying ‘We would like you to come back and feel like we can’t do this without you.’ That was an unexpected phone call after twelve years. When I saw they were interested in really making X Games a place that could represent in entirety the culture of action sports, it was easy for me to step back in.”
I can’t think of a better duo to join you in the broadcast booth than the legend that is Tony Hawk and the charismatic Jason Ellis. What’s it like working with these guys and why do you think they resonate with audiences so well?
“Well, you're talking about two eternal children, in both the Birdman and Ellis. [Hawk's] continued child-like dedication to skateboarding, his ability to still mystify. The depth and impact he’s had culturally outside of skateboarding, transcending the sport as an ambassador. He remains holy relevant and performs in a way after four decades. He is a wonder of the world. When he talks people listen. He’s very much a mentor to the next generation, especially young women. The godfather of skateboarding is the loudest advocate for women not being a sideshow and helping define what the sport is as a whole and mentoring them, like Sky Brown and Reese Nelson.
Ellis is the most enthusiastic ‘high on life’ human being. From being a comedian and podcaster to announcer. These guys transcend skateboarding in a way that makes people want to hear what they have to say and get fired up as well. They are ageless like Charles Barkley and Shaq. When you tune into TNT, you don’t want to hear anybody else. I really hope that is what we can build with our broadcast.”
Show me another human being who is so iconic they can make a 6-year-old and a 65-year-old stop in their tracks. There are not many people in the world like Tony Hawk.
➖Selema Masekela
Over the years there have been some radical sports in X Games history. Sky surfing comes to mind. Are there disciplines you would enjoy seeing back in competition? My vote is for street luge.
"I knew you were going to say that! X Games social did a throwback post recently to the 90’s. The amount of people in the comments saying ‘bring back street luge’ was awesome. If it were up to me, I’m bringing back Rally (cross). Rally car racing has become the place where action sports professionals go to age with grace and take advantage of having a cage when they no longer want to crash as much. There’s a saying in the shred world, ‘with age comes the cage’ which is why you see so many skaters and the like end up racing rally. You know what? Instead of rally for me, it would be downhill skateboarding. The most credible thing I would be siked on, it’s insane.”
Yuto Horigome during Men's Skateboard Street Best Trick Final at 2023 X Games California @Trevor Brown/X Games
Athletes seem to be younger, faster, stronger each year. Compared to the early years of X Games, how has action sports evolved? Does the progression blow you away?
“It’s wholly mind blowing. I think the stat is 7 of the 8 youngest X Games athletes (historically) debuted in the last five years. It used to be an anomaly. Ryan Sheckler showed up at 12 or 13 (years old) and Nyjah Huston, they were one-offs. Adults were doing these sports for a living, and the idea of winning and taking checks out of grown folks' mouths was cute but didn’t think it would happen.
The Mega Ramp lore of Staples Center and the like remains strong to this day. Do you foresee a future where mega returns to an arena setting?
“Listen, I dream and pray to all the gods and goddess new and old that one day we could find ourselves back at Staples. To see X Games back on that level of a stage would be amazing. If we do get to return there, that means we’ve come full circle. In the meantime, Ventura is such a wonderful place to nest again. It’s a hot bed for the culture.”
The Paris Olympic Games are a few months away and X Games rightfully is the biggest competition leading up to it. What are your thoughts on skateboarding, surfing, and BMX now being recognized on a global scale?
“It’s awesome. Our X Games is going to be a great tune up for a lot of the athletes in the Olympics. What really makes me proud is that I personally don’t think the Olympics would have the weight that it does, for this next generation, if not for the X Games. The sports that people are most excited and curious about come from our culture. I’m over the moon with surfing taking place at Teahupo’o (Tahiti). On the front row of the Team USA poster was Jagger Eaton and Carissa Moore, and I thought to myself, ‘on what planet would that be the case, 15-to-20 years ago?’"
X Games returns to California this month at the Ventura Fairgrounds. What can young fans expect watching for the first time?
“One of my favorite things for fans coming in person is having this experience where they can interact with athletes. It's up close and personal in a way you wouldn’t get at an NBA or NFL game. You get this real chance to rub shoulders with your favorite athletes and it's a festival type vibe. People who are there are having a blast and celebrating the culture. Most importantly, the opportunity to see some things that have never taken place before, which is my favorite thing. Athletes are there saving their best for last. There’s a chance we see a women’s 900° which has never been done before. If that was able to happen this summer, especially with Tony Hawk celebrating the 25-year-anniversary of the 900° why would you want to miss this X Games?”
For tickets and broadcast schedule information visit XGames.com