Previewing ESPN8: The Ocho at Walt Disney World - Roofs, Stairs, and Donkeys
Tomorrow, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World will feature an even wider world of sports than normal. That's because, for the second year in a row, ESPN8: The Ocho is bringing some offbeat events to the venue. Ahead of that, our own Rebekah Moseley got a chance to preview some of those games and hear directly from the people involved with them.
Before we get there, though, we should back up and explain ESPN8: The Ocho for the uninitiated. Back in 2004, the 20th Century Fox film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story parodied ESPN 2: The Deuce by suggesting that the dodgeball championship our heroes (and villains) were playing in was being broadcast on ESPN8: The Ocho. Years later, ESPN took this joke and built a programming block around it. Now, the Ocho is turning ocho mas dos, as it celebrates 10 years!
Back to Walt Disney World, Phil Murphy and Cristina Alexander introduced the first sport that Rebekah got a chance to check out: roofball. Inspired by a childhood activity (that could have easily resulted in grounding if things went wrong), Adam Willis founded the game, which will make its Ocho debut. The idea of the game is to throw the football onto the roof, aiming for the ping, and to catch it when it comes off the roof. Overthrowing it and landing on the other side of the roof is, of course, a deduction. Fourteen-time champ Derek Weber was on hand to show how it's done, while attendees also got a chance to try the deceptively difficult game.
Next up, the Housekeeping Games. As Indoor Environmental Healthcare and Hospitality Association executive director Michael Patterson explained, this sport came about 36 years ago and was originally an attempt to excite their housekeepers. The events were then widened to include other sectors of environmental services. Some of the events include a mop obstacle course, vacuuming races, and more.
One returning favorite is Slippery Stairs. Paul Higgins produces and hosts the game. This Ocho stop is part of a mini tour for the sport, which was recently in South Padre Island, Knoxville, and Atlantic City. Just as it sounds, this game involves a set of stairs that are made slippery via a special lubricant. Competitors must make their way to the top of the staircase and ring the bell to win. There's also a relay round that makes things even more interesting.
Finally, it was time for Donk Toss. This one is simple: toss the inflatable donkey figure into the designated landing zone and get it to land in funny positions. That's really it. Take a look:
ESPN8: The Ocho is airing now through August 9 on ESPN 2. Ten events will take place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on August 7 — so stay tuned for more coverage!