Latest news with #X-Games
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials provide updates on Sacramento's tourism industry
( — Visit Sacramento hosted its annual State of Tourism event this morning. Tourism officials shared the latest updates on our region's travel and hospitality industry and unveiled an exciting new food event launching this year. Visit Sacramento staff, congress members, airport officials from SMF, and city and county leaders gathered today to share the updates inside the Safe Credit Union Convention Center. 'Now is the moment. We can feel it. Things are happening, and we're going to take this moment and run away with it,' said Congresswoman Doris Matsui. Sacramento's tourism industry made a strong comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic. It's now generating $4 billion annually. Sac State PD looking for arson suspect who fled on foot 'We attract more than 15 million visitors a year. They spend millions of dollars into our economy, and it creates tens of thousands of jobs in Sacramento,' said Mike Testa, Visit Sacramento's President and CEO. In 2024, local businesses brought in $148 million from visitor spending, while other tourism markets across California slumped. Testa says the Sacramento region's wide variety of events and attractions is keeping tourism strong. 'When one industry may be down, like conventions, sports picks it up, or music festivals pick it up.' The local industry continues to grow, even after two significant events, X-Games and Golden Sky, were paused this year. Although Testa says both are expected to return, 'Certainly losing Golden Sky this year isn't a great thing.' Fairfield man indicted for failing to pay over $2 million in employment taxes 'The good news is it's a pause. We expect it to be back in 2026,' said Testa. 'X Games is an event that we had hosted before. While we hate that it's postponed a year, it's still coming back.' Filling the gap left by those events, Visit Sacramento announced a brand new addition: Terra Madre Americas. 'It's the largest food conference in Europe,' Testa explained. 'It attracts 300,000 people from 120 different countries in Torino, Italy. We are bringing that event to Sacramento.' Ed Roehr, Co-Director of Slow Food Sacramento, helped bring the event here. He says Terra Madre will showcase our region's food scene to the world. 'Bringing out producers, makers, and farmers from around the states and America here. Offering interesting perspectives on food and food values. I think it's going to be fantastic,' Roehr said. With other West Coast tourism cities struggling, Sacramento is moving forward thanks to new events and plenty of unique experiences. 'I think Sacramento is in a really good place,' Testa said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
07-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Could 10-year-old Riley be a Winter Olympic champ one day?
At ten years old, Riley Sharpe is already being tipped for future Olympic success after he smashed it at the British Freeski and Snowboarding Championships (Brits) last week. The snowboarder beat competitors twice his age to the overall slopestyle and big air gold medals in Austria. Those two disciplines are both Olympic events, but Riley will have to wait until he is 16 to compete with the best in the world in 2034. He also took home the Brits under-16 rail jam trophy and the under-12 snowboard cross what do all these terms mean and how did Riley get so good at them? Slopestyle, Big Air, Rail Jam... What do they all mean? Let's start with slopestyle - this is where a freestyle skier or snowboarder starts at the top of a large snowy hill and has to work their way down the course by showing top skills and tricks over a course of rails, jumps and other tricky objects. They are marked on creativity, difficulty of tricks, how well they link all the apparatus together and overall style and finish. Big Air is where athletes show off the biggest trick they can do, after building up lots of speed down a huge snowy jump. They often do multiple twists, flips and have to land without touching the ground to score the most points. Rail Jam is where all the athletes head down a short course of different rails, riding them on their snowboards or skis and flipping and twisting off them. Unlike slopestyle, there are no huge jumps (or kickers as they are known) in a rail jam. Snowboard and ski cross are all about speed and control. Around four to six athletes line up at the top of a fast course and it's a straight race to the finish line. They have to face small jumps and tight corners on their way. Where did Riley learn how to snowboard? Riley began snowboarding at the age of two on a family holiday! He was a natural on the snow and his family decided to move to the Alps in France for a few months to help him improve. His mum and dad say they wanted him to keep getting better, even when he was a youngster! "He excelled faster than anyone expected. He is obsessed with it," Riley's dad James told BBC the age of eight, Riley was competing in big competitions, against other kids his age but also against older teens and adults. However, he may have to wait a few years to compete on a world stage as the age limit for the World Cup events is 15. However, the prestigious X-Games allow any age competitors as long as they have been invited to compete. "Nothing scares me," Riley said. "I can't wait for next season already. I want to keep pushing and showing what I can do."
