VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Winning its fourth Polartec Apex Design Award in three years, Westcomb, the Vancouver-based outdoor apparel manufacturer whose ‘True Form’ design philosophy dictates functional, uncomplicated gear of the highest quality, this month earned a 2008 APEX Design Award for its new Fusion HX Jacket.

The APEX Design awards are given by Polartec to the most innovative garments available to consumers for designed each year using Polartec fabrics. Style, function and fit are all criteria for choosing the winners.

In the Fusion HX Jacket, Westcomb combined Polartec Power Shield softshell on the shoulders and arms for weather protection, durability, stretch and breathability with Polartec Thermal Pro in the body for efficient insulation. Breathable and warm, the Fusion HX is a part of Westcomb’s Hybrid Line, which pairs softshell with hardshell technology or, in this case, with insulating fabric to create versatile outerwear for changing weather conditions.

The Fusion HX, which was designed by Westcomb founder Alan Yiu, works either as an exterior layer or as mid-layer insulation, offering a balance of warmth and weather protection. Clean design also means it transitions easily from the outdoors to around town. The Fusion HX retails for $225 U.S. and Canadian.

In past years, Westcomb won APEX Awards for its Recon IL Hoody, an insulated softshell, its Trailblazer pants, warm-weather softshell alpine pants, and its iRebel Hoody, which incorporates iPod controls into a WindPro jacket.

For more information about Westcomb, visit www.westcomb.com.

About Westcomb

Based in Vancouver, B.C., Westcomb uses its ‘True Form’ design philosophy to create functional, uncomplicated gear of the highest quality workmanship. Each and every Westcomb piece is a product of precision thinking, thoughtful design, extensive development and constant refinement. The company, founded in 2004, partners with the world’s leading material innovators to engineer technically advanced gear constructed with the most cutting-edge materials available – often creating industry ‘firsts’ in the process. All Westcomb garments are designed and built in Vancouver. This design philosophy and experience has garnered the company international accolades, including a 2008 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award, four APEX Design Awards from Polartec as well as an ISPO ‘Brand New’ award.

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BOULDER, Colo. – SCARPA’s new rock-climbing line continues to pull down the awards from North America’s top climbing magazines. This week, SCARPA won a 2008 Editor’s Choice Award from Climbing Magazine for its new precision shoe, the Techno, after winning a 2008 Best in Gear Award from Rock and Ice in recent month for its high-performance steep shoe, the Mago.

This year’s awards for SCARPA follow on the heels of winning both those awards last year as well – a Best in Gear Award from Rock and Ice for the Spectro, its performance edging shoe, and an Editor’s Choice from Climbing for the Mago. SCARPA and Climbing Line Manager Heinz Mariacher added to the line for 2008 with four new shoes, created a well-rounded line of 10 new rock shoes and five approach shoes designed by Mariacher between this year and last.

In this year’s award, Climbing called the Techno a “comfortable, high-performing trad shoe that can swing sport climbing too.”

Meanwhile, Rock and Ice said: “The Mago, designed by the genius cobbler Heinz Mariacher, performs well in every kind of face-climbing situation – granite slabs, limestone drips and tufas, and anything that requires advanced edging and heel or toe hooking. It’s also comfortable, a great candidate for the new wave of rope-stretching pitches that everyone seems to be getting after.”

For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.

About SCARPA and SCARPA North America

Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, climbing, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada.

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- Trebon First And Second In Deer Valley, While Simms, Wicks And Sneddon Sit In First In British Columbia -

KONAWORLD (JUNE 30, 2008) - First place is what every racer seeks when setting out to race and four Kona Factory Team riders felt that last weekend.

Adding another first-place finish to his June total, Ryan Trebon edged out Jeremiah Bishop for first place in the elite men’s  cross-country race last weekend at the fourth event in the National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) at the Kenda Deer Valley National in Park City, Utah.

“I’d take time on Jeremiah on the climbs and then he’d catch me on the descents,” says Trebon. “I feel really comfortable on this bike so I don’t have as big a deficit on the descents. But Jeremiah still was definitely going downhill faster.”

