Kyle Goon:
"Monday’s announcement that the Dew Tour won’t be back in Utah has a lot of folks adding up dollars and cents.
The most prominent ripple in the State of Sport is the loss of an event that generated millions for the state’s economy. The gravity-defying stunts on the nation’s premier action sports tour drew in tens of thousands of fans, not to mention great tourism exposure. As organizers are left to contemplate how to fill EnergySolutions Arena without Bob Burnquist or Bucky Lasek soaring on their skateboards, it’s easy to imagine all the checkbooks walking away.
But for a state with a burgeoning corps of young action sports athletes, it might be a few years before we see the effect that losing the Dew Tour could have on their aspirations.
Take 16-year-old snowboarder Max Raymer, a Park City native who went to the inaugural Youth Winter Olympics this year. Losing the Dew Tour won’t take him off the slopes anytime soon, but it sure was nice to be able to see some of his idols — and some of his close friends — compete at Snowbasin.
"It’s kind of a bummer they’re not going to come back," he says. "For kids who are just getting into it, being there makes you want to compete and get better. They’re going to lose that now."
That impact could be quite profound. Utah annually drew some of the largest crowds of all the tour stops. In 2010, 60,500 people flocked to Salt Lake City for the summer events, and the next winter brought 44,300 fans to Snowbasin.
In a state somewhat awkwardly sandwiched between skateboard mecca California and some of the more well-known winter resorts in Colorado, the Dew Tour was a real chance not just for Utah to shine, but for the younger generation living here to get a glimpse of an exciting genre of sports. Action sports — ranging from BMX biking to snowcross, basically anything that involves hurtling through the air or zipping along a ramp — have hosted some of the most exciting pioneering going on in athletics today...."
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