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X Trials | Teen suicide | Teen pregnancy | School violence | Travel | Journals | Daily Sketch | Awards | Contact us |
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Singapore teen dies in ESPN competition
Three days after a 14-year-old boy doing bicycle stunts died during a practice session for ESPN's Asian Xtour, local boarders were still performing stunts, but some were talking about Harry Chau, too.
Click here for the whole story
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View of the scene at Lake Compounce Saturday from Hood Dairy's blimp. Mike Nguyen/The Tattoo
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Xcellent weekend at Lake Compounce
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In search of big stars, exclusive interviews and potato chips |
Mike Nguyen/The Tattoo Tony Hawk & son Riley |
Picture of Tony Hawk at ESPN | |
| Who was that man with the yellow caution tape draped across him? | How the athletes fared on Day 2 |
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At the X Trials Saturday: long lines, free stuff and great athletes |
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What to expect during Day 2 of the X Trials at Lake Compounce |
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What the heck is this X Trials thing all about? A primer for the uninitiated |
| Sweating
in a crowd of teenagers with the music playing LOUD
The Tattoo's report from the scene Friday evening |
Click here for X Trials results |
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Getting airtime So what do the pros think about when they're hanging up there in the air? "Either I'm thinking 'this is going to be better than I thought' or else I'm thinking 'this isn't looking too good' and that I better brace myself for a fall,'" said biker Jamie Bestwick. "Watch out for the landing," said Bruce Crisman, another biking star. "You need to make sure you're coming back on the ramp properly," said Matt Lindenmuth, an inline skating whiz. "It all [just] happens."
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Who's going to win and who's going to lose at the X Trials Tattoo writer Mike Nguyen examines the field and boldly tells readers who's going to emerge victorious at Lake Compounce this weekend. Look for strong performances from Jamie Bestwick, Fabiola da Silva, Blake Dennis and others as the X Trials gets underway.
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Three stars at the X Trials:
| Jamie Bestwick | Matt Lindenmuth | Bruce Crisman |
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Looking for a few good men at the X Trials: The Marine Corps recruits extreme fans |
"Glory is temporary and pain is forever, so wear your pads," said pro blader Matt Lindenmuth. "I care about my body. I'm not out there to ruin it."
Experts outline risks of 'action' sports
Have you ever tried to do a cool new trick on your skateboard and ended up on the pavement with a broken arm? You aren't the only one -- lots of kids hurt themselves on their skateboards, Rollerblades or bikes each day. ... While most kids will suffer only bruises or broken bones, others could face something they'd never considered a possibility: brain surgery. Click here for full story
| Quality gear can save your neck, shop owners say | Captain Macho cartoon |
Athletes ride into Lake Compounce
Matt
Wilhelm spins on the back of his bike, then rides it upside down as the psyched
crowd whoops with excitement. Everyone cheers as he flings the wheel around him
in a circle and sticks his
Gotta love those blades, bikes and boards
Whether you’re a spectator or a player, X Trial fever is sweeping Bristol. Click here for the story
ESPN comes home for the X Trials
Sun, skates, and a whole lot of teenagers are expected to attend the exciting and gravity-defying X Trials this summer, coming this year to Grand Prairie, Texas and ESPN's home sweet home: Bristol, Conn. Click here for the story
| X Trials Schedule at Lake Compounce, June 15 to 17, 2001 |
| ESPN's television schedule for X Trials events | What it takes to make it to the X Games |
News stories from elsewhere:
The Bristol Press: June 19, 2001
X Trials return possible
ESPN is considering bringing the X Trials back to Lake Compounce next summer, a company spokesman said.
The Bristol Press: June 18, 2001
Rain washes out final day of games
Mother Nature rained on ESPN's parade Sunday, sending a daylong downpour that forced the sports media giant to cancel the final day of the X Trials at Lake Compounce.
