Vancouver *, Canada * – After 12 years in Vancouver, Slam City Jam * has announced that their next event will occur in Calgary *, August 25-27, 2006. Organizers expect that more than 150 of the world’s top professional skateboarders will be on tap for the event, which will pay out "over US$100,000 in prize money".

Kleo Landucci, President of the Slam City Jam explained that as a result of the city's preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics that are to occur there, organizers were unable to find suitable indoor venues in the traditional location for the event, Vancouver.

“Not being in Vancouver for the first time in our event’s history will be a big change for us at many levels, but we’re very pleased to be able to keep Slam City Jam in Western Canada” said Landucci.

Calgary was chosen as the new location because of its historic association with sports. “Not only is Calgary one of the country’s hottest skateboarding markets – and getting hotter all the time with some of Canada’s best new skate park facilities," said Landucci, "it is a proven sports and entertainment capital as home of the world-famous Calgary Stampede and the 1988 * Winter Olympic Games,” Landucci also mentioned the city is also notes for its National Hockey League and other sports teams.

"We acknowledge that the event wouldn’t have grown to what it is today without the support of the British Columbia * skateboarding community and our Slam fans from throughout the province and the Pacific Northwest,” said Landucci. "We’re proud of the B.C. athletes who are making their mark on the sport internationally and we are looking forward to having them with us in Calgary this year.”

The Slam City Jam is an annual event that has been in operation since 1994 *, and appears as a scenario in the video game "Tony Hawk *'s Underground". In all previous years, the event occured in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada *. According to the company, Landucci is a "28-year-old Vancouver business executive" who began getting seriously involved in skateboarding in the early 1990s. Ticket information and event details are expected to be announced in March.

For more information, contact V. Langan at 604-263-8754 or Kleo Landucci at 604-263-8754

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