Extreme Athlete Shaun Palmer to Honda

Palmer, crowned Action Sports Athlete of the Year at ESPN's ESPY Awards onMonday, February 12 is hailed by many as the "Extreme King of Extreme Sports."

Under the terms of the agreement, Palmer will promote Honda motorcycles anddisplay Honda logos on his snowboard and gear at the 2001 Winter X-Games. Inreturn, Honda Racing will provide Palmer with a factory-prepped CR motocrossbike to compete in Round 1 of the American Motorcyclist Association's (AMA)Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship at Glen Helen Raceway in SanBernardino, California on May 13th.

Palmer has won Winter X-Games events in snow boarding, mountain biking, extremeskiing, and wakeboarding. As a motocross racer, "The Palm" qualified for hisfirst AMA 125cc Supercross main event in 1999.

"There are a lot of great athletes out there. But all the great athletes areonly doing one sport. No one's trying what I'm trying," said Palmer.

Honda's association with Palmer is the latest example of a high-profile extremesports athlete promoting Honda motorcycles.Newly crowned ASP World Surfing Champion Sunny Garcia is also a member ofHonda's "Extreme Elite" athletes group, riding and promoting Honda CR motocrossbikes. Garcia has been riding a Honda CR125R for several years and has evenbuilt a Supercross track behind his North Shore house on the Hawaiian coast toincorporate motocross riding into his cross-training program.

Note: MO is trying to hook up with Palmer for a day filled with myriad forms of debauchery. Street bikes, motocross, mountain bikes and even a little snow boarding are on the itinerary. We're not promising anything, mind you, but it's something we're talking to Honda about putting together. We will keep you posted.