Few places for women to compete at X Trials
| There were plenty of pigtails at the X Trials this past weekend, but not many were hidden under helmets. |
| For every woman athlete this weekend at Lake Compounce, there were at least a dozen men competing. |
Anything but a 9 to 5 job
| As gray skies and gathering puddles washed out the last day of the X Trials, small groups of extreme-sports athletes huddled under tents tossing dice, sharing war stories and showing off scars. |
| As the competitors --some of the world's best skaterboarders, bikers and in-line skaters --awaited word that all contests were canceled, they chatted about their lifestyles and careers. |
Rain spoils three finals
The men's preliminary scores became the aggressive in-line park final scores Sunday, despite protests from some X Trials skaters. Rain throughout the day canceled the three scheduled finals, including the in-line park event.
The Herald Press: June 17, 2001
Athletes bring out Father's Day spirit at events
| The spirit of Father's Day was apparent yesterday in Lake Compounce at the X Trials, as athletes brought their dads or their own sons out for a day of competition and fun. |
| With 7-year-old Riley skateboarding by his side, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk made the most of his time with his son at the Trials to enjoy some father-son moments. (By Mike Nguyen of The Tattoo) |
X Trials athletes find support in parents
| As Jason Stensmen headed into a slick grind, sliding on his in-line skate wheels against a hard metal bar, a single woman in the crowd at the X Trials' Aggressive In-line Skating competition stood upright in her seat for a better view. Her bottom lip was drawn under in anticipation, her hands trembling furiously at her side. |
| When Stensmen landed the trick, the first of many in his 65-second run, a smile spread across her face and she finally exhaled. The crowd went wild for this event and Stensmen was greeted with roaring applause almost immediately, but this woman is the 18-year-old skater's biggest fan. She is also his mother. |
Xcitement for 20,000
| More than 20,000 people turned out to watch the world-famous skateboarders, in-line skaters and bicycle stunt riders at the X Trials at Lake Compounce Saturday, officials said. |
| "It's been terrific," said Mike Soltys, a spokesman for ESPN. "Two days of outstanding crowds. Everything's gone incredibly well." |
Yasutoko brothers taking in-line vert to a new level
| Even though the Yasutoko brothers are just teenagers, they are bringing the world of professional in-line vertical skating to a new level. |
| Seventeen-year-old Eito and 14-year-old Takeshi Yasutoko from Osaka, Japan keep their skating fresh and their fans satisfied. (By Amanda Lehmert, Sam Yosafi and Mike Nguyen of The Tattoo.) |
Handful qualify for X Games in August
Thirty-six athletes jumped, spun and defied gravity at Saturday's three X Trials finals at Lake Compounce, but only a handful of men and one woman walked away with titles
The New Haven Register: June 17, 2001
For an X God, Hawk down to earth
expn.com: June 16, 2001
Terreros, Miron headed for Philly
The Bristol Press: June 16, 2001
Weekend of extreme athletics begins at the Lake
| Matt Wilcox, a 16-year-old junior at Bristol Eastern High School, was excited to go to the X Trials opening day at Lake Compounce Friday, but he was even happier on his way home. |
| While hanging out inside
the Xperience, the interactive area next to the competitive arena,
Wilcox won a Tony Hawk Birdhouse skateboard that he valued at $50 or
more. "I'm bringing this back and gettin' this signed," Wilcox said gleefully. "You know how much that'd be worth?" |
Music plays crucial role in games
| As the X Trials kicked into gear Friday morning there were many sounds, the tightening of gears on stunt bikes, the clatter of skateboard wheels on asphalt, the grunts of athletes straining toward their goals. And over all these, driving the action, the thick drum and bass of hip hop, the squealing of punk rock guitars, and the dark, muscular crunch of heavy metal. |
| It's a soundtrack as varied and exciting as the games' themselves and the youth culture that spawned them. |
Officials say prepare for hot weather
If you're going to Lake Compounce to see the X Trials today, the folks in charge of first aid want to keep you from passing out or otherwise suffering from the elements.
A surprise for Dolan
Two Europeans and a Canadian took top honors at the bike stunt flatland finalFriday at the 2001 ESPN X Trials.
Strong start, tough finish
With a handful of surprise victories under his belt, professional biker Matt Wilhelm will be one to watch this August at his first Summer X Games
The New Haven Register: June 16, 2001
X Games Trials in Bristol this weekend
Looking for something to do this weekend that the whole family can enjoy? Well, a good idea could be the ESPN X Games Trials being held this weekend at Lake Compounce.
expn.com: June 15, 2001
X Trials in Bristol, Connecticut?