WIRED
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- WIRED
How to Get Free Tickets to TV Tapings and Movie Screenings
Mar 23, 2025 7:30 AM Passes to advanced film screenings and live TV tapings are highly coveted, but with some persistence, planning, and insider knowledge, you could score seats at these exclusive events. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale during the monologue on SNL. Photograph:If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED There's something uniquely exhilarating about the experience of seeing a live TV show taping or exclusive movie screening; the gripping performances, the communal camaraderie of the crowd, and the delectable smugness that comes from previewing a new piece of entertainment before the general public gets to see it. It certainly doesn't hurt that the tickets to these live tapings and early screenings are usually free. And while the competition to score those free tickets can be classified as its own extreme sport, the payoff can leave you feeling like an X-Games medal winner. As you can imagine, securing these coveted passes isn't always as simple as clicking a link. Others are vying for the same tickets, so you need yogi-level patience—or Divine Intervention—to acquire a promo code. 'I don't mind putting in the work for a free ticket,' says Desmond Jonas, a tall, Afro-wearing 38-year-old catering coordinator from Park Slope. 'It's fun. Movies are my passion, so I try to see as many as I can. And I save money, so it's a double win.' My first encounter with the free-screening subculture occurred when I was living on a budget in Austin. At a time when I couldn't always afford to go out, the many available free test screenings kept my social calendar full. News of the screenings came anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, so I would stalk several times daily to see whenever new promo codes were posted. I'd then head over to Gofobo, where I would enter the code and be granted a free pass to the premiere. The entire process kept me entertained, offering a way to see new films without spending money I didn't have. Later, when I moved to San Francisco and was going through a rough patch, those same viewings gave me something to look forward to. Where to Find Free Tickets The key to scoring free passes is knowing where to look. Here are the top sites and platforms (some require logins): 1iota: The fan platform distributes free passes to sitcoms, talk shows, red carpet events, and exclusive fan experiences in New York, California, and select cities elsewhere. Members create an account and submit requests for each individual event they wish to attend. Lucky winners receive a confirmation email link to accept their tickets, which are distributed on the site. AdvanceScreenings: Founded in 2009, the largest free-ticket and promotional-code distributor collects and displays aggregate information about viewings in big cities and small towns from an array of sources. Visitors use these links and promo codes to unlock reserved tickets they can use to attend the premiere. Amazon Studios: A burgeoning player in film and television, the site regularly hosts free television and movie screenings to generate buzz for new and upcoming projects. Gofobo: This filmgoer-friendly resource offers tickets to advance screenings of upcoming films, as well as various themed sweepstakes giveaways like promotional movie swag and snack baskets. Users create their own account, which they will use to scan for screenings in or near their Zip code. The account also keeps track of their ticket requests. Instagram/X/Eventbrite: Social sites are a great place to learn about online and in-person film screenings held by local organizations as well as major studios. You can follow the major film studios, local movie theaters, and radio stations on social media for a jump on the competition. You'll need to sift through the immense array of free events for something that resonates with your particular tastes, but there are hidden gems to be found if you're willing to dig. You can search for an upcoming film by name, or you can search 'free screenings Montana,' for example, to find viewings near you. Movie Screenings (Facebook Group): Members from around the US share promotional codes, links, and strategies in this open Facebook group. Saturday Night Live Reservations: The Mount Everest of them all, SNL , is still going strong in its golden years. The show has a yearly sweepstakes where prospective visitors submit their email during the month of August for free passes to a specific episode. The website also is home to a weekly lottery for standby tickets. Each Thursday at 10:00 am, the SNL crew releases tickets for that weekend's dress rehearsal and live show. Competition is intense, and seats fill up faster than the time it takes to ride the elevator from the 30 Rock lobby up to Studio 8H. Warner Bros. Studios: The studio-sponsored site allows visitors to enter a promotional code from all the channels by which the codes are distributed—through the studio, from movie theaters, via local TV and radio stations, or at unlock free ticket vouchers to a variety of WB television and movie offerings. Helpful Hints Be persistent, be early. Most ticketing platforms operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply for admission ASAP. Set alerts and check for new releases several times daily, especially for Once you get your free ticket, be sure to show up at the venue early. Events are often overbooked by the promoters to ensure a full house, so don't get stuck at the back of the line. Flexibility helps. Popular shows and films fill up quickly. If you're open to lesser-known events, you'll have a better shot at securing