Risk management and action sports events: old rules apply to new sports

While action sports fans love the thrills and spills inherent in action sports such as skateboarding, motocross, snowboarding and snowmobile climbing, promoters of action sporting events are often interested in less exciting pursuits, such as minimizing potential legal risks from these newer forms of sporting events. While everyone remembers Jake Brown’s 45 foot drop off the skateboarding ramp in the 2007 X Games and wondered how he survived that fall, few spectators realize that what makes these events so exciting also creates some legal challenges for those responsible for these competitions.