Trebon, who was racing on a 29er and finished with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes in the 52-racer field, followed-up his first-place finish with second-place on Sunday in the short track cross-country race. Trebon missed first by a mere four seconds finishing with a time of 23 minutes, 43 seconds. Geoff Kabush took first.

After two legs of the seven-day BC Bike Race from Victoria to Whistler, British Columbia, the team of Kona rider’s Barry Wicks and Kris Sneddon are currently sitting in first place overall with five more stages to go. Racing in the mixed team’s division, fellow Kona rider Wendy Simms and husband Norman Thibault are also in first place after two stages.

For updated information on the race check www.bcbikerace.com. 

- Canada-Based Performance Eyewear Company Supports Popular Multi-Day Mountain Bike Race From Victoria To Whistler -

NORTH VANCOUVER, Canada (June 24, 2008) – Ryders Eyewear, the premiere supplier of affordable, quality performance and lifestyle eyewear, will sponsor the world-class BC Bike Race which runs from June 28-July 4. In its second year, the seven-day, multi-stage mountain bike race from Victoria to Whistler, British Columbia, is touted as one of the most challenging races of its kind. It’s the type of event that mirrors Ryders Eyewear’s motto of “Ride for Real.”

“We are happy to sponsor this event since it reflects Ryders motto “Ride for Real,” says marketing coordinator Jenya  Draganov. “The Ryders brand appeals to athletes dedicated to their sport, and since this event is all about that we feel the exposure we gain from attending is vital.”

As a Gold Sponsor, Ryders Eyewear we will be providing its sunglasses to all the race participants and handing out lanyards for race IDs. Ryders Eyewear representatives will also be present at the event, along with event banners and an exhibition tent. Staying true to their motto, Ryders Eyewear CEO Brent Martin will be racing in this year’s event representing the Ryders team.

The BC Bike Race is much more than the challenge of the ride…it’s about everything experienced along the way. From spectacular scenery, fascinating culture and interesting people, the race is as much a social gathering as competitive event. The stages of the race wind through nine beautiful west coast communities, each showcasing unique qualities and elements that make British Columbia a world-class destination for athletes and adventurers.

For more information about the BC Bike Race and to follow participant’s progress check www.bcbikerace.com.

For more about Ryders Eyewear and their new Adrenaline and Chill Collections check www.ryderseyewear.com. 

About Ryders Eyewear:
Ryders Eyewear, based in adrenaline sport mecca North Vancouver, British Columbia, puts their backyard to good use testing the endurance and performance attributes of their eyewear products.  Ryders is the leader in the price point eyewear category, providing quality performance eyewear at an amazing value in the biking, wintersports, motorsports and lifestyle categories. For more information on Ryders Eyewear, visit www.ryderseyewear.com or contact Keith Cozzens at Base Camp Communications, kcozzens@basecampcomm.com or 307-734-7575.

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- Trebon Pedals To First At Crested Butte XC Race, While Moseley And Wicks Face World’s Best In Italy -

KONAWORLD (June 23, 2008) - Coming off two first-place finishes at the Oregon State Championships and Teva Mountain Games in the last three weeks, Kona Factory Team rider Ryan Trebon added another crown to his bag of medals after taking the cross-country title at the fourth Mountain States Cup event in Crested Butte, Colorado last weekend. While Trebon was cruising along in Colorado, fellow Factory Team members Tracy Moseley and Barry Wicks faced stiff competition at the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Cup races in Val Di Sole, Italy. 

Racing in the pro men’s division in the eighth annual Wildflower Rush Shimano XTR XC race at the Crested Butte  Mountain Resort, Trebon  took the 28-rider field by storm, winning the race with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes - nearly seven minutes ahead of the second-place rider. Pedaling on dry, buffed-out singletrack, the race featured three, 10-mile laps which covered a total of 5,400-vertical-feet of climbing. This was Trebon’s first Mountain States Cup race of the season.

Riding against some of the best cross-country and downhill riders in the world, Moseley and Wicks showed their racing dedication and desire at the World Cup races in Italy, but just came up short. With Italy hosting the World Cup event for the third time ever, Moseley, who was coming off a World Cup DH victory in Fort William, Great Britian two weeks ago, finished sixth last weekend after tackling a fast, technical course. After starting in the back of the pack in the XC race, Wicks slowly climbed into 30th place but was sidelined after suffering a costly flat tire which shattered his hopes of a better finish. Wicks took 56th place overall.

