ESPN Xtour sets record

ESPN’s 2002 Asian Xtour presented by Toyota set a record high of 494 participants for Junior X and Main X competitions, higher than the 437 participants during its inaugural staging last year. Leading the pack are the skateboard participants with 275, followed by BMX Stunt Course with 146, and BMX Stunt/Flatland and Aggressive Inline Skate with 40 and 33 participants, respectively.

Of the 437 participants in last year’s event, the highest turn-out was for Bicycle Stunt with 187, followed closely by Skateboard with 178. The rise in the number of skateboard participants comes on the heels of Filipino action sport athlete Anselm Castaneda clinching the bronze medal in the Asian X Games IV in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"This indicates the ever-improving level of skill and interest of local skateboards as well as in the other disciplines of Bicycle Stunt and Aggressive Inline Skate," said Bill Cooper, director, client services of ESPN Star Sports.

The event, which has been extended from two to three days to accommodate the growing number of athletes and spectators alike, will decide the country’s best athletes in Skateboard, Bicycle Stunt and Aggressive In-line Skate. To see action this year are the top finishers from last year - Mark Schultz (BMX Stunt/Course), Jojo Sanchez (BMX/Flatland), Rogelio Yangco (Inline Skate), and Anselm Castaneda (Skateboard). Winners will represent the Philippines in the Asian X Games V and ESPN Junior X Games IV presented by Toyota in Kuala Lumpur in January 2003.