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  Josh Harrington at the Woodward camp. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.

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  Tony Hawk (holding child) at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Woodward.

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  The winner of the best trick contest. Photo courtesy of Woodward.

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  Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson

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  Ryan Sheckler

A Who’s Who of Action Sports Athletes and Industry Legends Travel To China for a Weekend of Skateboarding, Sightseeing, Fireworks and Chinese Food

Beijing, China (May 17, 2010)—Woodward Beijing hosted skateboarders and bmx riders from all over the world this past weekend to celebrate its grand opening with a giant party that included skateboarding and BMX demos, the Alli Best Trick, fireworks and more.

The VIP-invited guest list grew daily as new arrivals joined the festivities, including Tony Hawk, Sandro Dias, Ryan Sheckler, Neal Hendrix, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Zach Miller, Dan Murphy, Ryan Decenzo, Juergen Horwarth, Curren Caples, Tom Asta, Renton Millar, David Loy, Jaws, Jimmy Carlin, Josh Harrington, Trey Jones, Ty Morrow, Anthony Napolitan, Josh Betley and Dakota Roche.

The crew spent three days touring Chinese landmarks such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China, finding spots to skate everywhere in a city that is legendary for concrete plazas and flat terrain. And each night, the skate and BMX sessions back at camp at the 40,000 square foot indoor park and 32,000 square foot outdoor park lasted late into the night.

Also joining the grand opening ceremonies and sightseeing was Olympic Gold Medalist and “Dancing With The Stars” winner Shawn Johnson, who received a private tour of the Olympic National Stadium — accompanied by 100 action sports skaters, executives and a throng of Chinese media — where she won gold in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

“Launching Woodward Beijing this week represents a great step forward in growing action sports in China,” says Gary Ream, Managing Owner and President of Camp Woodward.

“We are excited that so many international athletes made the trip to China for the Grand Opening. Hopefully they help inspire the young Chinese skaters and BMX’ers to drive the progression of these sports here in China.”

Highlights from Saturday’s main grand opening event included a massive fireworks display and the Alli Best Trick, sponsored by Alli and Woodward, which airs on NBC Sports later this summer. Check out contest results and photos from the Alli Best Trick.

Woodward Beijing is the first international location in the U.S-based action sports company that has brought state-of-the-art facilities and programs to many of the world’s top action sports and gymnastics athletes for the past four decades.

About Camp Woodward

Founded in 1970 in rural central Pennsylvania, Camp Woodward facilities host thousands of aspiring and professional action sports, gymnastics and cheer athletes from around the world, including current and future Olympians.

The company recently expanded its properties to include training facilities for surfing, snowboarding and skiing, including Woodward at Copper Mountain, Colorado which offers snowboard and free ski training; summer camps in Tehachapi, California and Lake Owen in Cable, Wisconsin; Woodward Surf in Ventura California, opening June 2010; and the first international facility, Woodward Beijing, opening May 2010.

In addition, Camp Woodward, Woodward West and Woodward Beijing offer digital media arts and music education programs. For more information, please visit Camp Woodward.