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Fifth annual X Games set for June

SAN FRANCISCO -- After two highly successful events in San Diego, the 1999 X Games will be held in San Francisco, Calif., June 25-July 3, 1999, it was announced by Jeff Ruhe, ESPN senior vice president, event management. Ruhe accepted the invitation from San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

The X Games will bring more than 450 of the world's best alternative sport athletes to San Francisco, competing in nine different sport categories and 24 sport disciplines. ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will combine to televise nearly 40 hours of event coverage, while ESPN International will distribute the X Games worldwide.

"San Francisco has been on our wish list since we started the X Games in 1995," Ruhe said. "Every two years we have brought the X Games to a larger market, and now we are very excited to be welcomed to a city of San Francisco's size and cultural diversity. We look forward to what we are certain will be a wonderful partnership with San Francisco."

Piers 30 and 32 will serve as the primary site for the 1999 X Games featuring aggressive in-line skating, bicycle stunt riding, skateboarding, sportclimbing and big-air snowboarding. Venues are yet to be determined for street luge, downhill in-line skating, skysurfing and wakeboarding.

Of the X Games, Mayor Brown stated, "This event is terrific for our city because it's a family event and one that embraces our city's youth culture. It's a fun event that our city is a perfect match with and we're proud to be chosen by ESPN."

Additional information on the 1999 X Games -- including schedules, sports and athletes -- will be forthcoming. The 1999 Winter X Games will be held in Crested Butte, Colo., for the second consecutive year, January 14 through 17.