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).