Burlington, VT — Luis Calderin, principal of OKAY!!OKAY!! (a full service boutique marketing & design agency), is excited to announce his participation once again in the renowned ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 6, 2011.  Calderin was asked to join Team Stoked two years ago, which is the division of runners for Stoked Mentoring. The non-profit organization, co-founded in 2005 by Sal Masekela, X Games Host, and Steve Larosiliere, Huffington Post blogger, began with the mission to promote personal development, academic achievement, positive relationships and healthy living to under-served youth through action sports and mentoring. Stoked was created on the belief that at-risk and disadvantaged youth can prosper and grow by learning life lessons and skills through the teaching of action sports.

For the fourth consecutive year, Stoked has been selected as an official charity partner of the ING New York City Marathon.  Each runner is asked to raise a minimum of $2,750 for Stoked, which will directly support their program funding and operational development.

“I see myself in these kids, and I believe in this program.  I know the value that action sports can have for kids through my personal experience growing up, and as a father of two,” says Calderin.  “This will be my second time running the NYC Marathon and I never would have considered doing anything like this before last year. It’s changed everything about my life, and I’m really excited to be able to come back and do it again for the kids of Stoked, who have also had their lives changed by that amazing program.”

The 26.2-mile ING New York City Marathon is considered one of the world’s greatest road races since its inauguration in 1970.  The race draws over 40,000 participants annually, crossing five bridges and finishing at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.  The race is cheered on by two million spectators and watched by 315 million television viewers worldwide.

All of the money that Team Stoked raises will directly support Stoked Mentoring’s skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding programs.  Calderin hopes to raise more than the minimum $2,750 through his fundraising website.  Tune into Calderin's blog for updates.

Los Angeles, CA – Cult riders Dakota Roche and Chase Hawk arrived at X Games 17 ready to ride.  Roche and Hawk competed in the BMX Freestyle Street and BMX Freestyle Park disciplines, taking home the rights to third and fourth place, respectively.

Dakota Roche’s riding earned him his second X Games medal, having taken home the first earlier this year at X Games Asia.  During his first run in the final heat, Roche had a hard fall that led him to land chest-first on the corner of a concrete ledge and knocked him to the ground for an anxious few moments.  Friends, family, and spectators could not have been more excited to see Roche resume his place in the line-up and continue to showcase progressive tricks with signature laid-back style.

"It is amazing to be able to ride and compete with the best and have all my family and friends watching,” says Roche.  “I grew up in Huntington Beach, so this has a good hometown feeling.  Coming back from that crash and placing was huge for me.  I couldn’t be more stoked."

Chase Hawk competed in a handful of highly competitive heats before qualifying for BMX Freestyle Park finals, but Hawk made himself a strong contender early on with huge transfers and a stylish bag of tricks that he used to tackle each element of the diverse course.

Intense afternoon sun introduced itself as a factor during round one elimination on Saturday, and competitors began trading off ‘easy’ runs with the real ones in order to conserve energy.  At the end of the day, it was riders Dhers, Enarson, and Cranmer that won the medals, with Hawk coming in at 4^th.

“I’m so excited for Dakota and Chase.  They put everything they had into riding this week and they absolutely killed it.  They really made the Cult Crew proud.”  says Robbie Morales, founder of Cult.

Our good friends CVLT teamed up with the infamous Vans Shoes for the sickest collaboration yet. Due to release July 1st are two pairs of shoes and a WaffleGrip combining both the heritage of Vans and CVLT original artwork. But first, make sure to check out their collaboration video along with recap video of their 10 day "See You in the End" roadtrip that the two teams took through the streets, parks, and pools of Norcal.

For more info and photos visit the Vans x CVLT website.

Burlington, VT- BTV Bike Polo will be hosting The Last Stand (again) as a final call-out for support before their court is torn down at the end of summer as part of the new Waterfront North development. The bike polo crew is in their fourth season of regular pickup at the waterfront rink: “The end is near!” laments Liam Griffin, a member of the BTV bike polo crew. “This is not like that guy who predicted the world will end… our court will be torn down this summer and we need your support for this last event.” Bike polo has become a weekly event that players look forward to and plan around, attracting 15-20 players each Sunday and Wednesday.

Don’t miss out on The Last Stand (again) Bike Polo Tournament July 9^th & 10^th at the Burlington waterfront. It’s your last chance to watch or even participate in this action-packed, unique fusion of polo and biking before the court is torn down later this summer. Join the fundraising kickoff to raise awareness and support for the hopeful construction of a new court in the future. So far, teams have confirmed from Ottawa, Boston, NYC, Toronto, Philadelphia, Montreal, and of course, Burlington.

