Munich Mash Sparks Controversy
Marion Schoene's Update: A Mixed Bag for Munich Mash
Straight up, here's the lowdown on the 11th Action Sports Festival Munich Mash, happening June 27-29 in the Olympiapark. It's gonna be lit, but not everything's hunky dory.
"Chilling Out with Epic Performances"
If you're a Munich local, you've likely caught a glimpse of BMXers, wakeboarders, and skateboarders pulling off crazy stunts against the Olympiapark's unique architecture. Memorable as hell, right? That's what the managing director of Olympiapark GmbH calls it — a "beautiful, chilled festival with athletic peak performances."
Cry for Help from the Bigwigs
But Marion Schoene can't help but ask the hard questions, even if she won't get definitive answers. The main one: why can't they find anyone to sustainably support them? It's not a bad investment, she says.
The problem? She's talking to mediafolk, who usually ain't got deep pockets for sponsoring events.
Trimming Down the Fun
Since journalists ain't ones to shy away from a good story, they're leaking the stress signals that Schoene is sending. Guess what? The Mash Festival is always a financial tightrope walk for them, she admits.
Bummer tidings: the Breaking Contest is canned this year. Many top athletes chose to hit the X-Games in Salt Lake City instead of Munich, milkin' the "mecca" vibe of the action sports scene.
"Playground for Experiments, Innovation, and New Ideas"
Despite the setbacks, the sports directors of the three disciplines got creative and are confident they managed to attract kickass competitors. "It's not hard," says Andreas Zeiss, BMX mastermind since the inception of Mash day eleven years ago. "Mash is renowned as a platform for experiments, innovation, and new formats." Heck, even Olympians want to join in!
International BMX Pros
The BMX field ain't bad, either. TWELVE international heavyweights will show off their moves on the mini-ramp landscape at the Olympic Lake. The competition will demand creativity and trick-rich routines from the riders in their 50-second runs, both in the individual contest and the new team event.
In BMX, keep an eye on Paul Thoelen from Cologne, Germany's Vice-Champion in 2023, and Dean Florian from Remscheid, who ranked fourth last year. Also in the mix are the top three from 2023: Tom Justice from the UK and American riders Nick Bruce and Jacob Thiem.
Germany's Park Skateboarding Champ
Type "Tyler Edtmayer" into your speed dial for the skateboarding event. The two-time Olympian from Lenggries finished third at Mash in 2023.
This year, the skateboard competition focuses on "Park" specialists, with six women and twelve men going for the gold. All athletes on the international scene will be there.
Expect twenty-four athletes to fight it out in the wakeboarding contest over the jumps at the Olympic Lake. Apart from the classic contests, there's a team competition in the "Double Line Format," featuring two athletes riding simultaneously.
The Mash-Fest is all about connecting action sports, music, art, culture, and interaction. Plus, there's a chill-out area, skateboard, dance, and graffiti workshops, followed by the Red Bull After Party on Saturday. The cherry on top? It's all free!
- The epic performances in BMX, wakeboarding, and skateboarding are certainly a highlight of the Mash Festival, making it a "beautiful, chilled festival with athletic peak performances." (chilling out with epic performances)
- Despite the financial challenges, the Mash Festival continues to be a platform for innovation and experiments in sports, particularly in BMX, skateboarding, and wakeboarding. (playground for experiments, innovation, and new ideas)
