The Muppets Get a Taste of the X Games

The Muppets Get a Taste of the X Games

Animal and Pepe the King Prawn Inspire Skateboarder Bucky Lasek to Expose His 'Inner Animal'

The X Games 11 Preview Show on All Access Will Air on ESPN2 on July 30 at 3:00 P.M. ET and August 2 at 3:00 P.M. ET.

BURBANK, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Muppet mayhem took over as Animal and Pepe the King Prawn tag-teamed with world-renowned skateboarder Bucky Lasek during his training for X Games 11 which will be held in Los Angeles, August 4-7.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050729/LAF026 )

As part of a special segment to air on All Access, a one-hour action sports magazine show that airs on ESPN2, the Muppets partner with X Games Skateboard Vert champion Lasek as he prepares to win a third straight gold medal in this year's competition. Pepe the King Prawn "snakes" the interview by insisting that the only way to stiff the competition and win a third straight gold medal is to learn how to release his inner animal. To do this, Pepe enlists the help of a special friend -- the Muppets very own Animal!

"Thanks to my new Muppet friends Animal and Pepe," said Lasek, "I've found a fresh perspective on the vert ramp which I hope will help bring me the gold again."

With some interesting coaching tips from Pepe and Animal, Bucky is able to perform a huge trick: a frontside heel flip gay twist. Pepe then makes his first-ever attempt to drop into the vert ramp.

"The X Games are a blend of incredible athleticism and energy and we are confident that Pepe and Animal will skate into the hearts of X Game fans," said Chris Curtin, general manager and executive vice president, The Muppets Holding Company, LLC.

"We are excited about including the Muppets in the X Games preview show on All Access," said Melissa Gullotti, ESPN X Games spokesperson. "The interaction between Bucky, our show host Sal Masekela and the Muppets was great. We are confident that they will be well-received by our viewers."

The X Games 11 Preview show on All Access will air on ESPN2 on July 30 at 3:00 p.m. ET and August 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

For additional information on the X Games, visit www.expn.com.

About The Muppets

The Muppets deliver smiles and laughter to the world through heartwarming characters and stories inspired by the art of puppetry. Led by Kermit the Frog, the Muppets are a broadly appealing global franchise built on 50 years of original, award-winning entertainment that includes 44 Emmy nominations, 6 feature films, and The Muppet Show which captured over 235 million weekly viewers worldwide. The Muppets are true celebrities, with Kermit the Frog having his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the past year, under the management of The Walt Disney Company, the Muppets have been embraced by millions of people as part of a global re-launch of the beloved franchise that will culminate in the release of significant filmed entertainment projects. The Muppets will kick off the worldwide celebration of Kermit the Frog's 50th anniversary later this year. Visit www.muppets.com for more news and information.

About Muppets Holding Company

The Muppets Holding Company, LLC (MHC) is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). MHC was established in April 2004 when The Walt Disney Company purchased the Muppets from The Jim Henson Company. MHC's mission is to ensure that this beloved, world-class brand franchise entertains audiences of all ages by leveraging Disney's best creative resources and worldwide distribution platforms. MHC plans to develop new content in all arenas, including television, feature films, music, stage plays and theme parks, and to enhance the Muppets global licensing and distribution presence.

About the X Games

ESPN X Games is the definitive annual action sports competition featuring more than 150 of the world's best athletes competing in: BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, Surfing and Wakeboard. X Games 11 will be held August 4-7 in Los Angeles and will air live on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. Its venues include STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Long Beach Marine Stadium for Wakeboard and Puerto Escondido, Mexico for Surfing. All competitions at STAPLES Center and The Home Depot Center are ticketed events, which can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. X Games will remain in Los Angeles through 2009.

Contact: Corie Jackson, Porter Novelli cjackson@porternovelli.com 310-444-7027

Melissa Gullotti, ESPN X Games melissa.c.gullotti@espn.com 860-766-7216

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050729/LAF026 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN1 PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Muppets Holding Company

CONTACT: Corie Jackson of Porter Novelli, +1-310-444-7027, cjackson@porternovelli.com, for Muppets Holding Company; or Melissa Gullotti of ESPN X Games, +1-860-766-7216, melissa.c.gullotti@espn.com

Web site: http://www.ticketmaster.com/

Web site: http://www.muppets.com/ http://www.expn.com/

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