a spot. Some waiting required. Even after getting in, expect to wait for possible production delays. For high-demand events, arriving hours early is key. Prepare by bringing snacks and wearing comfy shoes. Know the etiquette. Each event has its own set of rules regarding age restrictions, mobile device use, and dress codes. Even if the invitation doesn't offer implicit guidance, dressing well (business casual) enhances the experience. And, if you're at a TV taping, it could get you a better seat. Be kind to the event staff. These people work hard to give you the best experience possible, so follow their instructions and help make their lives easier. Today's ticket collector could be tomorrow's shot-caller with the power to grant you VIP seats. The Ultimate Challenge: Saturday Night Live Standby Tickets For the true die-hards, securing SNL standby tickets is an endurance test. At 10:00 am on Thursdays, fans flock to the NBC website to vie for seats to the dress rehearsal on Saturday evening, and the live show at 11:30 pm Saturday night. Then, they enter contact information, and successful visitors are assigned a numeric position in line. Hopefuls for the dress rehearsal start lining up on 50th between Fifth & Sixth Avenues at 6:00 pm Friday. (For the live show, we lined up at 49th Street & Sixth Avenue.) By 7:00 pm, they begin counting those the current queue to determine the permanent numeric order of the tickets. At exactly 12:01 am Saturday, numbered standby tickets are handed out—but even then these are just standby tickets, so whether or not you'll actually get in depends on how many ticketed guests show up. After trying for months, I was one of the lucky one-hundred-or-so site visitors to be assigned a number (#85) for the live show. That Friday, I got in line six hours early with ambivalence and a collapsible camping chair, unsure whether I would be given a physical ticket. I was also unsure whether I would last in the frigid 30-degree December weather. At several points during my vigil, I questioned whether I'd make it. But my line-mates helped talk me through the toughest moments. 'You've put in too much time to quit now, Lawrence. You can do this,' counseled Kelly, my 19-year-old Economics major buddy from Fordham University. Rob and Daphne, a fortysomething couple visiting from Houston, held my place in line while I took bathroom breaks, and Becky and Christina, both NYU students in their early 20s, brought back hand warmers when I held their place for them. The clock struck 12:01, and a staff member handed me a card (#51—meaning 34 people had not shown up to claim their spot in line) for the live show. And I got in! The show was fantastic: Chris Rock hosted and Gracie Abrams was the musical guest. We were even treated to a surprise appearance by Adam Sandler! 'This was so epic,' Becky exclaimed at the end of the broadcast. 'I got a little confused between watching the monitor and the stage, because I'm used to viewing it [ SNL ] on a TV. But tonight, I didn't need one!' Why People Keep Coming Back Trudy, a 62-year-old retiree with a pink pixie cut and crimson cat-shaped frames visiting from Portland, summed it up perfectly: 'I love being an insider. How many people can say they made eye contact with Adam Sandler? He even waved back!' Trudy's right—there's definitely something powerful about these moments. When I went to a taping of The Tamron Hall Show, I wasn't expecting much more than a fun afternoon. But at the end, Tamron actually took my phone and snapped a selfie with me. It's those unexpected, one-of-a-kind interactions that make all the effort worth it. Whether it's locking eyes with a comedy legend or getting a surprise selfie with a TV host, these experiences remind you why chasing free tickets isn't just about saving money—it's about walking away with a story no one else can tell.
Reuters
13-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
New Zealand snowboarder Sadowski-Synnott savours golden return
Feb 13 (Reuters) - Grounded by a troubling ankle injury for much of 2024, New Zealand's first Winter Olympic champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott is now back on top of the snowboarding world after a "mind-blowing" few weeks in Colorado. The 23-year-old swept both the slopestyle and big air gold medals at the World Cup in Aspen, after claiming the X-Games slopestyle title at the resort in late-January. She also became the first woman to land a triple cork in any ski or snowboard event at the X-Games when she pulled off the dizzying trick in her run to the slopestyle gold. The triple cork involves flipping three times in the air while rotating off axis. It occasionally puts winter athletes, like American snowboarding great Shaun White, in hospital. Sadowski-Synnott's backside triple cork 1440 - where "backside" means starting the trick facing backwards and "1440" is rotations in degrees - threw down the gauntlet to rivals a year out from the 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina. "Landing the triple cork in a slopestyle run was something that I honestly thought was impossible, and I wasn't even sure if I'd ever get there in my career, so being able to do that there was super special," she told New Zealand media. "And coming into this season, honestly it wasn't even one of my goals, it was still such a 'something-to-work-towards'. But being able to do it at X Games ... it was definitely a dream come true." The trick came weeks after a humbling return to global competition at the Big Air World Cup in Kreischberg, Austria, where Sadowski-Synnott failed to make the finals for the first time at a World Cup since her teen years. Despite plenty of hard work at training, there were nerves about executing in