Wednesday September 20, 2006

‘RISE AGAINST’ HEADLINES DC SHOES LAUNCH PARTY AT WEST 49 CANADIAN OPEN

…Punk Rock Bands ‘Boys Night Out’, ‘Hostage Life’ and ‘Richmond Hill’ Round Out Lineup

The West 49 Canadian Open presented by Xbox will get off to a rockin’ start in two weeks with the DC Shoes Launch Party presented by MTV Overdrive featuring headlining act ‘Rise Against’.  The launch party, taking place at The Hamilton Convention Centre at 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 28, is an all ages event with a designated licensed area for those 19 or older.

Fellow punk rock acts ‘Boys Night Out’, ‘Hostage Life’ and ‘Richmond Hill’ will join Rise Against on the bill.  Tickets for the launch party are priced at $26 in advance and are available through Ticketmaster, or they can also be purchased at the door for $28.

“With the event moving to Hamilton this year, and the participation of snow and skate superstar Shaun White, we’re expecting this year’s West 49 Canadian Open to be a big hit,” said Mark Taylor, vice president of event properties for IMG Canada.  “It’s fitting to have the weekend of World Cup Skateboard competition kick off with a great launch party with Rise Against and some other great acts.”

With the release this past summer of their fourth album, “The Sufferer & The Witness”, the Chicago-based Rise Against has been redefining punk rock’s rules and captivating both fans and critics.

The West 49 Canadian Open presented by Xbox, one of the premier stops on the World Cup Skateboarding Tour, features the sports top skateboarders competing for $75,000 US in prize money in the Billabong Street Course, Rail Rumble, and the KD Invitational Quarter-Pipe competitions.

White, one of the biggest names in the world of Action Sports, will compete in the KD Quarter-Pipe Pro Invitational ‘Highest Air’ competition on Saturday, September 30 at 1p.m.  White took home gold medals in the snowboard halfpipe at both the 2006 Winter Olympics and Winter X Games and recently won two ESPY Awards for “Best Olympian” and “Favourite Male Action Sports Athlete.”

Tickets for both the concert and the competition are currently on sale for the West 49 Canadian Open through Ticketmaster by calling (905) 546-7666 in Hamilton or (905) 481-4444 outside of Hamilton, or by visiting www.canadianopenskateboard.com or www.ticketmaster.ca