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World Finals morphs into extreme sports event to be sponsored by Dos Equis beer

The dream of many PWC enthusiasts to have the sport of personal watercraft racing accepted as yet another “extreme” event — as well as the hopes of many to have PWC racing regain a little of its past prominence — has come a little closer to fruition, as the IJSBA recently revealed that the October World Finals has secured Dos Equis Beer as the title sponsor and paired with skateboarding and freestyle motocross in an event titled the 2004 Dos Equis Desert XX. A furthering of the “sports and music” approach that other extreme sports, including skateboarding and snowboarding, have rode to great success in recent years, Desert XX will take place the week of October 3-10, 2004 and be held in the familiar confines of Lake Havasu City, Arizona’s Crazy Horse Campground.”
According to event organizers, the Dos Equis Desert XX will attract more than 800 world-class racers and extreme sports athletes to Lake Havasu. Competitions will include freestyle motocross, skateboarding and BMX halfpipe, and mini-moto racing, with the PWC action serving as the centerpiece of the festival. As in past years, PWC events are scheduled to include closed course racing as well as freestyle competition, and attract many of the stars that have been missing from large-scale action in the United States this past year, including Chris MacClugage, Nicolas Rius, Dustin Farthing, and Victor Sheldon. International racers expected to compete include Italy’s Gimmi Bosio, South Africa’s Dustin Motzouris, and Brazil’s Alessander Lenzi.
Live concerts and an interactive “lifestyle festival” are also planned to be spread out over the event’s 12-acre site on Lake Havasu, which will again include the expansive Performance Alley, billed as a PWC aftermarket and consumer interactive festival featuring large-scale displays from the top manufacturers of watercraft, parts, and apparel, as well as food and drink concessions, the centerpiece of which will undoubtedly be the Dos Equis Beach Bar. Concerts will take place on the concert stage Friday and Saturday afternoons from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.
“Dos Equis Desert XX is the ultimate season-ending party and the Southwest’s first action sports and lifestyle festival with its roots firmly placed in the personal watercraft capital of the world,” explained James Leitz, Vice President for IMG Action Sports. “The tradition and heritage of this event dates back over two decades. Over the years this event has become the epicenter for racing, fun and lifestyle.”
Both the Dos Equis World Finals and Desert XX will be broadcast on Fusion TV, airing on Fox Sports Net during select Wednesday afternoons in the fall. The shows, which are expected to reach 75 million households, will be replayed on FUEL TV on dates yet to be finalized, as well as broadcast to 90 countries around the world via international syndication. All events will be open to the public, with free admission October 3-6, followed by $10-20 admission fees for the marquee events taking place Thursday through Sunday.
“Dos Equis sponsorship of the IJSBA World Finals further underscores our commitment to the lifestyle interests of our consumers and provides an excellent vehicle to communicate the essence of the Dos Equis brand,” said Victor Melendez, Director of Marketing — Mexican Brands of Dos Equis parent company Labatt USA. psb

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