Women nearing X Games parity

By: SCOTT BAIR - Staff Writer | Thursday, August 3, 2006 11:34 PM PDT ∞

LOS ANGELES ---- Cara-Beth Burnside won the X Games women's skateboarding vert competition on Thursday afternoon at Staples Center.

A bigger victory, one that will be celebrated by the entire female skateboarding community, occurred 24 hours earlier.

It came from a closed-door meeting between members of a female skateboarding union called the Action Sports Alliance and John Skipper, ESPN's executive vice president for content.

The hour that Burnside, fellow Encinitas resident Mimi Knoop and ASA manager Drew Mearns spent with Skipper was a productive one. They went into the meeting with a comically small prize purse for the vert competition and no television coverage.

They walked out with a three-fold increase in compensation, the promise of future television exposure and a huge sense of accomplishment.

"This is what we wanted," said Burnside, who took home a $15,000 first prize on Thursday, as opposed to the $5,000 she was scheduled to receive before the meeting. "This validates a lot of hard work and is a huge first step toward securing a successful future for our sport."

The successful meeting represents progress for female skateboarders, who threatened a boycott before last year's X Games and received little consolation for calling it off. The agreement shows female skateboarders that they are gaining respect within the action sports industry.

"This is important, but it's just a start," Knoop said. "We wanted what was fair and I think we got it, which will hopefully inspire young girls to pursue skateboarding in the future. But we need to keep moving forward, keep progressing, if we're going to legitimize this sport."

Dias reigns in vert

Sandro Dias has always been known as a something of a sideshow act, a high-flying entertainer who doesn't win many big contests.

But the Santa Ana resident and native Brazilian added some technical savvy to his signature big-air maneuvers during the first round of the men's skate vert competition. Those maneuvers earned 87.50 points, secured his placed among skateboarding's elite and proved to be good enough for X Games gold.

"It's a crazy feeling," said Dias, who won $50,000 for his efforts. "This is so special for me. I've been trying for so many years, working hard for this event and everything finally came together at the right time."

North County athletes flanked Dias on the medal podium.

Vista resident Bob Burnquist took second with an 84.00, while Encinitas' Bucky Lasek ---- who rode hurt after "my body took a lot of slams before the contest, a few of which I could've done without" ---- placed third with an 83.75. Both could've had higher scores if not for a few late-run hiccups.

"I was a switch kickflip away from a gold medal," Burnquist said. "It's really tough to take because I do that trick in my sleep. Doing the whole run is tough enough, and I guess I was thinking too much there at the end. I really think that if I would've nailed that trick, I would've won the contest."

Mirra injured

BMX superstar Dave Mirra, the most decorated athlete in X Games history, lacerated his liver during a practice session at the Home Depot Center and will miss the X Games. He was taken to a local hospital and will stay there through tonight as a precaution.

Corey Bohan won the BMX Dirt competition for the third straight time at Staples Center.

Contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.