Undercover and on the Hunt for Action
Dec 10 2006 / Burbank, CA|
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Lat34 reporter Catherine Nieves roams the Arby's Action Sports Awards looking for where it's at
On November 30th at an inconspicuous studio warehouse close to the Burbank airport, a blue carpet was laid out for the purpose of getting walked upon by throngs of the action sport athlete elite. Hosted by Arby’s, and created with the help of numerous other sponsors, the first Action Sports Awards were set to commence. Monster energy drink had its coolers set up everywhere so no droopy eyes or parched throats would present themselves at this event. I myself thought I would be able to resist, but since Tom Green was offering in the green room, how could I say no?
As 6:30 approached, the limos began to drive up, the flashes began to pop, and the stars of the night made their shining entrances. Fuel TV was at the end of the blue carpet to whisk away any and all for some Q & A. Intermingled with the athletes and celebrities, were Arby clad caterers pushing their chicken salad sandwiches at people on the carpet. I definitely wanted to say, "There's a time and place, people." But before I did, I became happily distracted with running into old snowboarding buddies. Hana Beaman, Gretchen Bleiler, and Torah Bright all looked great in their dresses, as did fellow shreds Elena Height and Chanelle Sladics. Hana rolled through with her posse, Gretchen with boyfriend Chris Hotel, and Torah with her Brother Ben. Elana held it down family style as well, as her older sister was there from Costa Mesa to be with her.
I called up Leanne Pelosi to see if she was going to be attending, but she was busy hitting rails with her crew, and getting it done where the snow was falling.
After hitting the carpet, most attending headed to one of the entertainment areas to hit the sauce. Beyond quelling the nerves stirred from an awards night, most wanted to kick back and talk to the friends they haven’t seen since the last high profile awards night. I stayed out on the carpet for a good hour or so to make sure my point and shoot got the mugs it needed.
During that hour, that blue carpet was a virtual who’s who of action sports dominance. Travis Pastrana, Ryan Sheckler, the Metal Mullisha Crew, Bob Burnquist - you name it, and they were probably there soaking up some airtime. Some of the more notable celebrity appearances were made by Paris Hilton, Pam Anderson, Salema Masakela, Dennis Rodman, Jamie Kennedy, Wilmer Valderrama, Andrew Dice Clay, Tom Green, and Xzhibit.
I’ve never had to play the role of a paparazzi type before, and I am definitely sensitive to people’s space before taking photos, but whether uber athlete or hotel heiress, everyone was pretty cool. There was one b-lister that said she had to ask her publicist first before I took a photo of her, but I kind of laughed considering that she plays a porn star on an FX TV show. The funniest parts of my night also occurred when I asked people if I could take a photo of them, and they had someone else grab my camera to get me in the shot. Pro Surfer Brad Gerlach, Pro FMXer Brian Deegan, Dave England, and Jamie Kennedy all wanted to make sure I was up in there. Made me chuckle. They were great.
The show kicked off with some mic mishaps and the Jackass crew showing some previously shot footage of what their lives would be like as Arby employees a la jackass style. Besides a few mishaps with more hosts misreading lines, the show definitely went off without a hitch. Practice will make perfect, but perfection can come from the magic of the editing booth as well.
One the funnier and more impromptu events of the night was when Ryan Sheckler won Jeep’s rider of the year award, and due to a probable previous bet, Travis Pastrana got up to throw him 20 dollars, quip, “I hate myspace,” and bow down to him on the stage. The humble Pastrana no sooner received the Arby’s “Maverick” of the year award for himself right after, and in front of the crowd, invited Paris Hilton to a party they were having later.
The end of the night was a little bit chaotic, as the show’s crew filtered everyone from the VIP lounge area back to the main stage room. These events are produced for TV, and my guess is that they didn’t quite get all the interviews they were hoping for. Some people weren’t privy to being packed back into the main stage room, must’ve tipped some coolers over, and left everyone else waiting to enter the main room in an inch or two of water and whatever other liquids were poured onto the floor.
That was my cue to exit, and as I walked through the brisk night air to my car I wondered whether there would be another Arby’s action sports awards show next year. I figured as long as these athletes continue to be given the credit they deserve, that’s what’s important. Whether it’s a high five from an admiring fan or a big metal fist fashioned into an award, it’s important to remind athletes that they’re at the top of their game. I definitely hope all these people keep progressing the sports that they love and doing the things that get them to a crazy blue carpet wherever it may be.
--Catherine Nieves
