The Vanishing Of The Podraces...

I just received a free demo of Star Wars Demoliion and with it came a "clue" to why the Podraces were no longer around during the time of ANH. Here's what it said- The Empire has outlawed the dangerous Podraces, but Jabba the Hutt has devised an even more dangerous underground contest to attract high-stakes gamblers from across the galaxy to his betting palors on Tatooine... A DEMOLITION. This may not be "canon", but it still is great information.

OK, EJ so where, apart from on this game sleeve, have you read that Pod Racing has disappeared from Tatooine?

Just cos we didn't see it in ANH/ROTJ doesn't mean it wasn't there... When did you last see a Formula One race (New season 4 weeks away!!!)? Doesn't mean it doesn't exist does it?

Let's face it. If Podracing was still going, do you not think Luke would be much more interested in that instead of "bullseyeing womprats in his T-16" and flying arund Beggar's Canyon??

My point exactly.

Luke lived in the middle of nowhere, he might known about pod racing, but never been to one. And the Owens didnt give Luke a lot of slack, or at least I got that impression.
And pod racing cost money which they didnt have too much off.

but how could they afford a skyhopper and one of the fanciest landspeeders we've ever seen?(not lukes' speeder, the lars'😉

Yup, and the speeder obviously got him anywhere. He never seemed to think Mos Eisley was pretty far off.

uh, were you against me on that one queeq, or on my side??

Beggars Canyon and Diablo's Cut, Luke and Biggs' favourite haunts, are found in the Mos Espa Boonta Eve Pod Race circuit.

Check out the ART OF TPM book.

Nat
Jedi Council Member and veteran of Roderick Vonhogen's VE

that's great nat, but we're not talking about that right now.

It's not a very good point EJ. Tatooine is a big planet and I'm not convinced about the Beggars Canyon thing either. Where was Mos Espa in relation to Anchorhead/Mos Eisley on the planetary map?

since we were shown so little of tatooine in the OT, I wouldn't be surprised if there were podraces then. Podracers are RACERS, remember? you wouldn't see them cruising the streets of Mos Eisley

Its a difference between spending money on vehicles used for the purpose of work related things and a pod racer for entertainment. Its just as having a tractor for farming and having a one for tractor pulling. Which one would be most important to a farmer?

Wait a minute. In TPM Dath Maul says Tatooine is scarcely populaled, yet in the Pod Race we see huge crowds cheering the Racers on. It must be the biggest event on this boring planet. For thrill seekers like Luke and Biggs I bet they were great fans of Pod Racing. I'd even think Luke might want to give it a shot. He was the best pilot in the Beggars Canyon races and since Anakin could race them, I'm sure Luke could too.

The Beggar's Canyon thing in connection with the Pod Race is pretty good since we have little to go on. Besides, by using either a speeder or a T-16, it doesn't seem Luke is very limited in getting around.

yeah queeq, Tatooine is considered scarecly populated, because of how much distance there is between towns, the entire planet is mostly dunes and canyons, the journey to Mos Eisley from Bens place actually probably took a few hours.

Well answer me this, Merc...if they were still podraces on Tatooine during the OT then why weren't they near Jabba's Palace as seen in TPM?

I'll tell you this much- EU material, doubly so computer game stuff, is not a good source of information here. If Demolition says Podracing has been banned (and presumably stopped), it is flatly contradicted by Force Commander, which has podracers on Tatooine at the time of A New Hope.

I agree Ushgarak. However I still think it's unlikely that pod races still took place by the time of ANH.

Are we for certain that we have seen the last of podracing? Maybe Lucas will bring it back and say why its not around in the OT. I am pretty sure its not around during the time of OT.

I don't know, as I said before they showed us so little of tatooine in the OT, maybe there was