In the world of sports, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games do it right.
The huge spotlight events generate publicity, revenue and appreciation for whichever city is gracious enough to host. Large venues are built, decorations spice up the atmosphere and sports’ biggest stars take in the local culture. But what happens when it’s all over?
The athletes head home back to their respective countries, the decorations are taken down and sometimes sold to charities or museums and the venues often just sit there. Such was the case with the Olympiapark venue once the 1972 Summer Olympics Games came to an end in Munich, Germany.
On Wednesday, for the first time since American Mark Spitz won seven swimming gold medals, Soviet Olga Korbut won gymnastics gold and the USSR basketball team beat out the U.S. in a controversial ending, the arena was in full use all at the same time, as X Games Munich kicked off festivities. The news that the city would host the X Games came last May, just months before the 40th anniversary of the Munich Olympic Games.
The Freeride Mountain Bike Association, based out of Munich, was a key to Munich winning the bid to host one of the stops in this year’s X Games global expansion and because of that, the Mountain Bike Slopestyle will make its X Games debut during the games, which take place June 27 through 30.
The old boxing arena will house Street League Skateboarding, Skateboard Park and BMX Park, while the old gymnastics venue – a world-class concert hall these days – is piled high with dirt for the Moto X Best Whip, Speed and Style and Step Up events. Plus, the vert ramp and mega ramp will be on Olympic Hill, originally built from debris and ruins of World War II.
Munich is the third world stop for the X Games this year, with the games having already completed action in Foz do Iguaçu and Barcelona, before it heads back to Los Angeles in August.
Ed is an MMA/Extreme Sports contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller, and subscribe at Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports.
Photo Credit: Getty
