Baltimore Sun

The Dew Tour will not return to Baltimore this summer, the Maryland Stadium Authority announced this morning.

The action sports tour, which features skateboarding, BMX and other extreme sports, kicked off in Baltimore in 2007 and 2008 and was expected to return this year.

Instead, the Dew Tour will begin its schedule in Chicago in late June and will also make its Boston debut in late July.

Stadium authority director Michael Frenz said he was surprised to receive the news on Friday afternoon. He had expected the tour back, despite the difficulty of finding a weekend that would not conflict with the Orioles home schedule.

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The Dew Tour will run primarily in arenas instead of using the massive outdoor set-up that was required at Camden Yards, he said.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed, because it was a different type of event for us,” Frenz said. “But they’re a business and they have to do what they think is best for them. They would be welcome back.”

The event attracted 52,502 spectators last year, down from 54,907 in 2007 but still a strong figure according to tour officials. City leaders estimated that the Dew Tour brought about $10 million in economic impact to Baltimore.

The tour and the authority seemed eager to continue the partnership in 2009.