competition and some lingering regret about mishandling her ankle rehabilitation. "I'm not going to lie, I didn't do everything right by the book at the start, and it definitely delayed the process of getting back to 100%," she said. "It was kind of mind-blowing looking back on the last couple of weeks, and seeing how well it went. "But when I think of the last year, post-injury and then coming into this season, the amount of planning and work me and my team have done, it just feels really rewarding." Already New Zealand's most decorated Winter Olympian with a gold, silver and bronze, Sadowski-Synnott will bid to defend her slopestyle title at Milano-Cortina and medal at a third Games. That would cement her place among the greats of Olympic snowboarding. "Every year is different and there are so many things that could happen between now and then, but I'm really proud of where I'm at with my snowboarding right now, especially considering this injury last year," she said.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet Sara Price: Stuntwoman, X-Games Medalist, and Dakar Rally Competitor
She started competing in motocross events when she was just 8 years old, and now she's racing across the desert on a team funded by none other than mega movie star Will Smith. She's won the X-Games, raced off-road and performed movie stunts: driver Sara Price, 32, turned pro half a lifetime ago at 16, now driving four-wheeled vehicles in world class competitions. All along, she says, running the epic Dakar Rally has been her dream. In 2024, Sara finally reached Dakar as an independent and made a name for herself as the first American woman to win a stage. In the process, she also caught the attention of power sports company Can-Am and competed for their factory team in the 2025 Dakar Rally. The Dakar spans 5,000 miles and 14 days of relentless desert terrain across Saudi Arabia, a notoriously challenging feat. This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. The Dakar Rally requires not just focus but obsessive attention to detail to figure out where to collect points and where to go next. 'The Dakar Rally is the pinnacle of off-road, period,' Sara says. 'It's the toughest race in the world. To get there and experience and do it, there is nothing that comes close to it.' She's not kidding. The dunes seem endless against the Arabian sky, and sand is strewn everywhere. Competitors are exhausted, physically and mentally, and tension can run high. 'It's two weeks of unrelenting misery,' agrees Ford's Jay Ward, who works closely with Ford's Dakar team. Still, that doesn't stop people like Sara from going out there and proving they can finish. She says one mistake she often sees is when competitors push too hard and don't anticipate the long haul. She's focused not on being the first vehicle out of the gate, but gaining on the competitors in front of her. Read: Rebelle Rally: Empowering Women Off Road Dakar Rally is Sara's priority, her everything, her dream come true, she says. She intends to win the Dakar Rally at some point. Meanwhile, Sara is working on her winter gig: racing electric hydrofoil boats. She grew up at the crossroads of desert terrain and a watersports-ready river, and now Sara and Ricky own a property they named Rip and Dip Ranch. 'We rip across the desert and then take a dip in the river,' Sara says with a grin. 'Being able to race boats and cars really is the dream.' She doesn't simply relax and enjoy a casual boat race, though. Sara's team owner, actor Will Smith, star of movies like The Pursuit of Happyness, Enemy of the State, and Hitch, has skin in the game. He doesn't race with them, but Sara says she gets him into the boat every now and then. Read: I Went Off-Roading in the New 2024 Jeep Wrangler, and It Blew My Mind Piloting two and four-wheel racing machines across multiple terrains is one thing – Sara's also an entrepreneur as part owner of the Rip and Dip Ranch and her own off-road motorsports team. This multi-talented motorsports competitor made history as the first-ever factory-supported female racer under Monster Energy Kawasaki before taking on the Dakar. Even with a lot of experience and notoriety under her belt, Sara had to work hard to secure a sponsorship for the desert rally. To compete in Dakar, the budget you need is 'astronomical', Sara says. Finding a partnership for financial and moral support was key. She says being patient and trusting the process got her through it, and in the end, Can-Am signed her to a team. 'This has been a dream of mine since 2015, and I spent every dollar in my bank account to get here,' Sara says. 'You never know what's going to get thrown my way. There's no guide for being completely prepared. Read: From Marketing to Speed – Shea Holbrook Ob What It Takes to Cross the Finish Line When she's not piloting a powerful side-by-side in the middle of the desert, Sara is a stunt driver for movies, television, and commercials. Did you see Jumanji: The Next Level, starring The Rock and Jack Black? Sara was the stunt motorcycle rider for Karen Gillen, who played Ruby Roundhouse in the movie. It's clear this stunt professional/rally driver/boat racer is a tenacious, driven woman. And while she makes it look easy, it's anything but. 'I wish more people would ask about what it really takes,' Sara says. 'People don't get to see the back end, and behind the scenes, it's a lot of work they don't see.' I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more of Sara's success in the coming years. And we'll know just a fraction of the hard work she's completing to get there. More must-reads: Tasks Are More Fun in the 2023 Polaris Ranger Crew XP 1000 Texas Edition Road Trip: Discover the Treasures of Southwest Virginia
