Woodward co-Owner Gary Ream at Woodward BeijingCamp Woodward is the oldest and most prestigious action sports and youth lifestyle camp in the world with locations in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, California and Colorado. Beginning this Saturday that location list expands to Beijing, China.

Outdoor street course.Founded in 1970 as a gymnastics and cheerleading camp, Woodward has evolved to include skateboarding, BMX, snowboarding, skiing and surfing and serves as a preeminent training ground for top pros and Olympians. Beyond sports alone Woodward also offers youth lifestyle programs including music recording, urban dance, and digital arts (digital photography, video production and graphic design).

Indoor ramps and foam pit.

Located in the rural Daxing district Woodward Beijing is built on a four-star resort property converted into 410 acres of indoor and outdoor ramps and bowls, with a 32,000 square foot skate plaza as the centerpiece.

The expansion to China is a logical one as action sports continues to grown in popularity there. Chinese Olympic snowboarders performed well in Vancouver and ESPN recently signed a 3-year deal for the Asian X Games in Shanghai.

Indoor street course.

"Action sports in China have always been underground, without a great deal of direction or structure," says Neal Hendrix, pro skateboarder and Woodward Brand Manager. "Launching Woodward Beijing will allow the Chinese access to their own events, the best instructors, and some of the world's top visiting athletes."

For Gary Ream, Woodward Camp President, encouraging the market growth of youth lifestyle sports makes sense, particularly in a country with over 500 million people under the age of 25.

"Woodward Beijing provides an opportunity to inspire many young Chinese to discover the passion of lifestyle sports by bringing world-class athletes and facilities directly to them," he says. "We are excited to be a part of helping grow action sports in China and also help kids exercise their creativity through art forms such as music, videography, graphic arts and photography."

For more visit: http://www.woodwardbeijing.com/

DVS Skate Team at Woodward Beijing