If you’re interested in signing up for the tournament, stop by on Friday, July 8^th to register and play some pickup. For those who’d rather dance than play bike polo, you can still support the event by stopping by the Monkey House for live music on opening day. On Saturday, July 9^th, the tournament begins with a round robin, which will determine the final brackets. Saturday evening, local café Maglianero will host an après polo event for all the competitors. Sunday, July 10^th marks the tournament finale, with the top 8 teams in double-elimination format. See the facebook event for more information on the schedule.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2011 MegaRamp Championship Series Debuts at Woodward West on June 9th
Top skateboarding and BMX stars converge for the MegaRamp Open contest.

Tehachapi, CA -This summer marks the first in a new and exciting contest series, unlike any before it.

The 2011 MegaRamp Open at Woodward West, taking place on June 9th, is the first event of the inaugural season of the MegaRamp Championship Series.

Many of the world's top MegaRamp riders will converge at Woodward West for the first full-sized MegaRamp event of 2011. Athletes confirmed to attend include: current reigning (2007-2010) MegaRamp skateboard world champion Bob Burnquist (BRA), X Games double gold medalist Jake Brown (AUS), Andy MacDonald (USA), Adam Taylor (USA), and Lincoln Ueda.  From BMX, look for Andy Buckworth (AUS) Vince Byron (AUS), Zack Warden (USA) Morgan Wade (USA) and Austin Coleman (USA) to name a few.  Judges include skateboard legends Danny Way, Christian Hosoi and BMX star Kevin Robinson.

The event is open to both pros and top ams and spectators are welcome to attend.  The contest will be judged during a jam format in which athletes will drop nine stories, jump a 70 ft gap, land at 45mph and then ride the 27 ft high quarter pipe to spin 50 feet in the air. MegaRamp athletes redefine what's possible on a skateboard and a BMX bike.

The MegaRamp Championship Series features four contests taking place on full sized MegaRamp structures. Athletes collect scores based on their results at each stop. The athlete with the highest overall scores from each of skateboarding and BMX will be crowned the overall winner of the MegaRamp Champion Series in their sport.

2011 MegaRamp Championship Series

June 9th
MegaRamp Open at Woodward West
Woodward West
Tehachapi, CA

July 1st-3rd
NescauMegaRampa Invitational
Sambadromo
Sao Paulo, Brasil

July 28th-31st
X Games (Invitational)*
Staples Center
Los Angeles, CA

*ESPN/ X Games does not endorse and is not affiliated with the MegaRamp Championship Series

September TBD
Bob’s Backyard Invitational
Burnquist Residence
Vista, CA

Woodward West is the west coast's premiere action sports and gymnastics camp and is located at 5,000 feet in the hills of Tehachapi, California. It is home to the only permanent full-sized MegaRamp training facility, and is the second permanent full-sized MegaRamp structure in the world (the other being in Bob Burnquist's famous backyard in Vista California).

To watch the official video for the event visit:  www.megarampopen.com

About MegaRamp The MegaRamp structure is the brainchild of Danny Way and was unveiled to the world in The DC Shoes Video in 2004. The first MegaRamp skateboarding contest debuted at the X Games in 2004 with the BMX event following in 2006.  The world’s best athletes ride MegaRamp structures and continually push the boundaries of athletic excellence. MegaRamp is a registered trademark of MegaRamp Events LLC who controls rights in all things MegaRamp.  MegaRamp Productions produces MegaRamp live events.  For more information visit: www.megaramp.com

About Woodward West
Woodward West opened in the summer of 2003 in Tehachapi, California, approximately two hours north of Los Angeles. Woodward West hosts thousands of aspiring action sport, gymnastics, and cheer athletes from around the world. The guests include current and future Olympians, and some of the most recognizable names in action sports including many X Games medalists. Woodward West offers weekly summer camp programs in gymnastics, cheer, skateboarding, BMX freestyle, inline skating, freeride mountain bike, and video production for kids 7 to 17.   For more information visit: www.woodwardwest.com

For press inquiries, contact: OKAY!! OKAY!! and Jardine Hammond at jardineh@gmail.com, (760) 576-9645

Malibu, CA-   The Oakley Tour, presented by Continental Tires, Snowball Run featuring Cisco Adler & The Pigeons, Shwayze, and Chris Young The Rapper is underway making stops at top winter destinations throughout the Northwest. The tour will make its way through the snowy season’s most exciting locations such as Park City, Utah, home to the renowned Sundance Film Festival, where the music video/mini-movie for Cisco Adler’s “Song For All The Girls” will premiere.  There will also be a performance in the midst of the X Games in Aspen, Colorado.

“I created The Snowball Run to showcase the talent and personalities of the artists on Bananabeat Records. With Oakley and Continental Tires we are also demonstrating our new model for the record business based on brand alliances and organic sponsorship. We hope to grow this into an annual event with entries from all walks of entertainment and action sports.” said Cisco Adler.

