Extreme sports: “Anyone who starts at Mash has made it”

The boss herself took it upon herself to also say a few words about the necessary figures. Organizing the action sports spectacle "Munich Action Sports Heroes," or Mash for short, is a "financial challenge" year after year, said Marion Schöne, Managing Director of Olympiapark GmbH (OMG). A major sponsor supporting the event on a long-term basis would be a great idea. That would take pressure off OMG; around one million euros are needed for the spectacle in the park, and the city is contributing 160,000 euros this year. There is no ticket revenue: "The fact that our Olympiapark event is now firmly on the calendar for the best international action sports athletes and is so popular with visitors is also thanks to sponsors and supporters like the City of Munich." Only in this way, Schöne added, can we ensure that "we can host an extremely relaxed festival with top sporting performances for three days, to which everyone has free access."

This format has made Mash a success story; families, sports enthusiasts, and the curious have been flocking to the park in droves for ten years now – with free admission. With this diverse mix of visitors, the three-day event has long been established in Munich, especially since it offers not only world-class sports but also the lifestyle and culture of the scene. Under the motto "Coming Home," there will once again be a chill-out area to relax in, as well as hands-on sports activities, typical art from the scene such as graffiti workshops, and various bands playing on the Mash stage. Last year, Mash attracted 96,000 people, and a similar turnout is expected for the eleventh edition (June 27-29).

Part of Mash's DNA is the variety of the program. Motocross riders have raced across a track carved into the lake, and mountain bikers have performed somersaults in the air. In the past two years, street dancing has enriched the program, with Olympic-style breaking being particularly well-received. "Mash is a platform for experimentation," says Andi Zeiss, who has been involved from the start as BMX Sports Director: "Mash pushes forward, breaks rules, and is always developing new things."

For the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, however, breaking was removed from the program, perhaps one reason why Mash is also foregoing street dance at the current event. OMG CEO Schöne also admits, however, that the tight budget played a role in limiting this summer's program to the three core sports of skateboarding, wakeboarding, and BMX. The field of competitors is select, even though the X Games are taking place in the USA at the same time this year, which is why the scene is practically split between Munich and Salt Lake City.

The X Games were the catalyst for Mash, which took place as a massive event in the Olympic Park in 2013. "Then the plug was pulled on us," recalls Zeiss, when the American TV network ESPN, which organizes the action sports competitions, unexpectedly announced that it was canceling the international leg of its event. In addition to Munich, this also affected Barcelona and Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil. Because the extreme sports event was so well received in Munich, the city and OMG decided to organize it themselves on a smaller scale: Mash was born.

Since then, these three summer days have offered top-class sports, including skateboarding: Six women and twelve men are competing, including two-time Olympian Tyler Edtmayer from Lenggries and, in the women's category, Lenny Janssen from Düsseldorf. In BMX, which takes place on the same setup, Paul Thölen from Viersen aims to challenge last year's winner Tom Justice. Given the competition from Utah and the tight budget, there wasn't enough space for a women's field.

In wakeboarding, Mash is the industry leader, as David Vervenne explains. The Belgian was a wakeboard professional and is now responsible for the course in the lower Olympic Lake. "There is no comparable event in the world; anyone who gets to compete in Mash has made it." Neither the European nor the World Championships come close to its importance, says Vervenne, "we have the best of the best competing here." In numbers: twelve men and six women, including last year's winner Rivers Hendrick from the USA and Germany's Anne Freyer. In the men's competition, the Stuckey brothers Gavin and Trent from Florida are highly rated, but German starters Nico von Lerchenfeld from Cologne, Felix Georgii from Allgäu, and local hero Dominik Gührs are also in contention.

And who knows, maybe the athletes' spectacular performances will inspire a sponsor. Marion Schöne wouldn't mind.