KIA X Games Asia 2012 Returns to China for Sixth Consecutive Year
March 7, 2012
KIA X Games Asia 2012 Returns to China for Sixth Consecutive Year
Seven-time X Games Gold Medalist Pierre-Luc Gagnon Will Attempt Skateboard Mini-MegaRamp™ Three-Peat in Shanghai April 28 – May 1
China will again host KIA X Games Asia April 28 – May 1 from KIC Jiang Wan Sports Center in Shanghai’s Yangpu district for the sixth consecutive year. Headlining Asia’s biggest action sports competition will be seven-time X Games Skateboard gold medalist Pierre-Luc Gagnon – attempting a three-peat in the discipline of Mini-MegaRamp – along with eight-time gold medalist Andy Macdonald. Leading a world-class BMX field are four-time X Games gold medalist Kevin Robinson, three-time gold medalist Chad Kagy, four-time gold medalist Garrett Reynolds, six-time medalist Steven McCann, four-time medalist Dennis Enarson and two-time X Games Asia gold medalist Vince Byron. Additionally, Japan’s high-flying Takeshi Yasutoko will attempt to win an unprecedented sixth-consecutive gold medal in Aggressive In-line Vert.
The 14th edition of Asia’s premiere action sports event will feature more than 150 athletes from more than 30 countries, treating fans to world-class competition in the sports of Skateboard, BMX, Aggressive In-Line Skate and Moto X Big Air demonstrations. Competitors and spectators can look forward to a newly designed street course during this year’s event, while viewers can catch the broadcast live on ESPN STAR Sports’ networks across Asia and Shanghai Media Group’s Great Sports. Additionally, the event will be telecast on ESPN International networks in the U.S., Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and Africa.
“ESPN is delighted to return to Shanghai again to showcase the world-class talent of X Games Asia athletes,” said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president of programming and Global X Games. “We look forward to building upon the success of last year’s event; delivering exciting and compelling competitions, while continuing our mission to serve action sports fans all over the world.”
Last year’s event saw attendance records set yet again for a fifth consecutive year with 62,100 spectators over the course of four days of competition. Since moving to Shanghai in 2007, the X Games Asia event has attracted more than 261,700 visitors and is expected to draw another large crowd this year.
Additional information for KIA X Games Asia 2012 will be forthcoming on www.kiaxgamesasia.com for the public and www.espneventmedia.com for media.
Event Sponsors and Partners
KIA X Games Asia 2012 enjoys sponsorship support from Kia Motors Corporation (Title Sponsor); Quicksilver (Gold Sponsor), Mountain Dew (Silver Sponsor); X-Mini Speaker, Challenge Skateboard, Melrose Pizza (Official Suppliers). Other partners include Linktune (Music Partner) and Holiday (Official KTV).
The event is also supported by various media partners, including: Great Sports, International Channel Shanghai, 94 FM Music Radio, Shanghai Daily, Sports Illustrated, Belong Magazine, Slam, All Sports, Outside, 1626, Fresh, Yoho, Ustyle, City Weekend, Shanghai Weekly, Elite Traveller, Shanghai Family, ESPNSTAR.com.cn, PPTV, RenRen and Sina Weibo social media, HDT and Minfo mobile media, Smart Shanghai, Shanghai Expat and Yoho.cn.
The event is sanctioned by the Chinese Extreme Sports Association and is organized by ESPN STAR Sports, the Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Sports Federation. The Shanghai Yangpu District Government is the event’s special organizer and the Shanghai Sports Competition Management Centre is the co-organizer, while the Great Sports and Shanghai Extreme Sports Associations are supporting organizers.
About ESPN’s X Games Franchise
ESPN held its first X Games in 1995. ESPN’s Global X Events and Development group is responsible for creating the company’s action sports programming currently airing on ESPN, ESPN2 and across its various international networks. In addition to the two U.S.-based X-branded events – X Games, and Winter X Games, ESPN has held X Games competitions and demonstration events around the world, including Dubai, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, Malaysia, China, France and Spain. The global X franchise has also expanded its reach to ESPN.com/Action, the definitive site for action sports fans, and to consumer products such as X Games bikes, protective gear, skateboards and DVDs.
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Media Contacts:
Danny Chi, danny.c.chi@espn.com, 310-642-1509
Grace Coryell, grace.s.coryell@espn.com, 310-642-1519