Sky Ute Casino Resort to host the WPBA September 16

Sky Ute Casino Resort to host the WPBA September 16 – 20, 2009

On July - 9 - 2009

Ignacio, CO— The Southern Ute Indian Tribe in conjunction with Sky Ute Casino Resort are pleased to announce that the Casino/Resort will be hosting the Women’s Professional Billiards Association’s Colorado Classic September 16 – 20, 2009 that will be filmed to air October 18th, 2009 on ESPN. The competitive field will be made of 45 WPBA Exempt Professionals for 2009 with the remaining spots going to qualifiers and invited players.

th, 2009. The preliminary rounds of tournament play begin Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am and run through Saturday night, when the field will be narrowed down to four players for the taping of the two semi-finals and final match on Sunday. Tickets will go on sale August 1st, 2009, check www.skyutecasino..com or visit www.wpba.com for updates.

The WPBA Merchandise Booth will have signed photos and tour posters available, there will be Cuetec Cues for raffle, a premium one of a kind set of Aramith Pro-Cup TV Billiard Balls, signed by the top 16 will be auctioned off prior to the finals and finally, the set of Billiard Balls used for the finals will be signed by the two Finalists and also auctioned off. On behalf of the WPBA Organization, Staff and Players, we look forward to our first year of many at The Colorado Classic. In addition, spectators will have the opportunity to sign up for the WPBA’s Play for Fun Sweepstakes – One lucky fan will win a Brunswick Game room package valued at over $10,000! See

www.wpba.com for more details.

About Sky Ute Casino & Resort:

The new site includes a 45,000 square foot casino hosting hundreds of slot machines, blackjack tables, 3-card poker tables, crap tables, roulette and an exclusive private poker room. There is also a 200-seat Bingo hall, a 24-lane bowling center, a miniature golf course, a multiple of restaurants, and administrative offices. Built within the Casino/Resort is an 18,000 square foot ballroom designed to host conferences as well as a variety of live sporting and entertainment events. The ballroom can accommodate up to 1,800 seated persons. Also available are three separate meeting breakout rooms designed for a variety of events.

The Casino/Resort is built in conjunction with a 140-room luxury hotel; including an indoor pool, several retail spaces, a small fitness center, and a salon/day spa.

It has been the goal of both the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Sky Ute Casino Resort to incorporate as much Southern Ute Culture into the new facility as space will allow. Both locals and visitors alike are exposed to a wide variety of Native American Art blending in with the architectural concepts throughout the complex.

The WPBA owes many thanks to our friends at The Sky Ute Casino for their support of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association. Thanks to our Sponsors – The American Poolplayers Association, Aramith, Brunswick Billiards, Cuetec Cues, Iwan Simonis, Inc., Mueller Recreational Products and PoolDawg.com.

Thanks to the WPBA’s Presenting Sponsor for Web Streaming 2009, Pooldawg.com, the WPBA and Sky Ute will offer live, free web streaming of one match per round during the non-televised portion of during the Colorado Classic. It was a huge success at the San Diego and Great Lakes Classic events, where featured players included Allison Fisher, Ga Young Kim and Kelly Fisher, Gerda Hofstatter, Jasmin Ouschan, Xiaoting Pan and Karen Corr.

This event caps-off an exciting time for the Casino/Resort as the one year anniversary of the brand new facility nears. “As the General Manager/COO of Sky Ute Casino Resort, I could not be more pleased to be hosting a WPBA event. I am excited to bring professional billiards to the Four Corners region and I know our customers and guests are looking forward to it as well. Since we are in a rural region, being able to host a WPBA event is a huge deal not only for us, but the entire community. Our brand new facility creates the perfect environment from which to host an event of this magnitude,‖ says Matt Olin.

Anne Craig, WPBA Event Administrator, echoes Mr. Olin’s sentiments, ―It’s been quite a few years since the WPBA has had a Professional Tournament in this region and we are excited to bring our Classic Tour to such a fantastic facility and the beautiful surroundings that Sky Ute Casino Resort provides. Our players are looking forward to the hospitality that Sky Ute Casino Resort offers and bring top notch competition to Ignacio and the surrounding communities.‖

The Sky Ute Casino in conjunction with the WPBA will have a Charity Pro-Am benefiting their ―Peaceful Spirit‖ Charity, which offers substance abuse treatment options for young persons, on Wednesday, September 16