This afternoon, we got the following press release.
NA Elite wrote:
HOKA ONE ONE SIGNS ON AS TITLE SPONSOR OF NORTHERN ARIZONA ELITE
FLAGSTAFF (AZ), -- February 6, 2015 -- HOKA ONE ONE®, a division of Deckers Brands (NYSE: DECK), has announced that it has signed on to become the title sponsor of Northern Arizona Elite, a professional distance running team based in Flagstaff, Ariz.
The team sponsorship includes all seven current NAZ Elite athletes including 8:19 steeplechaser Ben Bruce, 2:29 marathoner Stephanie Bruce, 1:01 half marathoner Matt Llano and 2:28 marathoner Kellyn Taylor.
“HOKA ONE ONE is proud to be the sponsor of Northern Arizona Elite. Ben Rosario has assembled a fantastic group of distance runners in Flagstaff, and we believe that the athletes in the program will be making podiums for many years to come," said Jim Van Dine, President, HOKA ONE ONE. "We are also thrilled to have their athletes be an integral part of helping us develop world-class road racing shoes, which we expect to have available to runners in 2016."
The NAZ Elite team was hugely successful in 2014, producing 15 USA Championship top ten performances, 11 top fives, a 1:01 men’s half marathon, two sub 15:25 women’s 5ks and two National Titles. Last month, Kellyn Taylor kicked off 2015 by running the sixth-fastest ever American debut in the marathon with her 2:28:40 at the Chevron Houston Marathon.
Rosario, NAZ Elite's head coach, said signing with HOKA is the next step to accomplishing the team’s goals.
“We want to be the most recognizable team in the country both from a performance and marketability standpoint,” Rosario said. “Signing with HOKA puts us in a position to do that.”
The HOKA/NAZ Elite partnership will allow the team’s athletes to have access to everything they need to reach their goals. Matt Llano said he and his teammates are thrilled to be ambassadors for the HOKA brand.
“First of all we love the [HOKA] shoes and we love the people there,” Llano said. “We are a very driven group of athletes and it is exciting to be partnering with a company that believes in us and what we’re doing.”
About HOKA ONE ONE
HOKA ONE ONE is the fastest growing, premium running shoe brand in the world. Two life-long runners launched HOKA in 2009, after years spent handcrafting and shaping lightweight shoes with extra-thick midsoles. Initially embraced by ultrarunners because of their enhanced cushioning and inherent stability, HOKA now offers shoes for all types of runners who enjoy the unique ride the shoes provide. For more information, visit
www.hokaoneone.com.
About Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Deckers Outdoor Corporation is a global leader in designing, marketing and distributing innovative footwear, apparel and accessories developed for both everyday casual lifestyle use and high performance activities. The Company’s portfolio of brands includes UGG®, Teva®, Sanuk®, TSUBO®, Ahnu®, MOZO®, and HOKA ONE ONE®. Deckers Outdoor products are sold in more than 50 countries and territories through select department and specialty stores, 126 Company-owned and operated retail stores, and select online stores, including Company-owned websites. Deckers Outdoor has a 40-year history of building niche footwear brands into lifestyle market leaders attracting millions of loyal consumers globally. For more information, please visit
www.deckers.com.
About Northern Arizona Elite
Northern Arizona Elite is a professional sports team whose mission is to recruit, develop and produce distance runners to compete at the very highest level of international athletics. The group's aim is to create a global fan base for the team and its athletes through comprehensive and ongoing marketing efforts on a local, national and international level.
To learn more visit
www.nazelite.com.
When reached via email, Northern Arizona Elite founder and head coach Ben Rosario called the deal "a game changer" and said it puts them "on par with Hansons-Brooks and the Asics Mammoth Track Club."