Beijing, China *: Longtime skateboard pro Danny Way * has announced intent to jump over the Great Wall of China.

Says Danny Way: “This jump continues the progression of the sport of skateboarding and highlights skateboarding as a growing international sport to the world’s biggest nation.”

Recently Way built the 10 story high "MegaRamp *" in downtown Los Angeles * for last summer’s X Games X. In the process he took home a gold medal and broke his own Guiness Book of World Records record of 79 feet jumped on a skateboard.

“Our understanding of the limits of skateboarding are just beginning to be tested and audiences should expect to see more excitement and a higher level of competition in the future,” said Way.

“We are thrilled to be bringing this historical event to the Chinese * public and see it as the beginning of a significant action sports based cultural exchange between the people of the West and China,” said Joe Openshaw of Global Village Media Group, the Chinese counterpart of Garage Industries, USA * that are jointly producing this event.

The upcoming Mega X Event is planned to be held in May of 2005 * at the Ju Yu Jong Gate and "will combine music, fashion and action sports competition in a two day festival" culminating in Way’s jump over The Great Wall. The Ju Yu Gong Gate part of the Wall is located about 20 miles outside Beijing, and is said to be one of the most important cultural sites in China. Danny says he's honored and excited to have the opportunity to bring skateboarding to the biggest nation in the world in such a dramatic fashion.

Reportedly, Danny met with the "Chinese Minister For Extreme Sports" and received the government approval for the stunt. The ramp planned for the event will be 120-feet tall, with a 75-foot-tall roll-in and a 30-foot-tall, 100-foot-wide quarter pipe *. The ramp will give Danny the chance to set three new world records---distance, height out of the quarter pipe, and speed. Promoters claim it will be the largest skate structure ever built.

After the Great Wall, Way reportedly has set his sights on jumping the Grand Canyon on a skateboard.

Danny Way is a 30 year-old resident of Southern California *. The creator of the ten story high, 300 feet long MegaRamp, Way is also an X Games Gold Medalist, multiple world record holder (distance jumped 79 feet; distance out of a quarter pipe 22.5 feet), and the only man to have jumped out of a helicopter, on a skateboard, without a parachute.

Way is also winner of Thrasher Magazine *’s Skater of the Year in 1991 * and 2004 * and the only skater to ever win the award twice. In addition to his skateboarding skills, Way surfs, rides motocross and snowboards "at a professional level".

Mega Ramp Events are the California based team led by Way that provide the event management, business, and construction expertise behind the world’s largest skateboarding structure. MegaRamp is registered trademark of Mega Ramp Events LLC.

(Update 2005/06/09: The jump date has been moved to July, 2005.)

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