Replying to Don't hate the trick, hate the judging.

Unfortunately I haven't gotten the chance to see any footie from the X Games yet, but it sounds like bullshit as usual. I am disappointed in the majority of the competitors for not getting creative, but they really aren't the ones to blame- when I knew I could get X Games gold and a fat check for throwing the typical trick, I'd huck it too.

The problem lies in the judging, but it's not at simple as just saying 'lets all stop spinning to win.' i found the judging article in freeskier a while back very interesting, where Loubeck, Douglas and Szocs were discussing the impossibility of judging on style alone. I agree with them that judging on style is difficult, but I think at the very least that some aspect of creativity should be a MANDATORY part in judging any competition. Style is not only how and where you grab, how you cork your spin, etc. but what trick you choose to throw--and that can be easily judged. When ten riders in a row throw a switch 10 and one rider throws a switch 7 (and its obvious that this rider could throw the exact same switch 10 if he so pleased), it's obvious that this rider is making a creative, style-based decision. Judges need to realize this and take pro-active measures to make sure the athletes are informed so that every big air competition in the next five years isnt the same huckfest, because this shit is starting to look exactly like old freestyle. Style is hard to judge but not impossible, and I say it's better to make a dubious judging call based on style than simply award the podium to whoever spins longest and manages to get a grab in somwhere- ESPECIALLY when every competitor is throwing the same trick! The trick that is thrown most frequently should be the trick that DOES NOT WIN the competition.