Thursday, August 17

X Games Bash rocks Pier 30/32

By Branden M. Cobb
ESPN.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- Athletes, fans, and celebrities packed Pier 30/32 in San Francisco to celebrate the 2000 X Games, and take a look back at some of the most exciting moments over the past five years of the X Games.

Hosted by actor/comedian Andy Dick, the 2K bash was a smashing success. Dick was the perfect MC for the X Games bash, acting just as wild and zany as the X Games competition itself. The musical group No Doubt rocked the house, motorcycle competitor Travis Pastrana performed aerial tricks and numerous celebrities got on stage to show their love of the X Games before a crowd estimated at 23,700.

The celebrity list included: Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath, Cypress Hill's B-real, American Beauty's Thora Birch, and rapper/actor Master P, and the "The Man Show's" Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla, and a host of others.

Said one fan, "I came last year, and I think having a larger band here was a good influence because it brings more people here, and it brings different types of people too."

The scene was thick, and the atmosphere was electric as eager fans, both young and old, enjoying the sights and sounds of the X Games.

Said another fan, "We are mostly here to see the celebrities (being the athletes) competing in the X Games more so than the people on the stage, the Hollywood stars just add to the excitement."

The Man Show's Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla were enthusiastic about the action sports gala. Said Carolla, "There are a lot of boring sports out there, and this ain't one of them. I especially enjoy the motorcycle competition."

To most, the variety of the competition is what makes the X Games so appealing. The Games have something for everyone, whether it be the avid skateboard fan or motorcycle fanatic. In addition to the enthusiasm for the games, there is also a great deal of admiration for its athletes.

Added Carolla, "Every year the ante gets upped in the motorcycle competition. It gets scarier every year, and I am just glad I am around to enjoy it. "

Many of the celebrities that appeared shared in Carolla's appreciation for what the X Games represented.

Said rapper/actor Master P, "Well, you know I am a big fan of the X Games, I am an athlete and it's about competition, and these are very competitive sports. The X Games are very competitive games. These people take what they do very seriously, and I take my athletics very seriously. Anything dealing with sports, I am gonna be a part of it."

And so he was, along with thousands of others.