The commercialization of the counter-culture?

I heard an interesting interview this weekend with skateboarder Ryan Sheckler from the X-Games, talking about the attention and criticism some action sports athletes have been getting from the media, fans, and extreme sports purists over sponsorship money and media attention, calling into question the motives and interests of the athletes.

Now this morning, I come across two videos worth checking out...

Here

and

Here

We're currently witnessing the rapid expansion and commercialization of one of the fastest growing areas of sport today, going against many of its early ideals and virtues dating back to the original rise of skateboarding in California.

By and large, I think this progression has been handled exceptionally well; the move from extreme, niche sports, towards more popular, mainstream, action sports has been an important one, and given the professionalism with which events like the X-Games are currently run, and the globalized attention and interest, such advancements were inevitable.

What interests me, however, will be the next step for sports such as motocross and skateboarding and BMX. Action sports have filled a gap in the market, and met consumer demand by growing, as well as through innovation and creativity. But are these sports and events prepared to take on the more established professional sports? Do they need to? For teenagers coming up today, the X-Games are as much a part of their sporting history as the 'big four' pro sports leagues in North America. This is the first generation with such consciousness of these events, and the ramifications should be worth following...