Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 14, 2004
Lopez Brothers named to Lead East Coast Surfing Team for 2nd Year at ‘X Games X’; Cory Lopez to Defend US Open Title…
Yes, it’s that time of year again – ‘Summer X’ is here!
Top Tampa Bay based Professional Surfers, Cory and Shea Lopez from Indian Rocks Beach, Florida have once again been selected to represent the East Coast of the United States in the 10th Annual Summer X Games Competition (X Games X) in Los Angeles California, August 5-8, 2004. 2004 marks the second consecutive year that Surfing has been included in Summer X. Both brothers earned Gold Medals for their exceptional surfing exploits in helping lead the East Coast to Victory last year alongside fellow Floridians Kelly Slater (6x World Champion) and Damien Hobgood. Participating in the X Games is considered by many in the surfing world to be a top honor and a possible prelude for surfing to one day be included in the Olympics, as has been the case for Surfing’s first cousin – Snowboarding. Considered by many, a long overdue honor for the widely acknowledged ‘original’ Extreme/Action sport.
Cory and Shea are top contenders on the ASP World Championship Tour. Both Lopez brothers will be featured this summer in the Official ESPN X GAMES 10th Anniversary Collector Card Series by Procore Sports. 2004 also marks the 25th Anniversary of ESPN – the celebrated Sports cable network. Both ABC and ESPN are part of the Disney media family.
If all goes according to plan, the X Games will be the first time this year that the older Lopez brother (Shea) will return to competition following recovery from a knee injury suffered during the Quarter Finals of the X Box Pipeline Masters, last December in Hawaii – the final event of the 2003 ASP contest season and 3rd Jewel of the Vans Triple Crown series. Cory finished up the 2003 ASP season rated # 9 in the World, whilst Shea wrapped up the season at #12 – two of the highest ranked Americans on the elite World Tour (and highest rated Floridians in ’03).
For the first time in X Games (10 year) history (summer), the event will air fully LIVE on ESPN and ABC. X Games X will feature 14 hours of original programming from August 5-8, with consistent programming windows at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on ESPN and a Sunday night primetime window on ABC. In addition, ESPN2 will present daily late-night highlight programs from August 6-9, resulting in 18 total hours of original programming for X Games X. A special waiver and event sanction is being provided by the ASP for top ranked ASP/WCT Athlete’s to participate in the X Games.
X Games X will return to the famed Huntington Beach Pier for Surfing and will feature the National Surf League’s (NSL) ‘The Game’ team format. Just prior to the X Games, Cory Lopez will defend his 2003 ‘Honda Element US Open of Surfing’ title July 24th to August 1st, 2004 at the same venue. The ‘Honda Element US Open of Surfing (presented by O’Neill)’ is North America’s highest rated World Qualifying event (WQS) and the world’s largest professional surfing competition. Cory – the nimble goofy footer from Florida’s West Coast, will be looking to get his groove on following an uncharacteristically slower than normal start to the year on the 2004 ASP World Championship Tour. Both Lopez brothers are known to be formidable competitors and are the only surfing siblings to share both an X Games Gold Medal and a US Open Championship – Shea won the event in 1999.
For more information log-on to: LopezBrothers.com; EXPN.com; NSLGame.com; usopenofsurfing.com; aspworldtour.com
Reported by Lopez Management Team