Defying "Gravity"

The Gravity Games are no more, as far as Cleveland is concerned.
The Plain Dealer reported this morning that the weeklong extreme sports and music festival will be moving to two sites in Pennsylvania this year, bringing an end to Cleveland's three-year run as the event's host.
The loss of the Gravity Games leaves a big late-summer hole to fill on the schedule of North Coast Harbor, the site of the games, but Cleveland officials were quoted as saying they believe the success of the Gravity Games' run in Cleveland will open the door for other sports festivals in the city.
The games were a tremendous success, drawing thousands downtown each year. The games included a skateboarding and bicycle half-pipe, skateboarding and bicycle street course, and a dirt course for motorcross. A miniature skatepark for kids, interactive attractions and a stage for nightly entertainment were also part of the set-up.
The Gravity Games' success in Cleveland probably peaked in 2003, with Sobe beverages on board as a main sponsor and a live broadcast on NBC. By 2004, the water-skiing and wakeboarding competitions were moved to a separate competition in Australia and Sobe was no longer a sponsor. The games were bought by Outdoor Life Network, which ran only taped broadcasts.
One of the few drawbacks to the games was the timing, usually in late August or September. That time of year, it is usually still warm inland, but on the shore of Lake Erie, the wind becomes chilly, especially in the shade.
Here's hoping Cleveland can line up another extreme sports event. The Gravity Games tapped a unique market, the kids, teens and 20-somethings who aren't into baseball or football or basketball as much as grinding and spinning their handlebars.
We love the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers, but you're not going to catch every sports fanatic in Cleveland with just those three teams. Where their parents idolized Rocky Colavito, these kids idolize Tony Hawk or (gulp) Bam Margera.