Denver is a finalist to host the International Festival of Extreme Sports World Series, a multiday carnival of urban freestyle sports that regularly draws a half-million spectators in Europe and Asia.
The organizer, France’s Hurricane Sports Company, hosts the largest skateboarding and freestyle BMX competition in Europe. Hurricane Sports aims to push its X-Games-like FISE World Series into North America with events next year in Denver and Edmonton, Alberta.
“For us, it’s been a target for many years to have events in North America, especially the United States. It’s important for us, as a business, and for our riders,” FISE World Series’ director of international development, Olivier Pascal, said Tuesday as he scouted Denver locations.
Pedaling B-Cycles around downtown, Pascal and members of the team guiding Denver’s bid process sketched preliminary plans for a skateboarding, scooter and BMX ramp in Sculpture Park; festival exhibitors at Metropolitan State University of Denver; a potential music stage in the outer lots of the Pepsi Center; and, possibly, more events at Civic Center.
“I’m really impressed with this city,” Pascal said. “I love all the public art. I feel really confident that FISE can fit in this city.”
There are many hurdles before Denver hosts as many as 100,000 spectators for the spectacle of freestyle sports, which would resemble the summer Dew Tour stops at the Pepsi Center in 2005 and 2006.
First is funding. Hurricane Sports last week put Denver on its shortlist of potential hosts, alongside Edmonton, Kazan, Russia; Qatar; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — all of which bring plenty of public money to the table. Denver brings very little, if any, public funding.
“We need to be far more entrepreneurial. FISE recognizes that is a challenge for us, but they also see such a benefit from being in North America, and in Denver specifically,” said Chris Olivier, a Denver BMX legend whose PlusSize BMX, an online magazine and event production team, is organizing the Denver bid.
Olivier met with FISE organizers in May during the World Series event in Montpellier, France, where more than 500,000 spectators rallied for the four-day festival. Olivier said other host representatives at the meeting included the mayor of Edmonton, a Russian finance manager and a royal prince from Qatar.
“All the other venues are largely supported by the local government, and that’s not how we work in the U.S. That’s our challenge,” said Olivier, adding that national insurance, auto and financial sponsors are waiting to hear whether Hurricane selects Denver before promising support.
Where the X Games and Dew Tour events feature only invited athletes, the FISE World Series events are open to all professional and amateur athletes. In France, Malaysia and China, the FISE World Series contests draw nearly 2,000 male and female competitors.
“While the World Series is televised and makes sponsors money, the impacts are huge when it comes to growing these sports,” said Olivier, who also works as general manager of
Hurricane Sports representatives are working with the International Olympic Committee and several international federations of action sports to promote and organize new-school events for Japan’s 2020 Summer Olympics. The group also is working with the International Cycling Union, cycling’s international governing body, to host world cup events for BMX Freestyle Park next year.
The FISE World Series contests next year will include first-ever World Cups in the nascent sport of BMX Freestyle Park, a discipline that involves acrobatic tricks on BMX bikes. The discipline, along with skateboarding, is a contender for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, as the
Hurricane Sports will select three hosts from the five finalists. Edmonton and Denver would probably go together, with back-to-back events that could use the same equipment and sponsors.
Edmonton expects 210,000 visitors who would spend $5 million to $6 million, stirring a $12 million economic impact, .
The tentative plan for Denver is a three- or four-day festival over Labor Day weekend of 2016.
Denver’s leaders are still learning about the FISE World Series and the plan for Denver. Visit Denver, which hosts most large-scale events in the city, typically plans years in advance. Right now, it is still in early talks with FISE and local organizers.
“We are enthusiastic about these discussions, but we don’t have any announcements to make at this stage,” said Matthew Payne, the executive director of Denver Sports, the Visit Denver group that works to bring sporting events to the city. “There is still much diligence to be done with the promoters and FISE to create an agreement that incorporates the appropriate input and buy-in from the hospitality and business communities.”
The logistics are tough, and getting local approval is just as hard, Olivier acknowledges. FISE plans to announce the new hosts this fall, giving it less than a year to plan the event.
Olivier is undaunted. The Dew Tour in 2005 and 2006 at the Pepsi Center drew record crowds. The Winter X Games in Aspen is one of the state’s most high-profile contests.
“Colorado has an amazing history with these events. There’s no doubt we have the community who wants this,” he said. “Now it’s time to take it to the next step.”
Jason Blevins: 303-954-1374, jblevins@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jasonblevins
