Extreme Sport: X-Air event shifting to Wellington

One of Hamilton's biggest sporting events that attracts thousands of people and brings more than $1 million into the city is set to move to Wellington.

X-Air extreme sport organiser Mark Wright said he would not make a final decision about the city switch until next month, but the move was all but final.

"It's highly likely it (X-Air) will go to Wellington. For the event to evolve, Wellington is where I would like to move it," he said.

A study commissioned for Hamilton City Council in 2003 showed the two-day wakeboarding, skateboarding, in-line skating, BMX, and freestyle motocross event earned the city $1.39 million -- $150,000 more than the All Blacks test against Italy at Waikato Stadium.

Council communications and marketing general manager Philip Burton said it would be very disappointed to lose X-Air.

Burton said the council would contact Wright and do everything it could to keep it in the city.

The council has sponsored the event for five years and Burton said it was likely that would continue because of its significance to the city.

He estimated the council spent up to $60,000 on the event each year.

Wright said X-Air in Hamilton had run its course because it couldn't grow without additional funding or public interest.

He said he didn't know what the Hamilton City Council or community could do to keep the event in Hamilton.

"There is something that would keep it in Hamilton, but I'm not sure what it is...it's not just money," he said.

- NZPA