Despite the fact that it shut down Bill Simmons’ Grantland, ESPN continues to roll out new episodes of 30 for 30, the acclaimed documentary series co-created by Simmons. In fact, the 30 for 30 style is expanding, and one of ESPN’s new video series adopts a similar tenor. Adidas, ESPN Films, and branded media production company Process are behind Pioneers, a trio of short films that explore fascinating figures within the sports world.
Each Pioneers episode runs in the 5-7 minute range and focuses on a particular subject. The first one to see release, The Mark Gonzales Ride, goes inside the psyche of its titular skateboarder. Another, Royal in Hollis, follows the life, career, and community work of former NBA player Royal Ivey. The most stylish of the three shorts, however, is titled The Fosbury Flop. It uses a voice-over narration and a touch of wit to examine Dick Fosbury’s invention of his signature technique, which revolutionized the sport of high jumping.
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Like with the 30 for 30 series, Pioneers strives to shed light on interesting stories in the corners of the sports world. “While each of the films is distinctive, they all deal with original thinkers, all people who charted unique paths and live outside conventions and rules,” said Tim Perell, CEO of Process, in a press release.
The three short films were compiled together to form a half-hour TV program that aired on ESPN on December 20th. If you wish to check out the program’s encore performance, tune into ESPN2 at 2 PM EST on December 26th.
