SAN FRANCISCO -- ESPN, the worldwide leader in action sports and Camp Woodward, the world's premiere action sports camp, have signed a letter of intent to co-develop sport camp facilities entitled X Games Camps/The Woodward Experience. The joint venture agreement would see Camp Woodward develop and supervise both the construction and day-to-day management of the sports camps, using their highly successful Woodward, Pa., camp as the model.

"ESPN and Camp Woodward are fully committed to the continued growth of action sports," said Ron Semiao, ESPN vice president, programming. "The key to that growth is providing proper training and facilities for up-and-coming stars as well as today's existing pros."

Semiao anticipates some 20-30 hours of traditional programming will result from the new alliance. "These camps will be a venue" for ESPN's existing action sports programming, such as the Tony Hawk Tour, X Trials, etc., he said.

The first X Games Camp/The Woodward Experience is currently anticipated to open in 2002 at a location to be determined. The camp would conduct activities which may include, among other things, action sports and gymnastics. Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania currently offers instruction in skateboarding, bicycle stunt riding, and inline skating, as well as gymnastics, and is continuously sold out to capacity for their weekly sessions.

"The X Games are quite popular with our campers," said Gary Ream, Camp Woodward's president. "We've enjoyed a great relationship with ESPN since the X Games began, and we look forward to getting started on this project and expanding the Camp Woodward mold of developing action sports athletes."

Ream describes the Woodward, Pa., site as a 425-acre diary farm turned into an action sports camp. Some 750 youngsters from 7-18 years old attend the camp each week. Attendees have come from all 50 states, as well as 20-30 foreign countries, he said.

The ESPN X Games take place August 16-22, 2000 in San Francisco, Calif., and feature competitions in aggressive in-line skating, bicycle stunt, motocross, skateboarding, skysurfing, sportclimbing, street luge and wakeboarding. The first telecast airs on ABC's Wide World of Sports on Saturday, August 19, 2000 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

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