The Truth About The First Fatality At The X Games
Caleb Moore's death occurred just after Deadspin's Brent Rose wrote about how it was only a matter of time before someone died during the X Games: "When discussing these injuries, the athletes and spectators all expressed sadness, sympathy, even fear—but there was no surprise. They know as well as anyone that the X Games have only gotten more dangerous." The increase in danger is not due to any changes in the course or equipment, but the fact that since the X Games are predicated on extremity, its competitors must always top the previous year's extremes. One backflip becomes two and that becomes three because you won't win otherwise. The same goes for the crashes, the brutality of which is what exhibiting viewers are hoping for.
Caleb Moore's death, however, did not serve as a catalyst for safety. As a contemporary account in The Guardian notes, viewership among 18-34-year-old men was up by 16% with total viewers reaching 34.5 million in the US. So while X Games officials remembered Caleb Moore for his natural passion for life and his deep love for his family and friends", they also planned to expand overseas.
In an attempt at a feel-good movie ending, it's worth noting that having recovered from last year's crash, Colten Moore won Gold in the freestyle category in 2014. But in 2017, he also bruised his spine while attempting a double backflip. The X Games remain the X Games.
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