In a surprising twist, it seems action sports have found an unlikely home away from home in the Middle East, especially in those oil rich countries around the Arabian peninsula. Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have all built skate parks in the last few years, and are starting to build a healthy clientele of above-par skaters. The United Arab Emirates is planning what could be the largest skate park in the world. And rumors are circulating that Dubai and Bahrain have both put in bids for the 2005 Global X Games.

San Gauch is head of the Middle East Extreme Sports Association. "The Middle East is growing very fast," Sam says. "In the last year, the number of kids on inline, skateboard and bike has grown a thousand percent. The people are starting to notice and now the government wants to get involved with competitions, skate parks and events."

As the sports grow in popularity around the world, international athletes are becoming more adept at what was once considered to be a group of American sports. Historically, the US could always be counted on to rack up most of the medals in the Gravity Games and X Games, but these days, the award ceremonies are starting to sound more like UN meetings with a healthy representation of foreign delegates. Brazilian skaters Sandro Dias and Bob Burnquist are two of the top vert skateboarders, while English rider Jamie Bestwick brings home most of the gold medals in vert BMX. The Japanese Yasutoko brothers haven't lost an inline vert compeition since 2002, and the top three spots at teh 2003 X Games Inline Park division were all European.

Todd Seligman has been involved in the BMX scene for nearly twenty years. "Australians have always been good," says Todd, "And now, we are starting to see a lot of great European riders. In the last couple of years, Japanese riders have been dominating the flatland scene."

So where do we go from here? Now that skateboards are being distributed in Beirut and Zagreb, what's next for our favorite action sports?

For the first time in the history of the Olympics, the 2008 Summer Games XXIX will feature a men's and a women's BMX racing event. Set against a background of Beijing, China, this move by the IOC to add bicycle motocross to the list of Olypic events signals that BMX is more than just a flash in the pan hobby, but an international sport with universal acclaim.

To help introduce action sports to the Chinese prior to the Olympics, ASA Events recently announced the first two professional action sports competitions in the history of the world's largest country. Top pros in skate, BMX, and inline will descend upon Beijing and Shanghai this October for full contests in the heart of China's two most important cities.

And that's not all. Skateboarding and BMX have formed a federation to spearhead a movement that will push vert skating onto the Olympic roster. Exciting? You bet. Because if skateboarding gets their foot in the door, that could lead the way for Moto-X and inline vert and ultimately, even an Olympic street event.

I, for one, would enjoy seeing action sports at the Olympics, listening to those straight-laced Olympic announcers trying to get their mouths around the trick bames as quickly as they happen. That kind of entertainment would make watching all those other sports almost worthwhile. Just so long as I never have to watch thirty skateboarders in bathing caps do synchronized routines in a swimming pool!