Questions and Topics answered and discussed by our panel of experts.

 Tyler Tate (left) and Chad Kagy (right); Harley Davidson Street 750 Test Drive; Photo: Harley Davidson

After conquering the ice at ESPN’s X Games Aspen 2014, the new Harley-Davidson Street 750 returned to X Games Austin to showcase the customizable ride the Street 750 has to offer.

I met up with Chad Kagy, Jossi Wells and Greg Lutzka to test the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and it was one of the smoothest street bikes rides I’ve been on.

The latest additions to the Dark Custom line-up, the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and Street 500 feature the all-new liquid-cooled Revolution X engine housed in a narrow and lean chassis built for agility allowing me and the other riders to maneuver the bike with ease. A new raised pipe, suspension and a broad handlebar sweep provided us with confidence and maneuverability while we were in tight turns and fast moves.

“The Harley-Davidson 750 is a bigger bike to ride on but the design and features of the bike made for a very easy and smooth ride,” Chad Kagy said. “I like having the confidence to know that I don’t have to wrestle the bike when I am out riding.”

After a successful, highly watched race on the ice during X Games Aspen 2014, Harley-Davidson fans are being asked to decide if Flat Track racing should become a future medal sport at X Games Austin using #XGamesFlatTrack to make their voices heard.

“The action-packed environment at X Games Austin fits perfectly with the attitude and identity of the new Street 750 motorcycle,” said Dino Bernacchi, Director U.S. Marketing, Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “And, since we gathered input from more than 3,000 customers, riders and dealers in more than 10 countries around the world to create the Street platform, it seems only fitting to let our fans decide if Flat Track racing should become an X Games medal event.”

The Harley-Davidson 750 broke the stereotypical Harley-Davidson notion of big fat loud bikes bringing agility and maneuverability to their style. The new bikes will make their long-awaited debut at Harley-Davidson dealerships nationwide in the coming weeks with bikes starting for less than $10,000.

Expect me to purchase one and have it riding through the streets of Salt Lake.

Recently ESPN and X Games made this shocking announcement: One of the longest-running Winter X Games events, Snowmobile SnoCross racing will no longer be a part of the Winter X program, as of this coming January’s event in Aspen, Colo., X Games officials announced Thursday. SnoCross debuted in 1998 as the first motorized sport in X Games history, and had been contested every year since then. Speed & Style, which combines snowmobiling’s freestyle and racing disciplines, and adaptive SnoCross, are also being eliminated.

X Games Senior Director of Content Strategy Tim Reed said the decision to cut the events was complex and not tied strictly to budgets. “Ultimately, we’re trying to create and build the best event we can,” Reed said. “It’s never easy. We know there’s a lot going on in the industry and a lot of it is tied to the X Games. A lot goes into these decisions.”

The official statement read: “Each year the X Games monitor and evaluate the most appropriate sports for inclusion in each event and over time has continued to evolve in order to deliver the best product and most value for its athletes and fans. At this time, we decided that ESPN will focus on the disciplines of Snowmobile Freestyle and Best Trick and will not bring back the disciplines of SnoCross and Speed & Style to Winter X Games Aspen.

“SnoCross has been a great element of the Winter X Games for the past 14 years. We’ve enjoyed working with the athletes and look forward to seeing many of them in Aspen as they continue to compete in the other disciplines.”

T Squared sports has the most amazing piece of equipment called the BS Translator. After running the comments of Tim Reed through the BS Translator we got the underlying truth of his statement. Translation: We here at X Games are all about the TV product and not the athletes. We want as much money as possible and the fans, viewers and athletes we screw over along the way can just suck it up. But we wish them well wherever the land after we just dropped them like a bag of flaming poop.

Thank You Tim Reed for making it more abundantly clear that you have completely lost focus on what made your product great in the first place. Diversity, viewership and polarizing athletes from all different sports and walks of life. There are great athletes not named Shaun White just a heads up. The best part of snocross athletes is they are so opposite of the rich snobby ski lifestyle that feeds into the winter sports. The have the back country easy going attitude. They relate to viewers, you don’t Tim Reed.

