Could Greenville host an event like....

[g-vegasman]

I was watching the X-games this evening on ESPN and it seemed like some pretty cool stuff. Could Greenville host such an event like the two week X-Games? I mean we have a lot of the facilities already. Like when the Olympics were in Atlanta they would host some of the events in Birmingham, Augusta, and other near by places. So, the Upstate could utilize Clemson facilites, the new downtown ball park, Bi-Lo Center, etc. I believe we could host an event of that scale very easily. I believe it would be good for Greenville. I was watching the games on ESPN tonight and noticed that they had large crowds at several diffeerent events.

What do you all think?

[btoy]

I think it could just about all beheld downtown or at the Expo Center, the have cut so many events from that event you really don't need a tone of space anymore.

Just room for a vert ramp (bilo Center) street course (large pakring lot between washington and Coffee St.) and the dirt stuff could probubly fit in another downtown lot.

[JCT]

I think it would be great. For now, the Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville every spring is the closest thing we have.

[g-vegasman]

I think it would be great. For now, the Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville every spring is the closest thing we have.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree. I for one think Greenville could pull somehting like this off. They say the X-games in L.A. drew over 1,000,000 visitors just for the two week event. Could greenville handle 1,000,000 visitors over a two week span? I think so but it would take a lot of planning. It would be great exposure for this City not to mention the televison time Greenville would get. I wonder how we would contact folks to get the X-games here in a few years. We have the weather, the facilities, the interest, and a great downtown for visitors to enjoy.

[jfl25]

I think that Greenville could and should host an event like the X-Games.I believe that we need to start trying to attract larger events.

[goodbye]

Don't forget that part of the new Kroc Center will be a nice "skate park." This should help in that direction, maybe.

[jfl25]

I had forgoten about the Skate park thanks for the reminder.

[g-vegasman]

I had forgoten about the Skate park thanks for the reminder.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had forgotten about the skate park as well. How do we go about starting a petition to try and get the X-games here sometime in the future. Can you imagine the exposure for the City. It would be a great event.

[RestedTraveler]

How do we go about starting a petition to try and get the X-games here sometime in the future. Can you imagine the exposure for the City. It would be a great event.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know, I could tell you how to go about trying to organize an Olympic Bid. I could probably tell you how to organize a bid to bring the World's Fair and Exposition to Greenville. I'm not sure about the X-Games though.

I *believe* that the X-Games are produced for ESPN, so you'd probably have to contact ESPN (EXPN: http://expn.go.com/ ) to determine how to go about organizing an effort to host them in Greenville.

Likewise, the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) has a similar offering: The Gravity Games ( http://www.gravitygames.com/ ), which have (the summer games, at least) been held in Providence, RI and Cleveland, OH over the past 6 years and in Philadelphia, PA this year.

Count me in!

[vicupstate]

I know nothing about the X Games, but if it attracts 1,000,000 visitors in two weeks, I would say the Upstate doesn't have the hotel/motel rooms to handle that. However trying to attract more events to the area is definitely an excellent idea.

Another similiar but different idea.... Hear me out before you dismiss it please....

I watched the first 30 minutes of the Miss Teen USA pageant on NBC last night. You got it, 500 channels, nothing on. But, the host city, Baton Rouge LA received tons of exposure. In the first few minutes, there were about 6-8 different sites showcased as part of the contestant roll call. Later there were groups of contestants at some other B.R. locations. About 20 minutes in, there was a 4-5 minute uninterrupted spiel about Baton Rouge, no contestants, just a in-program commercial basically.

I don't know how much B.R. paid/provided to get this event, but to actually PAY for that much commercial time on a major network in prime-time would be a fortune. Not to mention it would get more viewers than an actual commercial.

I think this would be very appropriate for Greenville because the city is an unknown quantity in a very large part of the country. Also, our physical beauty would be very appropriate to showcase in such a venue.

