Velocity Games
Encyclopedia
Velocity Games is an internationally-recognized action sports event founded in Texas in 2003 and considered "the most publicized windsports event in the nation," by Kiteatlas.com. The five-day event is held annually on Memorial Day Weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas
, the Windsurfing Capital of the contiguous United States. Corpus Christi, Texas sits along Corpus Christi Bay in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Velocity Games was originally created as a vehicle for the U.S. Open Windsurfing Regatta and the U.S. Open Kiteboarding Championships. Although the events are recognized worldwide and covered by the major windsports magazines, they typically attracted a viewing audience of less than 5,000 spectators. In the first year under the Velocity Games umbrella, the events attracted more than 50,000 spectators, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
.
The Velocity Games event was almost cancelled before it began when one of its co-founders, Peter Nordby, was killed in a kiteboarding accident six months before the event was set to launch in May 2003. The organizers put the event planning on hold, but due to the urging of the windsurfing and kiteboarding communities, the planning resumed in time for its scheduled Memorial Day Weekend opening date.
The Velocity Games differentiated itself from other popular action and extreme sports events, such as X-Games, with its watersports focus and its scenic waterfront venue. The featured events: the U.S. Open Windsurfing Regatta (in its 16th year in 2003) and the U.S. Open Kiteboarding Championships (in its 4th year in 2003) were joined with several new events, including the BMX Pro SkyJam and the Benjamin's Pro Sk8Jam." Other events included an extreme fashion style show called Thrashin Fashion as well as several music stages featuring regional bands primarily from the South Texas area. Velocity Games also hosted various national acts, including A Perfect Circle
. The event also featured the MTV
Rock Wall Challenge, with MTV
Road Rules
star Mark Long as the celebrity challenger.
Due to the success of the Velocity Games in its inaugural year, a serious traffic problem ensued at the event site and the City of Corpus Christi required that the event be moved in future years to a location with more parking accessibility. After the first year at the Cole Park/Oleander Point site, the event was moved less than a mile north to McGee Beach.
After being managed by its founding company ¡idea! Worldwide for the first three years, the Velocity Games event was handed off to its non-profit Board of Directors, which was originally appointed by its Chairman, Michael R. Reyes, the owner of ¡idea! Worldwide and the Velocity Games trademark. Reyes along with Peter Nordby, and Doug Ahrens are credited as the co-founders of the Velocity Games.
VG04 Links
VG05 Links
VG06 Links
VG07 Links
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, the Windsurfing Capital of the contiguous United States. Corpus Christi, Texas sits along Corpus Christi Bay in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Velocity Games was originally created as a vehicle for the U.S. Open Windsurfing Regatta and the U.S. Open Kiteboarding Championships. Although the events are recognized worldwide and covered by the major windsports magazines, they typically attracted a viewing audience of less than 5,000 spectators. In the first year under the Velocity Games umbrella, the events attracted more than 50,000 spectators, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is the newspaper of record for Corpus Christi, Texas.-Brief history:There has been a newspaper in Corpus Christi for almost as long as there has been a town. In 1883, the Caller was started in a frame building at 310 North Chaparral, now the site of Green's Jewelers....
.
The Velocity Games event was almost cancelled before it began when one of its co-founders, Peter Nordby, was killed in a kiteboarding accident six months before the event was set to launch in May 2003. The organizers put the event planning on hold, but due to the urging of the windsurfing and kiteboarding communities, the planning resumed in time for its scheduled Memorial Day Weekend opening date.
The Velocity Games differentiated itself from other popular action and extreme sports events, such as X-Games, with its watersports focus and its scenic waterfront venue. The featured events: the U.S. Open Windsurfing Regatta (in its 16th year in 2003) and the U.S. Open Kiteboarding Championships (in its 4th year in 2003) were joined with several new events, including the BMX Pro SkyJam and the Benjamin's Pro Sk8Jam." Other events included an extreme fashion style show called Thrashin Fashion as well as several music stages featuring regional bands primarily from the South Texas area. Velocity Games also hosted various national acts, including A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
. The event also featured the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Rock Wall Challenge, with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Road Rules
Road Rules
Road Rules was an MTV reality show that debuted on July 19, 1995. The series, which was MTV's second reality show after The Real World followed six strangers between the ages of 18 and 24 after stripping them of their money and putting them on an RV traveling from location to location only guided...
star Mark Long as the celebrity challenger.
Due to the success of the Velocity Games in its inaugural year, a serious traffic problem ensued at the event site and the City of Corpus Christi required that the event be moved in future years to a location with more parking accessibility. After the first year at the Cole Park/Oleander Point site, the event was moved less than a mile north to McGee Beach.
After being managed by its founding company ¡idea! Worldwide for the first three years, the Velocity Games event was handed off to its non-profit Board of Directors, which was originally appointed by its Chairman, Michael R. Reyes, the owner of ¡idea! Worldwide and the Velocity Games trademark. Reyes along with Peter Nordby, and Doug Ahrens are credited as the co-founders of the Velocity Games.
External links
VG03 LinksVG04 Links
- http://thirdcoastphoto.com/velocity/2004/00.html
VG05 Links
VG06 Links
- http://www.corpusbeach.com/pages/Regatta.htm
- http://www.asnewswire.com/Galleries/VG06_PhotoGallery/index_2.htm
VG07 Links
- http://www.kiteatlas.com/events/corpus-christi-velocity-games-2007
- http://velocitygames.blogspot.com/