Media Release Sports fans and action sports fans all over the world are gearing up to witness the world’s best athletes coming together on the shores of Bondi Beach, Sydney to celebrate the 10th birthday for Vans BOWL-A-RAMA™ Bondi 2014, the largest professional concrete skateboarding event in the Southern Hemisphere.

The weeklong skateboarding festival will run from February 18, 2014 with the competition taking place on Saturday February 22, featuring the world’s most successful and influential skaters. This will include fellow ‘Bones Brigade’ members, Vans legendary skater Steve Caballero, World Champion Pedro Barros and the iconic Tony Hawk; who will be dropping in to help light the candles and compete in Vans BOWL-A-RAMA™ Bondi for the first time.

"Not many events get to celebrate their 10th anniversary so this is a huge year for Vans Bowl-A-Rama. Vans are committed to skateboarding and we're proud to have been involved in this event since the beginning,” says Ben Hapgood, Vans General Manager Australia.

The PRO division is the strongest ever assembled, with a list of riders including Pedro Barros, Bucky Lasek, Rune Glifberg, Josh Stafford, Sam Beckett, Alex Sorgente, Brad McClain, Omar Hassan, Kalani David, Mike Owen, Steve Pineiro, Alex Perelson, Sky Siljeg, Nathan Beck, Joshua Borden, Renton Millar, Nolan Monroe, Felipe Foguinho, Josh Rodriguez, Raven Tershay, Otavio Neto, Jack Fardell, Greyson Fletcher, Zach Miller, Darren Navarette, Alain Goikoetxea and Raney Beres - all looking to skate their way to a spot on the podium.

The Masters Division includes skateboarding legends Tony Hawk, Nicky Guerrero, Steve Caballero, Eddie El Gato Elguera, Pat Ngoho, Mike McGill, Sergie Ventura, Adam Luxford, Lester Kasai, Sean Goff, Jeff Grosso, Kevin Staab, Adrian Jones and Mike Rogers.

Tony Hawk will be joining fellow ‘Bones Brigade’ legends Mike McGill, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain and Nicky Guerrero as Vans BOWL-A-RAMA™ Bondi alumni.

Vans BOWL-A-RAMA™ Bondi 2014 will be an overloaded week dedicated to celebrating art, music, film and true skateboard culture with the “Festival of the Skateboard”.

Minister for Sport and Member for Vaucluse, Gabrielle Upton said, “ Vans BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi is fast becoming an important event on the local sporting calendar. The event not only showcases Australian and international skateboarding prowess but also provides the perfect opportunity for visitors and competitors alike to explore the lifestyle offerings of iconic Bondi Beach – a global destination,” Ms Upton said.

This year Vans BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi partners with the world’s leading multimedia sports entertainment company, ESPN. For the first time, ESPN Australia/NZ will be broadcasting the event LIVE on both ESPN and ESPN3.com. ESPN’s General Manager Gus Seebeck said, “We are really excited to be jumping on board with Vans BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi and bringing fans live and exclusive coverage of the event. The huge line up of both international and Australian talent is fantastic and we look forward to a great day of action in one of the best locations imaginable! ”

Day Passes will be available online at the Dash Tickets website – http://www.dashtickets.com.au, for the affordable price of $5 for under 16s and pensioners, $10 for over 16s and free for under 5 year olds. To ensure fans don’t miss a moment of the action, this year’s Vans BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi tickets will offer access to increased general seating areas, as well as onsite activities and big screen.

“This year is not so much about looking back but celebrating all that has been great over the last 10 years. The rider list is just plain ridiculous. There is no other way of saying it. Hands down, the hardest job this year is being a judge. We’ll make sure they’re well compensated at all of the Festival of the Skateboard events. Forgive us if you need something this year and there is no one there manning the post because BOWL-A-RAMA is put on by the fans for the fans, so we will all be watching the skating and straining our vocal chords yelling for our favourites,” says Chard Ford, Frontside Events Director.

BOWL-A-RAMA™ was born on Bondi Beach – Sydney, Australia in 2005 and is the biggest professional concrete series in the World. With Wellington, Bondi, New York and the addition of Getxo, Spain, BOWL-A-RAMA can now call some of the most iconic destinations in the world home.

ROLL INS FROM VANS BOWL-A-RAMA BONDI 2013
· ROLL IN 1 - http://vimeo.com/60045835
· ROLL IN 2 - http://vimeo.com/60197891
· ROLL IN 3 - http://vimeo.com/60232764
· ROLL IN 4 - http://vimeo.com/60535640

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