X-DANCE NEWS, INFO

ABOUT X-DANCE...

The X-DANCE FESTIVAL was launched during the 2001 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where twenty-two of the world's best action sports films were screened to consistently packed houses. X-Dance's mission is to elevate action sports film, taking them to the next level of Hollywood recognition and mass market appeal as seen with Stacy Peralta's award wining DOGTOWN where the importance of story and stellar filmmaking overshadows typical hard core action sequences.

At the 2001 X-Dance Awards Ceremony and Closing Party thousands of fans and celebrities watched clips from the award-winning films, danced to the beats of P.O.D. and world-renowned DJ Paul Oakenfold, and witnessed Freestyle Motocrosser Carey Hart jump from the balcony onto the stage to accept his awards for Best Stunt and Best Film.

The 2002 festival proved to be an even bigger huge success. Presented by DC Shoes, X-Dance was a magnet for icons from the action sports world, cutting edge musicians and Hollywood celebrities alike. In addition to screening over twenty of the year's top action sports films by industry stalwarts like Standard Films, Matchstick Productions, Teton Gravity Research, Mack Dawg, Blue Field, Bam Margera, and Poor Specimen, X-Dance showcased the hottest action sport video games, giving awards to Atari's TRANSWORLD SURF for Best Game and Activision's TONY HAWK PRO SKATER III for Best Soundtrack. It's no secret that action sports video games are the most popular gaming properties, but the long lines to play and the wealth of spectators proved that the interactive component was a huge hit this year at X-Dance.

Actress Juliette Lewis and husband/pro skater Steve Berra presented top festival honors to Taylor Steele and Chris Malloy for their soulful, mesmerizing surfing film, SHELTER. Best Story and Best Stunt went to Blue Field Entertainment's LAIRD, starring the death-defying superman Laird Hamilton, who pulled into the deadliest wave ever surfed at Teahapoo (pronounced CHO-PU) in Tahiti where he rewrote history entirely. When footage of the wave, which would have simply atomized him if he fell, was replayed at the awards ceremony, 1200 jaws dropped to the floor, and fell silent, in awe. According to a fellow surfer, "There was a line drawn in the sand that day, as to what is humanly possible, and there are only two footprints on the other side...Laird's. " Best Stunt Film went to Peak Production's SLEDNECK'S 4. This hair-raising snowmobile action flick featured a host of insane cliff jumps and road gaps, as well as Jim Rippey's unbelievable backflip on a snowmobile. Teton Gravity Research's rocket-fueled ski/snowboard film, MIND THE ADDICTION, was awarded Best Music in a Film.