Press release:
Today, Street League Skateboarding (SLS) announces the appointment of Greg Jacobs as the league’s first-ever CEO as well as the promotion of current SLS President, Brian Atlas, to COO. Both executive roles will lead the company into the next significant phase of growth, continuing to deliver the most elevated competitive professional street skateboarding in the history of the sport. Launched by pro skateboarder and entrepreneur Rob Dyrdek in 2010, this announcement is the latest in a host of partnership and positioning moves made by SLS over the last 12 months, establishing a global qualification structure of amateur-to-professional progression that leads to the street skateboarding competition that matters the most: the SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship.
As part of Dyrdek’s long-term vision for the growth of the League, he continues to trust in Atlas to develop the business strategy and build a team of the right players whose passion for skateboarding and entertainment, as well as their previous accomplishments, are in the same entrepreneurial spirit as Dyrdek’s. “Street League has come a long way and we can only continue the success by hiring talented staff who will take us to the next level,” says SLS Founder and Chairman Rob Dyrdek. “Brian and Greg are a dream team of executives who I fully trust to keep the core of our business centered on growing skateboarding globally through live events, always-on content and an innovative media strategy.”
Street League is on the fast track for global expansion, creating strategic partnerships that will support the already established media-driven business and contribute to building a global ecosystem for street skateboarding contests. In 2015, SLS began a long-term partnership with Skatepark of Tampa to develop respected qualifying events that ensure a continued influx of new talent via the Tampa Pro, Tampa Am and Damn Am Select Series, with the latter two ultimately leading to the SLS Nike SB Pro Open. Preceding the Tour in a new country each year, the SLS Nike SB Pro Open also acts as a feeder event for the best international non-SLS Pros, taking place at purpose-built, permanent skate plazas that remain in place to invigorate the local scene and create the opportunity for future SLS events to return and re-energize the local skateboard community. This year’s SLS Nike SB Pro Open will kick off the season in Barcelona, Spain, as the first-ever independent international event in SLS history before heading into the 2015 SLS Nike SB World Tour.
SLS offers options for fans across the world to tune in and watch skateboarding’s most prestigious competition series. Fans in the United States can watch the 2015 SLS Nike SB World Tour on FOX Sports 1 and customers of participating cable and satellite TV providers may access the live stream of the Tour stops through the FOX Sports GO app for iOS, Android, Windows and Kindle devices, as well as on desktops throughFOXSportsGO.com. International fans can catch the official LIVE webcast exclusively on StreetLeague.com.
SLS NIKE SB WORLD TOUR DATES AND VENUES:
• May 16–17   SLS Nike SB Pro Open | Skate Agora BDN I Barcelona, Spain
• July 11         SLS Nike SB World Tour: Stop One | Galen Center at USC | Los Angeles, CA
• August 23     SLS Nike SB World Tour: Stop Two | Prudential Center | Newark, NJ
• October 4     SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship | UIC Pavilion | Chicago, IL
FOX SPORTS 1 TELECAST SCHEDULE:
2015 SLS Nike SB Pro Open Kick-Off Special: Thursday, May 28 (8:00 PM ET– 9:30 PM ET)
2015 SLS Nike SB World Tour: Los Angeles: LIVE: Saturday, July 11 (10 PM ET – 11:30 PM ET)
2015 SLS Nike SB World Tour: New Jersey: LIVE: Sunday, August 23 (5 PM ET – 6:30 PM ET)
2015 SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship: LIVE: Sunday, October 4 (5 PM ET – 7 PM ET)
