ESPN and ABC will cover X Games 12 live from Los Angeles this Thursday through Sunday. Above is one of the promos, featuring skateboarder Paul Rodriguez. The voiceover says: “Would the world look different if you have the eyes of Paul Rodriguez? Would ledges and rails that have faded in the background secretly reveal themselves to you? Would you have the vision to liberate them from the architect’s intentions? If you did, would this view of the world change you, or would it change the world?” The ad with surfer Rob Machado tries to get even more poetic. (“Those long, soulful lines he carves are the love letters he leaves behind.”) A print ad with biker Dave Mirra has the headline: “If you could pick any superhuman power, it should be Dave Mirra’s focus.” Since when does focus qualify as a superpower? X Games must be getting soft on us. The tagline for the campaign is: “You’ve got to have it to win it.” For a different kind of X Games ad, check out this one with Owen Wilson in his You, Me and Dupree character.

—Posted by Tim Nudd