Skateboarding - BRAZIL'S DIAS LEADS VERT QUALIFYING AT SLAM CITY JAM IN CALGARY - by Boarding .com

CALGARY (Saturday, August 26th, 2006) - Sandro Dias of Brazil, the reigning X
Games gold medalist, holds top spot in the Vert competition after a strong
first run in qualifying Friday at the $100,000 USD Slam City North American
skateboard championships at Stampede Park.

He will head into Sunday's Vert finals leading a field of Vert professionals
which also includes Neal Hendrix of Redondo Beach, Ca., Jean Postec of Annecy,
France, Lincoln Ueda of Sao Paulo, Brazil and Canadian Anthony Hancock of
Calgary, Alta.

Dias and Postec are at Slam City Jam two weeks after strong performances at X
Games 12 in Los Angeles. Dias, a 31-year-old Brazilian champion from Santo
Andrede, won gold and USD $50,000 at the X Games while Postec, a 21-year-old
rising star from Annecy, France, placed ninth.

The Slam City Vert championships are being held at the Round Up Centre at
Stampede Park on the $1,000,000 Boom Boom Huck Jam vert ramp designed and
built by international skateboarding icon Tony Hawk and his company, TH
Events, Inc.

Next door at the Calgary Corral, many of the world's Street pros -- including
Canadians Chris Haslam of Richmond, B.C. and Jesse Langden of Oakville, Ont.
and X Games star Greg Lutzka of Huntington Beach, Ca. -- are qualifying today
for Sunday's championship finals.

Dias used an outstanding first run to earn a score of 83.00 points in the Vert
qualifying. He is 1.25 points ahead of Hendrix, who relied on an 81.75 second
run score to finish second in qualifying.

Hendrix and Dias are renewing a Vert rivalry that has been long-established at
the X Games.

"With the guys here on the ramp that we have here, everyone will have to be
doing their best stuff to win Sunday," said American Hendrix.

Hendrix is a 33-year-old professional who is marking his 13th consecutive
appearance at Slam City Jam.

"I know that's what I'll have to do to do well in the finals," said Hendrix,
who has eight career X Games medals, including silver medals and six bronze.

"I've always been a bit jinxed here, but it's one that I'm keen to shine at
and I'm feeling great going into the finals," said Hendrix, who has never
finished higher than fifth-place at Slam City Jam.

Also in strong contention going into the final round Sunday at the Calgary
Corral are Postec and Ueda. Postec is in third place after qualifying with
80.00 points while Ueda is fourth with 79.75 points. Mike Frazier of the U.S.
is fifth at skate.50 points.

The Vert and Street finals for both men and women are slated for Sunday.