The SLS is considered the most highly endowed skateboard series: "We are very proud that we were able to bring the SLS to the Olympic Park. This gives the Mash a real accolade," says a delighted OC boss Frank Seipp.
Slopestyle mountain biking, street skateboarding, and big air wakeboarding - the Munich Mash from July 1 to 3, 2016 in Munich's Olympic Park brought together three of the currently hottest sports.
ISPO.COM answers the most important questions about the skateboarding contest:
What is street skateboarding all about?
Since the 1970s, skateboarding has stood for urban lifestyle and is the youth culture par excellence. The discipline of street originated in the 80s, when skaters began to perform stylish tricks on railings and steps in cities.
Contests still take place today, mainly in purpose-built skateparks. In 2010, former skate pro Rob Dyrdek founded SLS to help the sport gain popularity.
The boom in street has recently waned slightly. In 2020, however, skateboarding will be an Olympic sport for the first time - possibly pushing the sport to new heights.
Who are the stars?
The most successful SLS athlete is Nyjah Huston (USA), who moved from DC to equipment supplier Nike SB in January 2016. He is also the skateboarder who has collected the most prize money in the history of the sport. In SLS and the X-Games alone, he is said to have earned over two million US dollars, according to Forbes.
The man who has 2.2 million followers on Facebook also holds the high score you can get for a trick (9.9 points) - he is competing in the Olympic Ice Stadium, as is Shane O'Neill (AUS).
In Munich, Paul Rodriguez (34.0 points) won ahead of Luan Oliveira (32.7) and Nyjah Huston (32.1).
Which sponsors are involved?
Red Bull, Monster Energy, Adidas and Nike SB have street skate pros under contract, as do the skateboarding brands Vans, DC, Element and Volcom. In addition, there is a large number of suppliers for boards, wheels and axles.
Official partners of the SLS are Monster Energy, GoPro and Pacsun. Car manufacturer Lexus is the title sponsor of the German Skateboard Championship in 2016. For them, the youthful urban environment is just as attractive as the still rebellious image of skateboarding and its high credibility.
On which channels does street skateboarding take place?
Street skateboarding is a classic event of the X-Games and has therefore been present on TV for a long time. The Street League Skateboarding contest at Mash was livestreamed on the Internet and broadcast live on TV in the US. The scene meets in the skate parks, skate halls and hotspots of the cities and is hardly organized via clubs or associations.
What potential does street skateboarding have?
Street skateboarding is here to stay and will remain one of the defining youth cultures. Athletes like five-time German skateboarding champion Alex Mizuor are hoping that the 2020 Olympics will help the sport boom again.
What potential does street skateboarding have?
Street skateboarding is not going to die out and will continue to be one of the specific youth cultures. Athletes such as the five-times German Skateboarding Champion Alex Mizuor hope that the 2020 Olympic Games will help initiate a new boom for the sport.
Read more here: the other parts of the action series at the Munich Mash 2016:
- Slopestyle Mountain Biking: Risk and Growth Market
- Wakeboarding: “Cool Format, Unique Kickers”
How the Munich Mash works: www.munich-mash.com
