Posted by Tess Cacciatore (172.169.108.73) on March 11, 2003 at 18:12:55:

March 10th, 2003

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

HOP-GO USA – launches its pilot program in America. HOP-GO, the great eSport for all is premiering in San Francisco for the month of April.

HOP-GO, currently the rage in Russia and spreading to over twenty countries around the world, is launching HOP-GO USA by conducting multi-cultural tournaments in San Francisco, CA to promote online tournaments and live events. Tens of thousands of people are already flocking to participate in weekly tournaments in various countries, while the trend is building to stadium level attendance to compete, interact with others from around the world and win cash prizes. This is the goal for bringing HOP-GO to America.

HOP-GO is a new lifestyle, which brings people of all ages, races and physical conditions together to compete in one sport. This is a time where one can participant in the sport competition, instead of just watching; which combines live tournaments and an online game. HOP-GO is a combination of a quiz show format, where the first round tests people’s knowledge of the world and promotes an appreciation of the diverse cultures and environments that we share; and a second round where the participants play a virtual car race, which is simple enough for those who are not as familiar with computers, and fun for the experts in the arena of online games. Once the winner is announced from each round, they proceed to the semi-final and final rounds throughout the stages of the tournament.
People of all ages have an equal chance to participate and become a champion, win cash, and give back to the community, by donating a portion of their winnings to a charity of their choice. These actions bridge communities, which offer unlimited opportunities for peace building initiatives, for the cross-diversity represented in the Bay Area.
The HOP-GO pilot program highlights a different culture at each event. Participants experience the dance, culture and food of other cultures, as well as the HOP-GO traditions of music and dance. One of the most important draws to HOP-GO is that the events are drug and alcohol free and the game is non-violent. This type of sport and online game is much needed in the world today.

The first event takes place on April 5th and every Saturday thereafter in April, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn at 1500 Van Ness in San Francisco. The cash prize for each event in April is $1,000.00. High energy activities are led by host Yury Rahubin, while the audience interacts with the game and experiences the lively expression of the Russian culture. The goal is to launch ongoing tournaments to be produced throughout the spring, ending with a Final Round Championship Tournament for a grand prize in cash, at a larger celebration at the end of June.

HOP-GO events are a great way for family, friends or members of organizations to come together and participate in activities as a community. The mission is to create a safe, friendly and energetic atmosphere, while playing online tournaments.

HOP-GO promotes health, fitness and well-being, and encourages children to get active in the sport instead of playing on a computer or watching television all day. With the growing number of youth who are considered to be over-weight in this country, HOP-GO invites the entire family to join in the fun. No more sitting for hours at a computer. Get up and dance, sing and enjoy the energy of the people, as you have the chance to play the HOP-GO challenge and win cash prizes.

HOP-GO is an easy and fun interactive experience for sports fans of all ages. Recently, in a pre-launch tournament in Glendale, CA, several rounds of the HOP-GO challenge brought a mother and her eleven year old daughter to the final round. The audience was filled with anticipation, as the family duo competed for the coveted First Prize trophy.

The winners feel like champions of the highest sports, as the audience is encouraged to cheer them on to win. Each week the winners get their name and picture posted on the website in the winner’s gallery, as well as interviews are conducted by the media to enhance their visibility as winners. They advance to the next tournament to compete in the various levels of the game throughout the end of 2003, building momentum and community fame for participation in the interactive HOP-GO Challenge television series to launch in 2004.

Entrance to all events in April is free, (a $30.00 value).

For more information, contact:

Tess Cacciatore
HOP-GO USA
Director of Media
415-609-0757

or

Al Marshall
Media Outreach – San Francisco Operations
415-867-3454