NEW YORK – February 17, 2005 – The Dew Action Sports Tour, the first-ever, season-long professional multi-sport tour in action sports, has released its qualification criteria and pre-qualified athletes. The announcement was made today by Wade Martin, General Manager, Dew Action Sports Tour.
The 2005 Dew Action Sports Tour will feature competitions in the six disciplines of Skateboarding Park and Vert; BMX Dirt, Park and Vert; and Freestyle Motocross. Athletes may qualify for the Panasonic Open and Right Guard Open, the Tour’s first two events, in one of four ways:
- Pre-qualification based on results of top action sports competitions in the past year
- Open-qualifying competitions on-site at the two events, open to professional athletes in each sport
- Two-to-three wild card spots per discipline, to be filled at the discretion of Tour management
- Results from the Panasonic Open (applicable to the Right Guard Open only)
After the first two Tour stops, current Dew Action Sports Tour rankings will determine the athlete field for the Vans® Invitational, Toyota Challenge and PlayStation® Pro. Wild card spots will be included at all Tour stops.
Some of the pre-qualified athletes for the Panasonic Open include skateboarders Bucky Lasek, Andy Macdonald, Pierre Luc Gagnon, Eric Koston and Ryan Sheckler; BMX riders Dave Mirra, Jamie Bestwick, Chad Kagy, Ryan Nyquist and TJ Lavin; and FMX riders Nate Adams, Jeremy Stenberg and Kenny Bartram. A complete list of pre-qualified athletes and qualifying criteria is attached.
“The Dew Action Sports Tour’s qualification system recognizes the accomplishments of the best-performing athletes over the last year, but still provides opportunities for other top athletes and new talent to gain entry through the open qualifier,” said Wade Martin, General Manager, Dew Action Sports Tour. “The structure of the Tour has been designed to produce top athlete fields through a comprehensive qualifying process, while providing context and continuity through a cumulative points system and purse structure.”
A cumulative points system will be used to rank athletes throughout the season. At the conclusion of each Tour stop, athletes will be awarded points that correspond to their final placing in each discipline, and will be ranked accordingly. During the inaugural season of the Dew Action Sports Tour, a total of $2.5 million will be awarded through the five events, making it the largest prize purse in action sports history. Every athlete, regardless of final standing, will earn prize money at each Tour stop. In addition, a $1 million bonus pool will be distributed, based on season-ending point standings, to the top 10 finishers in each discipline. Final point standings will also determine the recipients of the Dew Cup, which will be awarded to champions in the six combined disciplines within skateboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross.
The complete 2005 Dew Action Sports Tour schedule is as follows:
June 9-12 Panasonic Open Louisville – Kentucky Expo Center
July 7-10 Right Guard Open Denver – Pepsi Center
Aug. 18-21 Vans® Invitational Portland – Rose Quarter
Sept. 8-11 Toyota Challenge San Jose – HP Pavilion
Oct. 13-16 PlayStation® Pro Orlando – TD Waterhouse Centre
Owned by NBC Universal and Clear Channel Entertainment - Motor Sports, the Dew Action Sports Tour consists of multi-sport events and entertainment festivals covering more than one million square feet in both indoor and outdoor venues. Key lifestyle elements at each Tour stop will include live cutting-edge music, video gaming and interactive events.
Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports will be an integral partner on the Dew Action Sports Tour, lending its considerable expertise in live event touring and promotion, including a wide range of off-channel assets including Clear Channel’s Radio, Outdoor and Music divisions
The Dew Action Sports Tour’s founding partners include Mountain Dew (tour title sponsor); and Panasonic, Right Guard Xtreme, Vans®, Toyota, PlayStation® (event title sponsors). Also joining the Tour as associate sponsors are Peanut Chews® and Pacific Cycle™ - the owner and supplier of Mongoose®, Schwinn®, and GT® bicycle brands.
NBC Sports Ventures
NBC Sports Ventures, the business development arm of NBC Sports, produces 80 hours of programming annually for the NBC Television Network including the ADT Golf Skills Challenge, American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, The National Dog Show Presented by Purina, Jeep World of Adventure Sports, Office Depot Father/Son Challenge and the International Auto Show.
Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports
Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports owns, produces and promotes specialized motor sports events primarily staged in stadiums and arenas. The company stages over 600 events per year and produces over 250 hours of television programming, featuring such premier properties such as THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series; USHRA Monster Jam Presented by Ford Trucks & Advance Auto Parts; Hooter’s IHRA Drag Racing Series & IFMA Freestyle Motocross. Clear Channel Entertainment-Motor Sports, a division of Clear Channel Entertainment, is a subsidiary of Clear Channel Worldwide (NYSE: CCU), a global leader in the out-of-home, advertising industry.