If ESPN and X Games doesn’t figure out that they are screwing themselves over, soon they will have nothing to show for it. The fans will leave. Fans are not about to pay 15 dollar tickets to watch a practice event. Stop soaking the patrons that made your product great and made you money.

The crowds were huge. The stands were loud. And yet again, Salt Lake City put on another Dew Tour that astonished the national media. All of the local media and the athletes know why Salt Lake has the passion but even after 6 years the national media cant seem to grasp that this is the state for all things action sports. We are the only state to host both a summer and a winter stop. That should be proof enough. Thanks to the biggest crowd in BMX Dirt Finals history, I think that may have finally been the tipping point to the national media to get over their stereotypical viewpoint of what Utah is. We are not just a conservative religiously rich environment that cant let loose and have fun. This is our state these are our sports and we love them and Utah is the state to be in.

Just a few more thoughts from the past weekend as we put a close to a great weekend of competition.

Dear Rob Lorifice, stop wasting the time of everyone on the tour and shut it down. You’re more inconsistent than Charlie Sheen. You can barely finish an entire 30 second run and when you do you celebrate it as if you just watched a horror film. The worst thing of this all is you’re being watched and you act less mature than all of the kids watching combined. When things dont go your way you throw your board, whine and storm off the ramp. You’re a disgrace and you demean what the sport is all about. So stop wasting everyones’ time and just shut it down. Go away and never ride on the tour again or in X. The last time you made a finals and was relevant, so was Wham.

Speed and Style 4 riders wide was the best bit of Dew Tour racing I have ever seen. Big names were riding, the crowd was into it and the judges did the right thing by making Cary Hart the wild card for the final. Having Mike Mason, Ronnie Faisst, Beau Bamburg and Cary Hart all on the same course for a winner take all final was epic. Each of these riders are very familiar with the top of the podium and it made for great racing. Thanks to Hart and Huntington for putting on a great race and show. You showed more people unfamiliar with the sport the beauty and excitement of racing and I know you made some new fans in Salt Lake City.

Mike Clark, you can keep riding the top of your handle bars for the rest of the time. I look forward to that moment each and every stop. You should automatically be into the finals just so we can see more of that. Dont stop we love what you do.

The usual suspects were on the top of the podium for Skate Vert with PLG on top this this time. While the competition in each final is tight and it makes for a great final, I would love to see someone new in the mix. PLG, Bucky and Shaun are so skilled that they are always there and the others that push them are just getting a bit to old to go the distance. Andy Mac and Bob Burnquist are up there and are legends, but just dont have the gas to get them all the way to the top. In the end though, Shaun and PLG just act as if its routine and are mediocre about the win. You can tell that they are forcing the smiles out for the awards and the picutes. Some losing could do PLG and Shaun some good. It may spark some energy back into them and see their love for riding for fun not becuase they have to come back.

Congrats to Stevie McCann. I bet that shower of water you took from the other riders felt amazing. I noted after X Games 17 that if there was someone that might beat Jamie at full strength it was you. You delivered with a fantastic run and your no-handed 900 is jaw dropping. Your post race dance needs a little work though. If you are going to do the Dougie you need some better music to dance to. You have made the BMX Vert Finals in Vegas relevant and what you have done for BMX Vert and the fans cannot go unnoticed. Congratulations again on your win, Jamie even smiled for you.

As we turn towards Vegas for the Championships, for the first time in a long time, the finals in Vegas are relevant. So many of the points races are separated by 8 points. The riders will have to be ready with their best stuff to get the coveted Dew Cup. Stay tuned. You’re not going to want to miss this.

Being active and healthy is vital to success in sports, especially action sports where body control and athleticism is paramount. While many people find their fitness in the gym, many others find that the gym is not for them, so their fitness routine becomes nonexistent unless they find a viable alternative. While we take a stance at fitness from the athletes’ perspective, T Squared Action Sports is committed to a healthier community as a whole, so let us introduce you to Yoga.

