Dew Tour Return To Resort In 2012 Likely

OCEAN CITY – The official announcement has not been made on whether the Dew Tour is to return to Ocean City, but it’s close enough as officials are scheduled to propose 2012 dates next month.

What Tourism Director Deb Turk was able to release to The Dispatch yesterday was that Dew Tour officials will come before the Mayor and City Council Jan. 16 to ask for approval of the dates of Aug. 18-19.

“We are much different than the other venues that they work with in that everything is done publicly and everywhere else things are done behind the scenes, and then they get to build this great momentum and make a big announcement. It’s a big surprise,” Turk said. “Unfortunately, our process doesn’t lend itself to accommodate them that way.”

Once the town approves the Dew Tour’s proposed dates, other items will then be finalized, and in February or March officials will make a formal announcement releasing information regarding the entire tour and its dates.

“Our choices were June or August, and since they can’t really come and ask for both dates, August will be the most likely dates for Ocean City, which means if they are dealing with somebody else and it’s a June date they are going to get the kickoff,” Turk said.

Last year Dew Tour officials came before the Mayor and City Council in February with their proposal to bring the Dew Tour to Ocean City, and the council approved the event and its dates of July 21-24, 2011.

The Pantech Open in Ocean City was the Dew Tour’s first stop out of four. According to Dew Tour officials, there were 73,000 fans that experienced the event, the largest attendance in its history. Prior to coming to Ocean City, the Dew tour was held in Baltimore for two years and the largest crowd that gathered there was around 55,000 people.

“That worked out for us being the kickoff and being brand new, and the only east coast and beach location,” Turk said this week.

Turk added that there are benefits to being a later date in the Dew Tour because its advertising of Ocean City will be held throughout the summer, including the Summer Olympics, which is scheduled for July 27-Aug. 12, 2012 in London. Advertising of Ocean City will be aired on channels such as NBC Sports, MTV, USA, Fuel, Universal HD and MTV2.

If next summer’s Dew Tour dates are approved for Aug. 18 and 19, the event will follow a week behind the White Marlin Open and before Labor Day, a time frame that would keep the busy season going while students prepare to return to school.

The Dew Tour features skateboarding, BMX, skateboard bowl, surf and freestyle motocross. The competition is based on a cumulative points system and there is more than $2 million in event and bonus purses which is awarded at the year’s end based on overall tour standings.