Extreme sports has changed at a technology rate. Last years big trick is obsolete the next year.

I guess all sports have evolved. NFL players have gotten stronger and faster, hitting hard enough to make a pancreas dislodge. Baseball pitchers are throwing faster and hitters are sending them farther into the upper decks.

It’s competition that pushes these athletes to keep improving. Although, multi-million dollar contracts don’t hurt either.

But none of the major sports have evolved at the rate extreme sports has.

Maybe because it’s relatively new. I’ve seen Mixed Martial Arts evolve tremendously over the last 10 years as well. Maybe it’s because there are little rules and the sky’s the limit.  Maybe it’s because the technology of the equipment improves, allowing them to go farther.

I’m sure it’s a little bit of all of that. But one thing I’ve really noticed was the camaraderie. As I watched the BMX Big Air, Steve McCann pulled off an amazing feat that pushed the limits of physics and gravity, front flipping twice off a jump and then flying 15 feet off a vert, pulling off a perfect double tail whip.

While all that jargon might mean nothing to you, the leader at the time, Vince Byron,  knew it probably meant he’d be pushed from Gold to Silver. The camera locked in on him as he clapped and nodded his head in excited defeat. He was the first to walk up to McCann, giving him a high five and a pat on the back.

Advertising can be competitive. The world of awards and credits makes it even more completive. Much like extreme sports, Advertising has been evolving over the last 10 years.

The competition continues to push what’s possible into creative new places. But collaboration and the right mentality can push it even further.

- Mike Palese