Centered City Yoga in Salt Lake City has taken T Squared and has introduced me to the health benefits of yoga. At first I was unsure of what yoga really was and how yoga could help me as an athlete. I had seen pictures and could not understand how holding some strange pose was helpful to my overall health or would improve my riding. I knew that balance played a role in yoga, but balance can be learned anywhere especially when you constantly ride skis, skateboards or even snowboards. After one class I was shown where I was wrong. Yoga is more than a collective group of people breathing and humming sounds together and holding a pose. There are so many different styles that strengthen the core, increase flexibility and even tone the body, all of which has and will continue to benefit me as an athlete. Increased flexibility and a stronger core will help you hold the edges on your board easier, power through the jumps and even dig deep in the powder. That’s what we all want right?

To this point I have been attending yoga for two weeks, through many different courses so I can better inform you that yoga is beneficial and a great gym alternative. Centered City Yoga teaches the courses with individuals in mind. They take the time to instruct and guide you to the proper hold and pose through routines that benefit you no matter how experienced, or in my case inexperienced you are. I attended core basics for my first class. The workshop natures of the class allowed me to get my feet wet then jump all in to yoga, and feel like I could succeed. This is how any athlete approaches a new level in their sport, learn the core basics then attack the challenge.

Yoga teaches you to learn the basics, then utilize your skills to push yourself to where you body can take you. Where can your body take you?

Centered City Yoga has designed and built a class specifically for athletes. The benefits you feel after just one class can be immediately noticed, but mostly your body is more limber and the core feels tighter. Do you want that in your riding? I know I do.

As my journey through yoga continues, check back for more insights on how you can find healthy alternatives to become a healthier you.

This month, the International Olympic Committee announced the long anticipated and well deserved addition of men’s and women’s half pipe and women’s ski jumping. Congratulations are in order. Congratulations to these athletes and congratulations to Utah as a state.  Utah is a great home to these athletes, and we as a state have provided them with the platform that they have needed to grow their sport and gain the attention of the Olympic Committee. Again, Congratulations are in order for the athletes, their future, but mostly congratulations to Utah.

I love the winter season here in Utah and find any way to be in the snow in any snow sport. I am an avid skier, snowboarder and snow kiter. Utah snow is unlike any other snow in the world, and the world comes to our mountains to soak up our amazing white powder ocean.

While I am thrilled for my friends and the future of ski half pipe and women’s ski jumping; I prefer the summer action sports and Olympics more and here is why: anyone can participate. Fact: 1. winter sports are exclusive. To be at the top of the winter sports community, one needs to live in a winter country or state. 2. You need money. Until the sponsors come in, assuming you can get one, you need to pay for equipment, lift tickets and special clothing.

You don’t need anything special or a resort to ride a skateboard, ride a bmx bike, run track and field or even play soccer. While T Squared focuses mainly on action sports, it’s hard not to recognize that the growing trend in the community is in sports across the world that anyone of any ethnic background, economic status and where they live in the world participate more in sports that they can be successful in their front yard. Summer actions sports grow faster globally than winter sports. And it shows in the athletes we see participate and the crowds at the events.

While many of you may not agree with me that Winter Sports are exclusive, look at the statistics. In the Olympics, the top 5 countries with the most medals in the games are the USA, Canada, Russia, Norway and Sweden. Is it any coincidence that each of these five countries are also in the top 15 of the world’s richest countries? No. And while not everyone in these countries is well off financially, the money exists for more people to participate in these winter sports. These are the facts, it’s hard to deny the correlation.

No matter where you are, anyone can pick up a skateboard and ride. While many use it for sport, some use it as transportation. For one gas tank fill up in your car, you can purchase a skateboard and be mobile. It’s just fact. And while it may not be as convenient as a car, sometimes it’s the best and only available option to some.

Look at the country parody in the summer Olympics, summer Dew Tour and X Games. There is more countries represented in the athletes and at the top of the podium. Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, but he hails from a poor country. Skateboarding is a worldwide community, and the best of the best come from the USA, Brazil and other South American countries, Europe, Canada and even Australia.

These are just two small examples, but the truth of the matter is, success in sports is found globally in events that are cultured in the front yard, in parks by the home, and the streets. This is why I love these sports. We need to continue building our community in the action sports world, and summer sports do it better than the winter sports. I spend a lot of time around each genre of sport and the summer community family is closer, more open to new ideas and less stuffy. The winter community should take a long look at themselves and try a little harder to be summer.