Earthboard Sponsors Action Sports on Fox Sports Net; All-Terrain Boarders Drawn to Las Vegas and Largest Prize Purse in History.

Business Editors/Sports & Entertainment Writers

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2001

All-terrain skateboard manufacturer Earthboard Sports USA Inc. today announced its sponsorship of the 2001 Alternative Sports World Cup (ASWC), an action sports world championship and festival produced in conjunction with Fox Sports Net and the MGM Grand Hotel under the auspices of ASWC LLC.

"Fox Sports Net and the ASWC are bringing legitimacy to action sports and we're stoked to be a part of it," said Hugh Jeffreys, founder and CEO of Earthboard and progenitor of all-terrain boarding, a four-wheeling, all-season crossover sport combining attributes of snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding. "Never before in the history of all-terrain boarding, or any action sports that I've been involved with, has there been an event of this magnitude or a prize purse this big."

The five-day ASWC will be a stadium-format event boasting a total prize purse of nearly $1 million with $20,000 first-prize awards in each event, and additional cash remuneration extending 16-deep, making it the richest competition in action sports.

Scheduled Aug. 1 through Aug. 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the ASWC is slated for 19 hours of programming, including prime time telecasts, over Fox Sport Net's 21 regional sports channels from Aug. 11 to Aug. 18.

"The ASWC has unquestionably set the bar for all-terrain events to come," said Jeffreys. "After this year, I'm sure the larger corporate sponsors -- car companies and the likes -- will start getting involved. This is exactly how snowboarding started.

"With the ASWC, all-terrain boarding is stepping-up to a global level; riders from seven countries, including Japan and Australia, are already confirmed to compete; and the event will serve as the official finale to the All-Terrain Boarding Association (ATBA) season."

More than 30,000 spectators and a national cable television audience will watch more than 220 international athletes from 16 countries competing in 14 disciplines at the ASWC. In addition to all-terrain boarding, featured events include freestyle motocross and trials; street, vert and downhill skateboarding; freestyle vert, dirt and street bike riding; mountain bike criterium racing and street luge.

Additionally, spectators will enjoy a "battle of the bands," as eight of the nation's top unsigned music performers vie for a first-prize record contract with a major music label, as well as a "Rock 'n Ride" amusement park and action sports trade fair.

Earthboard, as the official all-terrain board of the ASWC, will receive for its consideration an inventory of televised commercials, accommodations for its riders, a tradeshow booth and logo identification during the ATBA-sanctioned All-Terrain Boarding Big Air Championship.

Additionally, Jeffreys has been commissioned to organize all-terrain boarding athletes, and he will assist with color commentary and lend his considerable insight and experience to the ASWC in course development and operations, helping ensure a first-rate racing experience for competitors.

"In a past life, I was competitive at all levels of motocross and all-terrain boarding," said Jeffreys, 33, the 1997 All-Terrain Boarding World Champion. "Now, with myriad broken bones to my credit, I'm more than happy to sit safely on the sidelines, offer some words of wisdom now and again, and hand over the gauntlet to the younger riders."

The earthboard, pioneered by Jeffreys in Maui, Hawaii, and first documented by Surfing magazine, continues to grow in popularity in the United States and abroad. Today, Earthboard leads research and development for the sport of all-terrain boarding and has garnered the respect of the sport's top competitors.

The company produces products considered to be the lightest, most responsive high-performance all-terrain boards in the world, including torsion-flex composite decks and aeronautically engineered components.

Fox Sports Net is the first truly national, regional and local sports network, reaching more than 73 million homes through its 21 regional sports channels.

Riders interested in information about the ASWC or other ATBA-sanctioned events may contact Jeffreys directly.