ESPN Selects Lake Compounce For Site of X Trails

Bristol, CT -- ESPN has selected its home city of Bristol, Connecticut as host to the X Trials, June 15-17, 2001. The X Trials is a two-stop competition featuring more than 250 athletes from around the world competing for medals, prize money and an open invitation to the seventh-annual X Games, the world's premier action sports competition, August 17-23 in Philadelphia, Pa. Lake Compounce, whose entrance is located across the street from ESPN Plaza, will be the host venue. The first X Trials stop is Grand Prairie, Texas, a suburb of Dallas/Forth Worth, May 18-20.

"Lake Compounce, our neighbor, now becomes Lake Compounce, our partner. This event is beneficial to Bristol, Southington, Lake Compounce and ESPN," said Ron Semiao, vice president, programming and managing director, Global X Games. "The X Trials have been held all over the country and we are excited to offer this free event to the people of Connecticut."

"We are thrilled to be the host venue for the ESPN X Trials in June. By partnering with our neighbors, this event promises to be the biggest weekend in Connecticut this summer," said Tom Wages, general manager of Lake Compounce. "It is terrific that ESPN would bring a special event of this magnitude to our home town."

According to Wages, the X Games' audience is a "perfect fit" with the target demographics of the park. "We would anticipate thousands of pre-teens and young teens, accompanied by their parents, to attend the X Trials."

The X Trials feature competitions in men's and women's park and vert aggressive in-line skating; flatland, park and vert bicycle stunt and park and vert skateboarding. Original programming totaling 11 hours will air on ESPN and ESPN2. Accompanying the X Trials is the Xperience, an interactive village provided for spectators of all ages to test their skills in sportclimbing, bungy jumping and skating.

Lake Compounce, which straddles the Bristol/Southington town lines in central Connecticut, is the oldest amusement park in the country, dating back to 1846. The park has been transformed in the last four years with more than 30 new rides and attractions under the management of Kennywood Entertainment of Pittsburgh. The park has become New England's Family Theme Park and home of Boulder Dash, the world's only mountainside wood coaster, as well as Garfield's cool new hangout. Lake Compounce is located just minutes from Exit 31 off I-84.

In 2000, the X Trials were held in St. Petersburg, Fla. and Nashville, Tenn. and attracted more than 110,000 total spectators. The X Trials attendance record was set in Louisville, Kentucky in 1999 with 89,000 spectators.

ESPN's event creation and management department owns and operates a variety of events in addition to the X Games, including the Winter X Games, Great Outdoor Games, ESPY Awards, X Trials, Tony Hawk Tour, B3 (Bikes, Blades and Boards) and more. The company recently announced plans for a major global expansion of the X franchise, with X Games qualifiers scheduled to be held on five continents and the debut of the X Games Global Challenge in 2002.

Further information including invited athletes, event and broadcast schedules will be forthcoming and available at www.espn.com. For more information, please log onto www.xgamesmedia.com