Photo from Red Bull Crashed Ice website.
JOHN ROBBINS/Bullet News
A much anticipated announcement by organizers of the popular Red Bull Crashed Ice extreme skating series revealing planned venues for the upcoming season has been delayed till Monday.
That?s the word from Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, who had been expecting the announcement to be made yesterday.
Diodati says he has since been told the delay is the result of one prospective host city not having been confirmed in time.
Sources tell Bullet News Niagara Falls was confirmed weeks ago, but event organizers have said all along they want to announce the full schedule at the same time.
In an email Thursday, Red Bull Canada spokesman Jos?e Laperri?re confirmed an announcement is imminent, but provided no further details about what can be expected.
?The 2013 race calendar will be announced in the next few days,? said Laperri?re. ?You will receive the press release at that time.?
Wayne Thomson, president of Niagara Falls Tourism and a city councillor, told Bullet News on Wednesday that event organizers were recently in the city for a meeting with tourism industry stakeholders and representatives from the city and the Niagara Parks Commission.
During the meeting, Red Bull officials confirmed Niagara Falls as one of this season?s venues, Thomson said.
?They?re totally excited about being here,? Thomson said, adding the event, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators and be televised internationally is priceless in terms of marketing the city as a winter destination.
?To have that kind of (attention) worldwide is fantastic for the city, the local economy and for jobs,? Thomson said.
Niagara Parks chairwoman Janice Thomson would neither confirm nor deny reports Red Bull has selected Niagara Falls as the location for event dates in late November and early December.
Thomson said it?s no secret the NPC has been working for some time to negotiate a contract with Red Bull to host Crashed Ice.
?But I?m not at liberty to make an announcement,? said Thomson.
Any announcement on event location, she added, would have to come from event organizers ? not Niagara Parks.
During an interview late Wednesday evening, Diodati said: ?Yes, we?re preparing for a major Red Bull announcement on Thursday and it?ll be of great interest to the people of Niagara. We?ve put a lot of effort into lobbying for this.
?We can?t wait for them to make their announcement.?
Wayne Thomson said the cost to host the event will come in at between $600,000 and $700,000, with financial commitments being made by tourism industry stakeholders, the Niagara Tourism Partnership and Niagara Falls Tourism.
Red Bull Crashed Ice is much like ski cross on skates. Competitors race down a 350-metre-long icy track four at a time, reaching speeds up to 70 km-h.
In 2012, events on the circuit included stops in Saint Paul, Minn.; Valkenburg, The Netherlands; Aare, Sweden; and Quebec City.
The course is expected to start at the Skylon Tower with competitors heading down Murray Hill before making a sharp left turn into Queen Victoria Park.
- with files by Niagara This Week
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BulletNewsNiagara/~3/DV7zmEgar8A/
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