Gatorade Steps Up as Free Flow Tour Sponsor
March 26, 2009 – 12:27 pm PT by GregTags: Alli, Chaz Ortiz, Dew Tour, Free Flow Tour —
Gatorade is continuing its push into action sports by signing on as the title sponsor of the the amateur Free Flow Tour, part of Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports. The deal, which was announced earlier this week, expands the FFT beyond the skate/BMX summer tour that has existed since 2005 with the planned launch of a Winter Free Flow Tour that will feature snowboarding and freeskiing.
As part of the new deal, Gatorade and Alli will partner with FuelTV for three half-hours shows about the Free Flow Tour. No specific details have been released about the subject of the shows.
The Free Flow tour features nearly 50 stops across the country each summer with the overall winner in the different skateboarding and BMX disciplines earning a spot in Dew Tour’s final event in Orlando. Previous Free Flow tour winners include David Loy and Chaz Ortiz in skate park and Mike Spinner in BMX Park. Ortiz was also signed on as one of Gatorade’s first-ever action sports athletes earlier this year.
For more about the deal, keep reading for the official release…
ALLI ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GATORADE AS TITLE SPONSOR OF ENHANCED FREE FLOW TOUR AMATEUR SERIES
Partnership includes unparalleled grassroots programming, launch of Gatorade Winter Free Flow Tour in January 2010 and FUEL TV content deal
Burr Ridge, Ill. – March 23, 2009 – Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, today announced Gatorade has signed on as the title sponsor for the Free Flow Tour. Gatorade will support the summer Free Flow Tour series as well as the soon-to-be-launched amateur snowboard and freeski series.
In the coming months, Gatorade will work hand-in-hand with local skateparks and skate and BMX shops to elevate activation at the close to 50 Free Flow Tour summer events, which will enhance the overall experience for participating riders at each stop along the Tour. Gatorade will also implement a legacy program at each skatepark as part of this grassroots effort.
In addition to the grassroots program and Tour-wide entitlement and category rights, Gatorade and Alli have partnered with FUEL TV on a Gatorade Free Flow Tour content play. Alli and Gatorade will create three original half-hour programs across summer and winter to air on FUEL TV, and FUEL TV will provide exposure and promotion across their network and online platform.
“The Free Flow Tour is as important as anything we are doing at Alli; we are providing amateur athletes an ascension path to the pros and identifying the rising stars of action sports,” said Wade Martin, CEO of Alli. “Gatorade is the ideal partner to support the growth of action sports and elevate the Gatorade Free Flow Tour to the next level.”
“Supporting action sports at a grassroots and amateur level is where we want to make a mark in this space,” said Jeff Urban, senior vice president of sports marketing for Gatorade. “The Free Flow Tour is an amazing platform for talented young riders to use as a launching pad to the next level.”
Gatorade sponsors three action sports athletes: skateboarder Chaz Ortiz, snowboarder Ellery Hollingsworth and BMX rider Nigel Sylvester. The Free Flow Tour partnership is a marquee element of Gatorade’s larger brand presence in action sports.
“My pro skating career got a jump start from the Free Flow Tour,” said Chaz Ortiz, 2007 Free Flow Tour Skate Park champion and 2008 Skate Park Dew Cup champion. “It’s great Gatorade is joining with the Free Flow Tour to support the growth of action sports and provide kids with a path to achieve their dreams of being a pro athlete.”
Also launching will be the Gatorade Free Flow Tour website, which joins the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, King of Wake, Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship and Maloof Money Cup within the Allisports.com family of sites. The Free Flow Tour website will include up-to-date information on upcoming Free Flow Tour events and results as well as video highlights and original programming from both summer and winter events.
The Free Flow Tour is the official amateur series of the Dew Tour and the Winter Dew Tour and provides amateur athletes the prospect of professional sponsorship and recognition by the pros. Previous Free Flow Tour winners include reigning skate park Dew Cup champion Ortiz, who is now among the professional ranks, and pro BMX park rider Mike Spinner, who finished the Dew Tour ranked second overall in 2007 and ‘08.