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- Performance Eyewear Company And Elite Arizona-Based Cycling Squad Join Forces For ’08 Season -

NORTH VANCOUVER, Canada (June 17, 2008) – Ryders Eyewear, the premiere supplier of affordable, quality performance and lifestyle eyewear, has joined forces with Arizona-based Elite/Masters cycling team RideClean. Ryders Eyewear’s sponsorship of the talented road biking squad for the 2008 season will include outfitting the team with new, signature model black Torque sunglasses with the RideClean logo etched on the lenses.    

Founded in January 2007 by the cycling families of Steve Lisa and Doug Loveday, RideClean’s positive mission is to create  a culture within cycling such that the united position or endorsement of the members of RideClean will hold significant weight, consequently influencing teams and athletes regarding sporting ethics. The team was born under the philosophy that a happy rider will perform better and more consistently than an unhappy one. RideClean stands on the platform that happiness is the best fuel, so team chemistry is the focus and politics are left aside. The RideClean family’s blood runs thick, a necessity when it comes time to put out 110% for your teammates.

So far this year, the RideClean team, which consists of approximately 20 riders, has claimed top-three finishes in all of the 14 races they have entered. Each member of the team will be wearing Ryders Eyewear Torque sunglasses which feature impact and scratch resistant Polycarbonate grey lenses that offer 100% UVA, UVB and UVC protection. The sunglasses also feature hydrophilic nose pads and temple tips for a supportive, comfortable fit.

“Ryders sponsorship helps defray equipment costs, allows the team to raise funds from the sale of co-branded items and increases visibility through co-branding of products,” says team manager Marty Ryerson.

For more information about the RideClean team check http://www.rideclean.net/5.4/index.php and http://www.ridecleanteam.com/.

For more about Ryders Eyewear and their new Adrenaline and Chill Collections check www.ryderseyewear.com.  

About Ryders Eyewear:
Ryders Eyewear, based in adrenaline sport mecca North Vancouver, British Columbia, puts their backyard to good use testing the endurance and performance attributes of their eyewear products.  Ryders is the leader in the price point eyewear category, providing quality performance eyewear at an amazing value in the biking, wintersports, motorsports and lifestyle categories. For more information on Ryders Eyewear, visit www.ryderseyewear.com or contact Keith Cozzens at Base Camp Communications, kcozzens@basecampcomm.com or 307-734-7575.

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- Simms, Trebon And Tonkin Find First-Place Podium In British Columbia And Oregon , While Sneddon Finishes Fifth -

KONAWORLD (June 16, 2008) - The backs of their stylish Kona Factory Team jerseys are all most competitors saw of elite racers Wendy Simms, Ryan Trebon and Erik Tonkin, as the threesome claimed three wins at races in British Columbia and Oregon last weekend. 

Racing in Squamish, B.C. at the North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal on Saturday, Simms smoked the 12-rider women’s  elite class mountain bike field registering a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes. Simms’ feat set a new course record, eclipsing the old mark of 3:10 set by Alison Sydor in 2005. More than 900 riders (another event record) competed on the technical 40-mile course which featured 2,000 vertical-feet of climbing on singletrack, gravel and paved roads through the Garibaldi Highlands. Fellow Kona Factory Team rider Kris Sneddon finished fifth in the 33-racer men’s elite class putting up a time of 2:43.

Adding two more first-place crowns to the weekend’s collection, Trebon and Tonkin each won races in Oregon . For Trebon, who was coming off a XC win at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado  two weeks ago, trading in his mountain bike for a road cycle was a smooth transition. Trebon won the Oregon State Championships road race in Rainier, Oregon , besting 38 riders for the impressive title.  Tonkin , who battled cramps for the last hour of his ride, took first by a slim one-minute margin in the Test of Endurance 50 mountain bike race posting a time of 3:48. The course featured a burly 7,500 feet of climbing.

For more information on Kona’s teams check www.konaworld.com.