Wendy’s Invitational Starts Tomorrow at Portland’s Rose Quarter

The Dew Tour returns to Portland, Ore. for the sixth consecutive year for the Wendy’s Invitational, August 12-15 at the Rose Quarter. Neon Trees and Paper Tongues will co-headline the MTV2 Rock N Jock Concert Series at the Rose Quarter on Friday, August 13 from 9:00-11:00pm. Grounds Pass tickets are now available for just $15.

The Wendy’s Invitational will kick-off this Friday with BMX Dirt Finals followed by a concert with Neon Trees and Paper Tongues. Saturday will feature Skate Park Finals and BMX Vert Finals. The weekend will conclude on Sunday with Shaun White and the Skate Vert Finals, BMX Park Finals and freestyle motocross will complete the day with a step-up and best whip competition.

The star-studded field of athletes competing in this weekend’s Dew Tour Wendy’s Invitational includes reigning Dew Cup champions, Olympic gold medalists and X Games 16 gold medalists.

Among them are skate vert athlete Shaun White, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, summer and winter Dew Cup champ and X Games gold medalist. He’ll be up against Pierre-Luc Gagnon, the ’08 Dew Cup champion, X Games 16 gold medalist and Maloof Money Cup champ.

In skate park, Ryan Sheckler will be drawing some eyes at the three-time Dew Cup champion and X Games 16 gold medalist.

For BMX park, Garrett Reynolds is the defending Dew Cup champion and recent X Games gold medalist. Legendary BMX’er Dave Mirra will be competing against him, and he finished second in last season’s Dew Cup standings.

A double threat in the BMX competition is 15-year-old Brett Banasiewicz, who competes in park and dirt and won last month’s Nike 6.0 BMX Open dirt event.

In skate vert, White and Gagnon with battle it out with vert veterans Bucky Lasek, Bob Burnquist, Sandro Dias and Andy Macdonald. In park, Sheckler will look to secure a win against the likes of Greg Lutzka, Paul Rodriguez and Chaz Ortiz.

Reynolds hopes to take home the Dew Cup again in 2010 and will compete against comeback-kid Mike Spinner, veteran Mirra and fellow X Games 16 gold medalist in BMX park Daniel Dhers.

Out on the dirt course, 2009 BMX Dirt Dew Cup Champion Ryan Nyquist is set to face Dennis Enarson, TJ Ellis, and rising star Banasiewicz. Banasiewicz has been dominating the BMX scene in both park and dirt since his Dew Tour debut in 2009.

In BMX vert, Jamie Bestwick is ready for a six-peat after holding onto the longest winning streak in Dew Tour history.

For more information on the Wendy’s Invitational, click here. For ticketing, click here.