X Games Expands Real Series
On Monday, the X Games announced that its Real Series will expand to include three new additions: Real Ski Backcountry, Real Surf and Real Women.
Each new event will debut at a different event in 2013—Real Ski Backcountry at the X Games Tignes, France on March 5; Real Surf at the X Games Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, on April 2; and Real Women (an all-female ski, snowboard, surf and skate multi-sport contest) at the X Games Barcelona, Spain, on May 30.
The Real Series competitions began in 2010 as a response to skateboarding stars' decisions to forego contests in favor of filming skateboard movies. Real Street was featured that year in the X Games in Los Angeles and featured 60-second videos of skateboarding tricks on city streets. The prize was $50,000 and X Games Gold, as well as the potential to be voted a "fan favorite" and win an additional $10,000.
With the success of Real Street came the idea to expand the competition. Real Snow was added in 2011 and featured at the X Games in Aspen, CO., while Real Snow Backcountry was initiated last March in Tignes, France.
All footage for the Real Series is shot outside of parks and resorts. For this reason, the competition attracts athletes who are known for creative uses of unusual terrain features. A panel of athletes and industry experts judge the films during the X Games, while fans vote online for their favorite videos in the month leading up the event.
To learn more about the events, visit the website for X Games Tignes, X Games Foz do Iguaçu and X Games Barcelona.