Today is a dark day for skiing and it's recognition as a 'real sport'.
It has been announced today that ESPN will no longer be covering the winter x-games due to "resource demands and other priorities" said the spokesman for the corporate board of ESPN. As the X-games are a product of EXPN this means that the event will no longer be held.
In addition, recognition by the International Olympic committee for freestyle skiing as a sport worthy of the an Olympic event (such as halfpipe) is now extremely unlikely. This will be the case for at least the 2010 Vancouver games.
Despite the amount of viewers, supporters and participants in skiing today, it appears that competition row, sham, bow is a better sport.