OCEAN CITY – It is official, the Dew Tour will be returning to Ocean City in its fourth year to be held June 26-29.
This week Chris Prybylo of Alli Sports, a division of NBC Sports Group, requested the Mayor and City Council approve the 2014 Dew Tour, June 26-29.
The event is part of a professional action sports tour involving BMX, skateboarding and surfing. There is also an interactive festival village open to the public, featuring sponsor displays and product sampling, and concerts, which will take place on the beach north of the pier to about North Division St. The expected number of spectators is estimated at 18,000 per day.
Private Events Coordinator Lisa Mitchell recognized city staff’s concern over the event’s timeframe ending just prior to 4th of July festivities downtown and the time it will take for the Dew Tour to break down. However, a planning meeting was scheduled the following day with Dew Tour officials and city staff.
Set-up of the Dew Tour will begin June 12. The event will take place June 26-29, and break down will begin immediately to be concluded by the early morning of July 3.
The Department of Public Works commented, “The entire event will need to be removed from both the beach and Inlet Parking Lot by July 3, which only leaves the event four days for total removal. This is a real concern due to the fact the 2013 event had almost two weeks to tear down.”
Prybylo disagreed break down took 14 days last year but rather seven at the most. He assured the council a plan will be put in place between the Dew Tour and city staff during their meeting on Wednesday regarding the break down schedule. He said organizers are planning to begin competitions earlier in order to finish earlier and begin break down as soon as possible.
“I want to thank the Mayor and City Council for their support over the past three years. We couldn’t be happier with the support from the staff and community who have really embraced the tour, so we really appreciate everything that has been done and it has been a great event for Ocean City as a whole,” Prybylo said. “We are looking forward to coming back here having another great event, and showing Ocean City to the world again.”
Pillas stated despite concerns the Boardwalk businesses do not mind the Dew Tour’s giveaways at the festival village in exchange for the amount of business the event brings to the Boardwalk. However, concerns continue to be expressed over the family-value of the concerts and the language used on stage.
“We certainly understand your concern around the concert. We had an issue with some inappropriate language a couple of years ago, and I personally pulled them off the stage. It is in their contracts. We cannot completely control them but they are warned, and they know they can get shut down if it happens, and it is certainly something we take very seriously,” Prybylo said.
The council voted unanimously to approve the Dew Tour in Ocean City this summer June 26-29.
“We are proud to host the Dew Tour. It is a great honor for Ocean City. We have developed a tremendous partnership and working relationship, which has helped us develop other events in town. The exposure we get on national television Ocean City shows absolutely beautifully, and it just works so well with the Dew Tour. It is what we are all about being an outdoor family activity … and I hope we can continue this partnership for many years to come,” Mayor Rick Meehan said.
Prybylo agreed the Dew Tour in Ocean City has been a good experience for all.
“We certainly love Ocean City as well, and I speak for NBC and all of our partners. It has been a great experience for the past three years and I am sure it will be a great experience in year four. We have built something pretty great here,” he said.