When will pols hit the pipes?
We suppose it would be too much to ask to see some senators on the half-pipe. At least not yet.
Although many said they appreciated the gesture, members of both the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and the House Environment & Hazardous Materials Subcommittee declined an invitation by the Action Sports Environmental Coalition to partake in activities at the AST Dew Tour, a skateboarding, BMX and motocross extravaganza taking place through Sunday in Baltimore.
“We believe this will provide you with an excellent opportunity to experience the Action Sports community and its involvement in raising awareness about environmental issues facing the world today,” read the invite from ASEC, whose members includes world-class skateboarders Bob Burnquist, Jen O’Brien and Danny Way; pro surfer Rob Machado; and snowboarding legend Nicholas Muller. ASEC is promoting an industrywide environmental agenda, such as greening efforts by its corporate members, which include Quiksilver, Hurley, Element and others.
Too bad the pols aren’t heading to the tour: Olympic gold medalist Shaun White is there, as is X Games champ Bucky Lasek. Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to stop by today.
But it may not be long before Capitol Hill’s RSVPs turn from “no” to “yes”: The multibillion-dollar action-sports industry is beefing up efforts to have a say in national politics. In May, ASEC members were in Washington to testify before the Senate environment committee and made a little history: During the trip, Burnquist reportedly became the first person to bring a skateboard into the halls of Congress (naturally, he was escorted by committee Chair Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.).
