Mike Vallely is back on the road in his second season of the skateboarding series “DRIVE,” presented by Jeep, airing on FUEL TV for seven weeks scheduled to begin April 1, 2007. Based on the award-winning documentary film of the same name, “DRIVE” hits the pavement with the professional skateboarder as he travels the world exploring the people, places, and issues defining skateboarding and youth culture today.
“DRIVE” blends action with information, delivering an impactful and insightful look at the sport of skateboarding. In the process, the show empowers and inspires its viewers to be active and compassionate and to pursue their talents and life dreams.
“DRIVEs” star Mike Vallely started skateboarding in fall of 1984 and was sponsored only two years later in the summer of 1986 by Powell Peralta. In 1987, he turned professional as part of the famous Powell Peralta Bones Brigade team that included skate legends Tony Hawk and Steve Caballero. He’s been traveling the world sharing his skateboarding and message of individuality and self expression ever since. Mike’s current sponsors include Element, Destructo Trucks, Speed Metal Bearings, Sobe, and Jeep.
“For me, ‘DRIVE’ is what skateboarding and action sports are all about -- lifestyle and accessibility, true grass-roots connection, and community,” says Vallely. “When I started skateboarding this was what I found to be true and what I believed in. This is what attracted me to skateboarding. And this is the vision I've always had for what I wanted to do as a professional skater. I truly get to live every mile.”
“DRIVE” is produced by Build Worldwide. The series is created and directed by Mark Jeremias, and this season is shot on location throughout North America, Israel, and the Cayman Islands. In one segment, Mike visits the South in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and takes a raw look at how the skateboarding community has adapted to the displacement and havoc that the disaster caused.
“We’re really happy with the storylines that have developed this season,” says Jeremias. “From White Hall, Arkansas to Jerusalem, Israel, it’s always rewarding to see that no matter where we go in the world, people connect with Mike’s message and how ‘DRIVE’ is able to capture and convey that message in a way that both skaters and non-skaters can relate to.”
“The viewer response we had from the first season was so strong that we ordered another run of seven episodes plus a special surprise bonus eighth episode,” says Shon Tomlin, FUEL TV’s VP of Programming and Development. “This new season builds on the same themes of the past, but also sheds new light on unlikely skate havens like the Middle East and hurricane-stricken New Orleans. Mike’s remarkable talent for getting to the heart and soul of skateboarding is both powerful and entertaining.”
Look for the new season of “DRIVE” on FUEL TV beginning April 1, 2007. Original episodes premiere on Sunday nights at 8:00 pm ET/PT during the “Stacked Sundays” programming block and re-air several times throughout the week. The series is seven weeks long and will feature a bonus eighth episode airing in FUEL TV’s Friday night “Skate @ 8” skateboarding block later in the spring.
About FUEL TV
FUEL TV is a 24/7 action sports lifestyle network for skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, freestyle motocross, and wakeboarding. A unit of Fox Cable Networks, FUEL TV was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in 24-million U.S. homes. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4-FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv.
