ESPN X Games Dubai Gets Underway Today

Dubai Welcomes Fourteen World-Class Athletes to the Debut of ESPN X Games Dubai Presented by Mountain Dew

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Today on the bottom of a vert ramp with a picturesque backdrop of Dubai Creek, ESPN officials, sponsors and the host city of Dubai, kicked off the region's first ever ESPN X Games. Along with the 14 elite action sports athletes, representatives from Dubai Tourism, PepsiCo, Dubai Creek Park and ESPN welcomed the media, VIPs and fans to the three day event. ESPN X Games Dubai will be held through December 9, 2005, with Dubai Creek Park, the second largest park in Dubai, serving as the venue. Admission to ESPN X Games Dubai is free. There is a small fee to enter Dubai Creek Park.

Together with the presenting sponsor PepsiCo and its' Mountain Dew brand, along with sponsors Dodge and Playstation, the first ever ESPN X Games Dubai brings X Games champions from all over the globe. The athletes will perform in Aggressive In-line Skate, BMX and Skateboard on the vert ramp as well as Moto X on the ramp-to-ramp course.

"Since the first international X Games took place in 1997, ESPN has been privileged to bring action sports all the way from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Seoul, Korea. We are very proud and excited to add the Middle East and Dubai to our elite list of hosts," said ESPN's Jack Wienert, Executive Director.

The 14 athletes who not only represent six different countries but account for 44 X Games medals at this inaugural event, kicked off today's festivities with a huge bags of tricks, including some of their signature tricks which have won them world titles. Brazil's world champion in Aggressive In-line Skate, Fabiola da Silva, pulled out flawless flatspins 540s while England's BMX pro Jamie Bestwick unleashed his opposite fastplant flair-a trick that helped him win an X Games gold. Athletes jumped right into enjoying the Dubai culture the same day they arrived into the host city. The pros were treated to an excursion where they were driven out into the desert in 4x4s, "dune bashing" style, and welcomed with camel rides, good cuisine, henna tattoos and a special entertainment act with belly dancers. "It was so fun. The only thing I wanted to do was drive the 4x4 myself and ride on a camel," Fabiola da Silva said about the evening.

In addition to Fabiola da Silva and Jamie Bestwick, the fans can expect to see Australia's Cesar Mora (Aggressive In-Line Skate) and Shane Yost (Aggressive In-Line Skate), Brazil's Sandro Dias (Skateboard), Denmark's Rune Glifberg (Skateboard), England's Simon Tabron (BMX), Germany's Toby Immler (BMX), Spain's Eduardo Terreros (BMX), United States' Buster Halterman (Skateboard), Neal Hendrix (Skateboard), Mike Mancuso (BMX), Chuck Carothers (Moto X) and Nixey Danielson (Moto X).