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ESPN and CANAL + Events Return to Tignes in March for Second Winter X Games Europe

A host of Winter X Games and Olympic medalists headline the first wave of invited athletes for Winter X Games Europe 2011, to be held for a second consecutive year at Tignes Ski & Snowboard resort in France March 16-18, 2011.  Winter X Games Europe will welcome 150 world-class athletes competing in Snowboard and Skiing events.  The event marks only the second time a Winter X Games event will be held outside the United States.

ESPN and ESPN2 will combine for more than nine-and-one-half live and tape-delayed hours of coverage in the U.S., while ESPN3.com will provide more than 13 hours of live competition on the 24/7 live broadband sports network. ESPN will collaborate with CANAL + Networks (CANAL +, CANAL + SPORT, Sport +) again to show the Winter X Games in France and French-speaking territories (Caribbean, French speaking Africa) live (or on-delay).  Additionally, Winter X Games Europe will be broadcast live and on-delay on ESPN UK and Ireland. Also, live or tape-delayed coverage on ESPN networks in Australia, Brazil, Africa, Israel, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Latin America.  Highlights of the Games will be broadcast in Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Serbia and Slovenia.

Following last month’s Winter X Games 15 record-breaking attendance in Aspen, Colo., spectators in Tignes can look forward to eight different competitions over three days, including Ski and Snowboard SuperPipe and Slopestyle for men and women as well as Snowmobile demonstrations. Last year, more than 66,000 fans attended the inaugural Winter X Games Europe over three days.

“After being in Aspen for many years, it is great to have the same caliber event at my home mountain of Tignes,” said multiple Winter X Games medal winner and skier Xavier Bertoni. “Tignes is a great host to the event and I’m looking forward to the second edition this year.”

Winter X Games medalist and US Olympian snowboarder Louie Vito, said, “X Games is the biggest contest of the year.  Going to X Games, you can always expect a perfect set up and the best riders, and now that we have two – one in Aspen and now in Tignes – I couldn’t be more stoked be able to compete in both!”

Among the first wave of invited athletes includes:

• Xavier Bertoni (FRA) – 2009 Winter X Games Ski SuperPipe gold medalist and 2010 Winter X Games Europe silver medalist
• Torah Bright (AUS) – Two-time Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe and 2010 Winter Olympic gold medalist
• Sarah Burke (USA) – Four-time and current defending Winter X Games Ski SuperPipe gold medalist
• Bobby Brown (USA) – 2010 Winter X Games Ski Slopestyle and Big Air gold medalist
• Kelly Clark (USA) – Three-time and current defending Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe and 2002 Winter Olympic gold medalist
• Torstein Horgmo (NOR) – Two-time and current defending Winter X Games Snowboard Big Air gold medalist
• Jenny Jones (GBR) – Two-time Winter X Games Snowboard Slopestyle gold medalist
• Kevin Rolland (FRA) – Two-time Winter X Games and defending Winter X Games Europe Ski SuperPipe gold medalist
• Louie Vito (USA) – Winter X Games 15 Snowboard SuperPipe bronze medalist

*PLEASE NOTE: The invited athlete list is constantly being updated and is subject to change.

For the complete, updated list of Winter X Games Europe 2011 athletes, please visit: https://espn.go.com/action/xgames/winter/2011/europe/news/story?page=2011-winter-x-games-europe-athletes-snowboard

ESPN’s X Games Franchise

ESPN first developed its X Games franchise in 1995. The X Games, Winter X Games and All Access are just some of the original action sports programming currently shown on ESPN and ESPN2. In addition to the two U.S.-based events, ESPN has held X Games competitions and demonstration events around the world, including Dubai, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, Malaysia, China and Spain.  The global franchise has also expanded its reach to both XGames.com and ESPN.com/action, the definitive sites for action sports fans, and to consumer products such as X Games bikes, protective gear, skateboards and DVDs.

CANAL + Events

CANAL + Events is a CANAL + Group subsidiary in charge of events producing and TV rights dealing.  CANAL + Group is the first French Media Group with more than four billion turnover.  High quality content that can be aired on TV, Internet and Mobile and then sold on DVD is the key word for CANAL + Group.  CANAL + Events mission is to create or to co-produce content that can serve that strategy.

TIGNES

Located in the Northern French Alps, in Savoie, from 1,550 to 3,500 meters high, Tignes is linked to Val d’Isère and is a part of the espace killy, one of the biggest ski areas in the world. With athletic and young clients of whom 54% are foreigners, Tignes is known as the most cosmopolitan and sportiest resort in Europe. Always at the forefront of alternative and action sports and on the look out for new freestyle trends, the resort has a wide experience in event organization. Tignes is a big, white playground where riders enjoy expressing themselves.

Information on Winter X Games Europe can be found on www.winterxgameseurope.com.

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Media Contacts:
ESPN X Games             Danny Chi, [email protected], 310.642.1509
Alex Rozis, [email protected], 310.642.1533

CANAL + Events          Agence Olivia Payerne, [email protected], +33 (0) 1 46 04 08 62
Guillaume Jouteux, [email protected], +33 (1) 71353078

Tignes Resort              Danièle Chaudan, [email protected]
Stéphanie Aillet, [email protected],  +33 (4) 79400311