Amounting to a hill of dirt

Mike Sciacca

With all the construction going on along the stretch of Pacific

Coast Highway between Downtown and Beach Boulevard, it might be easy

to pass off the gigantic hill of dirt in the parking lot just north

of the pier as part of that work-in-progress.

If you take a closer look, though, you’ll notice that the pile has

a purpose.

Beginning on Friday near the pier, the Core Tour will touch down

in Surf City.

The Core Tour is a “gravity-defying sports competition” that is

wrapping up its nationwide circuit in Huntington Beach, said Brian

Gass, one of the tour’s partners and its manager.

Skateboarding, inline skating, BMX and mountain boarding are the

focus of the Core Tour, which also hosts interactive booths and will

have live bands perform at the Panasonic E-Ware sound stage erected

at Pier Plaza.

“This is a great event for everyone to come out and see,” Gass

said. “We have competitions not only featuring some of the top skill

level athletes in their respective sports, but also amateurs who will

get the chance to compete side-by-side with these professionals.”

“Then there’s the dirt -- and a lot of it.”

Gass said that an aggressive street course, launch ramp and an

80-ton BMX dirt jump course will be erected in the parking lot north

of the pier.

Some of the top athletes in what Gass calls the “alternative

sports world,” will be competing in Huntington Beach, including

several professionals and amateurs from here.

Among those competing is pro Shaun Butler of Surf City, a BMX

rider whose discipline is dirt jumping.

The Core Tour, Gass said, is the only tour to offer an amateur

competition, which is included as part of Saturday’s schedule. On

Sunday the pros take center stage as well as the amateur

skateboarding contest and All-Girls Skate Jam.

Competition begins at 9 a.m. both days.

The Core Tour is in its second year of existence and it’s the

fifth year that Gass has helped stage an action sports tour.

“Two years ago we brought a dirt-jumping competition to Huntington

Beach in conjunction with the U.S. Open of Surfing,” he explained.

“We have since taken the dirt and inline element and combined the two

to form the current Core Tour.”

Competitors will be vying for more than $100,000 in cash and

prizes.