Dew Tour Set To Make First Visit To L.A., Return To Chicago For First Time Since '10

The Dew Tour this summer will hold its first event in L.A. and will return to Chicago for the first time since ’10. The '15 schedule, which will be formally announced this afternoon, also will include a winter sports competition in Breckenridge, Colo., for the eighth straight year. Dew Tour VP & GM Chris Stiepock said that the deals for both L.A. and Chicago are for one year and have been approximately eight months in the making. Choosing to venture into unchartered Southern California territory and to make a return trip to the Windy City was influenced by the tour’s decision to cut back on the breadth of its summer competitions, focusing solely on skateboarding and BMX in ‘15. “L.A. is the mecca of skateboarding," Stiepock said. "In essence, it will be a home game for the skateboarders, and the entire industry will be able to easily embrace the event because it’s in their backyard.” He added that the X Games’ departure from L.A. in ’14 allowed the Dew Tour to hold its own event in the region. Meanwhile, Chicago vaulted toward the top of the list of potential host cities with the opening of Grant Park Skate Plaza in December. “It’s a beautiful spot,” Stiepock said, “and the skaters themselves have been giving good reviews, so we’re looking forward to taking advantage of that.” The Dew Tour is cutting back from 13 days of action in '14 across four locations -- Ocean City, Md.; Portland, Ore.; Brooklyn and Breckenridge -- to nine days across three stops in ’15. Stiepock said the move will “enable more resources to be put toward the courses that we build, our marketing efforts, and the production of our digital and social content.” A crowd of 10,000-plus for each of the two days in Chicago is anticipated. Stiepock said he is "hopeful" for a similar turnout in L.A., though he admits the tour does not know what to expect.