The Bristol Press: June 15, 2001
X Trials allow spectators to 'xperience' the games
If you want to experience some of the sensations of extreme sports, you'll be able to do it for free at the X Trials this weekend -- but be prepared to play it safe.
expn.com: June 14, 2001
Clocks, carousels and coping
You have to admit it’s a little strange to see the X Trials in a town like Bristol, Connecticut. Not that Grand Prairie, Texas was anything to get stoked about, but we’re talking about a town that has an entire museum dedicated to carousels. Oh, and another museum just for clocks.But Bristol’s claim to fame has been, and will probably always be, ESPN headquarters, namely the really gigantic satellite dishes (yeah, the ones Tony Hawk had his eye on in that SportsCenter commercial) that surround the building and attract onlookers of all kinds.
The Bristol Press: June 14, 2001
Skateboarder meets Central High students
Lunch crowds at Bristol Central High School lined up Wednesday to get a signed poster from professional skateboarder Kip Sumpter, who was on hand to promote the upcoming X Trials at Lake Compounce
The Bristol Press: June 13, 2001
Building speeds up as X Trials near
Ramps, half pipes and other makings of a skate park are mushrooming alongside advertisers' booths in the employee parking lot at Lake Compounce.
The X Trials --
an ESPN alternative sports contest expected to draw up to 30,000 people to the
nation's oldest amusement park this weekend -- are nearly here.
Top athletes in sports like skateboarding, aggressive in-line skating and
bicycle stunt riding will compete for more than $100,000 in prize money,
according to Katie Moses, a spokeswoman for the X Trials.
"We're going to see a lot of the best coming," Moses said.
The Bristol Press: June 11, 2001
Youths get free ride to X Trials
The Herald Press: June 10, 2001
X Trials offers competition for free
It's hard to beat the deal that ESPN and Lake Compounce have put together for next weekend's X Trials adventure sports extravaganza.
Most of the
world's top skateboarders, trick bikers and inline skaters are coming to the
professional competition in the sports network's hometown to put on a wild show
of spins, flips and amazing stunts.
And the cost is: nada, zippo, squat. That's right, it's free.
The Bristol Press: June 6, 2001
X Trials hit the spot with Texas town's economy
Having the X Trials in Grand Prairie, Texas was a boon to the local economy, officials in that city said. ESPN's event there last month drew about 20,000 people to the Dallas suburb.
The Bristol Press: June 5, 2001
ESPN seeks volunteers for X Trials weekend
The Bristol Press: June 2, 2001
X athletes say they're not 'extreme'
They're not what you think.
Matt Lindenmuth,
a 20-year-old professional in-line skater with close cropped blond hair and a
big grin, says he's not an extreme athlete.
"We never consider ourselves that," Lindenmuth said in an interview at
Lake Compounce Friday, where he stopped to hype the upcoming X Trials. "We
don't put on our skates saying, I'm extreme."
The Bristol Press: June 1, 2001
The Bristol Press: May 23, 2001
X Trials offer a new Xperience
The Dallas Morning News: May 21, 2001
The Dallas Morning News: May 20, 2001
The Dallas Morning News: May 20, 2001
Houston skater falls short at X Trials
The Bristol Press: Feb. 17, 2001
'Extreme' athletes coming to city
The Nashville Tennessean: June 16, 2000
Bizarre feats a staple of X Trials
For more, check these web sites:
| expn.com | espn.com | x-journals.com |
| bxtreme.net | extremesports.com |
Just a note here to explain a little: The Tattoo is a student-written newspaper that's been publishing since 1994. It has tackled serious subjects, such as teen suicide, and silly ones, such as beauty pageants. But this is the first time The Tattoo has ever focused on any single event in-depth and sought to provide continuous coverage of it, first with four issues published online and in The Bristol Press and then online only as the pace picked up and the competition got underway. Tattoo alumni helped the group's advisors provide guidance and also wrote some of the stories about the X Trials and Lake Compounce for The Bristol Press and other Journal Register newspapers. Some teen writers also penned stories for The Bristol Press and The Herald Press.
