Old Spitalfields Market Secures Major International Skateboard Event

Old Spitalfields Market’s events team are celebrating, following the announcement that an internationally renowned skateboarding competition has chosen the iconic London venue to host its 2011 event.

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Called the Vans Downtown Showdown, the competition takes place on the 20th August 2011 and will see twelve of the best skate teams gather from throughout Europe for a chance to take part on specially constructed obstacles in the market hall and the adjacent Brushfield Street.

A spokesperson for Vans marketing department, said:  “Vans is incredibly excited to be taking our European Flagship Skateboarding event, the Vans Downtown Showdown to London. We are looking forward to making the event happen in such a unique and historic location such as Old Spitalfields Market.”

Ellie Barnatt, events manager at Old Spitalfields Market added: “To secure this booking is a real coup – not just for us at Old Spitalfields Market, but for London as a whole as it will be one of the year’s biggest, free sporting events.”

“Previously, the event has been held in cities such as Torino and Hamburg and we are honoured to be welcoming the organisers, the teams and skateboarding fans into this historic setting.”

Beckie Crane, Marketing Manager for the Major Events Team at London & Partners added:
“We’re really excited to welcome Vans Downtown Showdown, the world-class street skateboarding event to London.  It embodies everything that London looks for in an event, it’s cool, quirky, exciting and unique.  Old Spitalfields Market provides the perfect backdrop for the world’s best skaters, with the right balance of history and creativity.  London & Partners are delighted to be working with Vans to bring this event to London for the first time and hope that it will become a permanent fixture on our diverse events calendar.”

With some of the top brands in skateboarding already confirmed, pros from the likes of Death Skateboards, Element Europe, Antiz, Superdead, Cliché, Blind Europe, Blueprint and many more will be competing for the combined prize fund of 50,000 Euros.

The Vans Downtown Showdown concept was created for skaters by skaters and has been running globally for the last six years, each time creating unique off-the-wall ideas to be skated. The event’s organisers intend that the ramps and obstacles created for the contest will have a lasting legacy within the borough of Tower Hamlets.

This event is one of many recent event organisers that have chosen Old Spitalfields Market’s historic market hall as a venue. For further information, please visit: www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/venue

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London Events | Spitalfields Market | London Venue Hire

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