Charleston is a nationally, and even internationally known destination now, but it wasn't always so well known. One of the first things Joe Riley did as Charleston's new mayor in the 70's was get the Miss USA pageant. Charleston hosted the pageant two consecutive years. Remember, there were only 3 channels back then, and the pageant is a big ratings pull. The Charleston tourism industry experienced a substantial boost in the years following. Spoleto got started about that time too. It wasn't long before plans for the Omni were announced. By the early '80's Charleston's profile, tourism industry and the rejuvenation of its downtown were rising exponentially.

[Greenville]

Good point about Charleston. I wish Greenville would get an Omni hotel (and unlike Charleston, actually keep it!).

[RestedTraveler]

I found an interesting item in the Upstate Link's Daily Blog.

The nation's second largest skatepark is currently under construction (and has been for over two and a half years) along Roper Mountain Road. You can see some of its construction now at 1524 Roper Mountain Road.

The new skatepark in Greenville might jump the area onto the national skate scene map and it's set to open April 1.

The marketing director says there are binding contracts that make that skatepark stops for the following bigtime events: Gravity Games, X Games, ESPN Games, Mountain Dew tour and some others.

Has anybody seen or heard about this? I've been along Roper Mountain Road very often over the past few years and I've not noticed anything.

[RestedTraveler]

Also, I wonder if this is affiliated with SPOG?

[goodbye]

Wow! I have heard nothing whatsoever about this project. That is incredible. There is also supposed to be a skate park at the KROC Center, so you're right about the boost to Greenville's skating fame then.

[krazeeboi]

Hmmmm...biking, skating....could Greenville be carving out a sports tourism niche? That's something Rock Hill has been trying to do for a few years now.

[RestedTraveler]

I know, right? Now if only we could develop something like the U.S. National Whitewater Center over here, too.

[goodbye]

Yes, I remember when meto.m posted that link somewhere around here. That would be absolutely incredible for Greenville. I'd actually be pleased with something less impressive, like a family-focused lazy river near downtown (maybe on the Reedy, if it could be cleaned up).

[RestedTraveler]

A Lazy River would be nice for a water park, if we had one ... ... but krazeeboi is right.

Greenville has an excellent opportunity to take advantage of some very natrual synergies and carve itself an eco-sports-tourism niche. Cycling, Running, Skating, Whitewater, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Skating, etc. It's all right here just waiting for someone to come along and tap into it.

[goodbye]

Here is a map of the location of this skatepark. I do recall some clearing near here last time I drove down that portion of Roper Mountain Road, but I had no idea it was this. Interesting to imagine hundreds or even thousands more cars on Garlington and Roper Mt.

[goodbye]

Also, don't forget that The PLEX is supposed to be built near here. This will become quite a sports-centered area.

[jarvismj]

Here is a Google Sat Image of the area. My guess is that it would be the much larger patch of red mud.

Google Sat.

[NYTransplant]

I drive by there occasionally, but have never noticed any construction. Is it indoors maybe?

I also haven't heard about the Plex being in that area. Any details as to the exact location?

[RestedTraveler]

Here is a Google Sat Image of the area. My guess is that it would be the much larger patch of red mud.

Google Sat.

Thanks, jarvisj3! At least part of Greenville has a nice high-res image.

I know that location well. There's a nice mailbox with a doggie sign on it right there at the entrance, I believe. I'd say you're right in that it is the larger patch of red mud. The warehouse buildings there may also enclose some indoor ramps/tubes, I suspect, just as NYT has suggested. I'm definitely going to have to take a closer look.

[wellen]

As I drove by yesterday, I saw a handwritten banner announcing the skate park opening. It is in one of the older warehouse buildings. It is almost at the corner of Tammy Ray and Roper Mountain. If I am not mistaken, it is right next to the Gutter Guard warehouse.

[tr2greenville]

Personally, I'm astonished at this news. I like to consider myself well-informed of all things skate, surf, and snowboard related in the region, and this is completely new to me! That should tell you something about Greenville's attitude toward skating. Greenville has an incredible lack of support for "extreme" sports, which is mainly caused by an ignorance of what kind of people get involved in those types of activities. The city doesn't have a publicly-funded skate park, when even a little town like Saluda does. While our new park is obviously a private venture, it is still a great step to progressing as town.