Commerce Cabinet
Olympic Medalist To Compete In Kentucky

Press Release Date:  Tuesday, April 11, 2006  
Contact Information:  Chris Gilligan
(502) 564-4270
chris.gilligan@ky.gov
 


(Louisville, KY)  - Shaun White, Halfpipe gold medalist in the Torino Olympic Games, is scheduled to bring his high flying acrobatic excitement to Louisville this summer. White will compete in the Panasonic Open, the first stop on the Dew Action Sports Tour. The event is June 22 – 25. Tickets went on sale this morning at all Ticketmaster locations and the Kentucky Expo Center box office.

 

“Action sports fans got to see some of the greatest athletes in the sport last year and this year we expect the level of competition to rise even more,” said Kentucky Sports Authority Executive Director Terry Johnson. “Not only will there be an Olympic gold medalist competing in Louisville, but also live concerts and interactive elements. We are excited and proud to play host to the Panasonic Open again this year.”

 

The Panasonic Open will feature six different events: BMX Vert, BMX Park, BMX Dirt, Skateboard Park, Skateboard Vert and Freestyle Motorcross.

 

The Panasonic Open is the first stop of the five major events that make up the Dew Action Sports Tour. The tour consists of multi-sport and entertainment festivals covering more than one million square feet in both indoor and outdoor venues. Prizes total $3.5 million, including a $1million bonus purse.

 

Last year’s event featured two concerts, a launch party complete with autographed memorabilia and many other exciting happenings.

 

The 2005 Panasonic Open drew nearly 37,000 action sports fans to watch the event live, while on average one million viewers watched each of the events or highlights shows on tape. This year, 33 hours of coverage will be shown on NBC and its cable partner USA.

 

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com or by calling (502) 361-3100. Tickets are also available at the Kentucky expo Center box office.

 

For questions about the Dew Action Sport Tour please contact:

Brian Varner

630-566-6293

brianvarner@dewactionsportstour.com

 

Account Executive

Meghan Powers

meghanp@bzapr.com

(212) 708-3329

 

Account Executive

Noah Gold

noahg@bzapr.com

(818) 344-6195

 

Marketing Coordinator for Dew Action Sports Tour

Erin Gaughan

erin.gaughan@nbcuni.com

(212) 664-3989

 

Senior Director of Marketing for Dew Action Sports Tour

Ethan Green

ethan.green@nbcuni.com

(212) 664-4985

 

 

 

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