Dew It Again !!!!!

Kudos to the sharp-eyed reporter
who picked up the blind item in our blog and determined the “nationally televised event” possibly coming to Maryland is the Dew Tour -- in Ocean City -- this July.  After a successful pitch to the Ocean City Council this afternoon, it looks like the Dew Crew will be coming back.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Terry confirmed he has been in contact with them on a regular basis since arriving here two years ago. His association actually predates their events at Camden Yards. When the Dew Tour debuted in 2006, their first stop was Louisville, so he worked very closely with them there. (He also worked the task force that designed Louisville Extreme Park next to Slugger Field downtown, an experience that he is sharing with our local skate park community group.)

Ocean City is a fabulous setting for a tournament viewed by millions on a number of media platforms. As we’ve often said, many of Maryland’s finest sporting venues are supported by our natural resources. In this case, the Atlantic Ocean provides a striking setting for the activities taking place where the boardwalk begins. As we learned in Baltimore, the Dew Dudes and Dew-dettes incorporate their host city into every aspect of their presentation, showcasing some gorgeous beauty shots and also providing a stage for local entertainment with a national headliner.

As a multi-season resort, this last factor is particularly appealing to Ocean City. While it may not host the Snooki set, Ocean City is a favorite summer destination for families, many of whom (like ours) have been going there regularly for generations.

This youth-oriented demographic is particularly appealing to Dew (now part of Alli Action Sports,) as it the popularity of action sports throughout the state continues to grow.  There are always dynamic activities for youngsters in the Action Village.

Even when Dew did not have events at Camden Yards, Baltimore continued to be a part of their universe. Charm City Skate Park  hosts the annual amateur component known as the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, which gives aspiring skaters the opportunity to compete with the professionals in the Dew Tour. So Dew has never been very far from our hearts here in Maryland.

We have to give a shoutout to Dundalk native Bucky Lasek, above, seen at his winning performance at Camden Yards three years ago. Bucky is a great booster of action sports in his home state, and has been lobbying the Dew Crew to find a way to bring it back.

While Camden Yards was a great choice because of its central location and easy access, it conflicted with the other uses of the stadium complex. Ocean City has many of the same mid-Atlantic geographic benefits with a lot more flexibility.

So stoke up for surf, sand, and skateboarding this summer in Ocean City. It’s gonna be rad, dude.