For Cisco Adler & The Pigeons the tour marks an opportunity for the band to support their upcoming self-titled release, Cisco Adler & The Pigeons.   Shwayze, the group that brought you top singles “Buzzin” and “Corona and Lime,” is supporting their record which will be released Summer 2011. Chris Young The Rapper, noted for his groundbreaking debut EP 1991 on Bananabeat Records, will be supporting his forthcoming project Value Pack II: Cream & Sugar.

The tour is stopping at the following locations:

• January 20^th Salt Lake City, UT – Vertigo
• January 21^st Park City, UT – Downstairs/Sundance Film Festival
• January 24^th Park City, UT – Downstairs/Sundance Film Festival
• January 26^th Aspen, CO – Oakley Media Event/X Games
• January 27^th Aspen, CO – Escobar/X Games

For more information about Cisco Adler & The Pigeons visit http://ciscoadlerandthepigeons.com/, for Shwayze see http://www.shwayze.com/, and for details about Chris Young The Rapper visit http://chrisyoungtheartist.com/.

"I am a Stoked kid," Calderin said. "I grew up in cities, facing many of the same challenges these kids face today. When my mother moved us to Burlington, Vermont, I met guys that were involved in snowboarding and they exposed me to a whole new world. At a young age, I was guided by people who saw potential in me and that set my life in motion and in a direction that was totally opposite of where I was headed. I believe in this program and what it can do to help peoples’ lives and that's why I am committed to running 26.2 miles in the greatest city on earth to raise awareness and money for the Stoked program.”

All of the money that Team Stoked raises will directly support Stoked Mentoring’s skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding programs.  Calderin hopes to raise more than the minimum $2,500 through a limited edition line of OKAY!! OKAY!! marathon and running-themed hoodies, posters, and pins for sale on his fundraising website, which can be found at bit.ly/okokteamstoked.  A portion of these profits will also be dedicated to covering the costs of travel to send Calderin’s family down to support him.

“We saw this as an opportunity to create some really cool imagery around running and our fictitious athletic program by producing limited edition pieces that folks can receive in return for their donation,” Caldern said. “The profit after production costs is how we intend to raise our goals. You get some very special goods and we raise money for the group.”

Other Team Stoked runners include Sal Masekela and Steve Larosiliere, Stoked founders; Tricia Byrnes, Olympic Snowboarder; Keir Dillon, X Games Host, Dew Tour Host, and Professional Snowboarder; and Michael Orenstein, Brand Manager at marketing agency 72andSunny.

The 26.2-mile ING New York City Marathon is considered one of the world’s greatest road races since its start in 1970.  The race draws more than 100,000 participants annually, crossing five bridges and finishing at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. The race is cheered on by two million spectators and watched by 315 million television viewers worldwide.

Tune in on November 7, 2010 to watch Calderin and Team Stoked in the ING New York City Marathon.  To track Calderin’s progress in the race, enter bib #611805 at http://www.nycmarathon.org/athlete_alert.htm.

For more information on the ING New York City Marathon, visit http://nycmarathon.org.

For more details on Stoked Mentoring and Team Stoked, see http://www.stoked.org and http://www.teamstoked.org.

To donate to Calderin’s efforts on behalf of Team Stoked, head to http://bit.ly/okokteamstoked.

Purchase Blood at www.zachhooperphoto.com

Skatopia: 88 Acres of Anarchy is a feature documentary that follows one of skateboarding’s most infamous underground figures. Pro-skater Brewce Martin is the self-declared “dictator” of an extreme rural Appalachian skate scene. The movie follows Brewce as he struggles to keep Skatopia afloat. Though he declares skating his “prime directive”, the film reveals a fiercely driven entrepreneur determined to achieve success on his own terms.

Check out pics from the July 11th world premiere in New York City at the ACEfest indie film festival…

Skatopia’s owner, Brewce Martin, dreamed of a place where he could live and breathe skating… a place where people forget their “outside” lives by plunging into high-energy craziness. A continual work-in-progress, this rural farm is a mecca for skaters who want to live outside society’s rules.

See more photos from the event in our facebook album.

Make sure you check out the video below of the July 11th NYC premier!
Skatopia The Movie

Lightning Bolts was a BMX-inspired exhibit created around the historic introduction of BMX as an Olympic sport. Nike 6.0 teamed up with ARF and BMX Hall of Famer, Bob Haro, recreating his iconic number plate as a blank canvas. A select group of contemporary artists, each sharing a cultural connection to BMX, were invited to partake.

For more images, check out their website www.athleterecoveryfund.com/lightningbolts.

To find out more about the Athlete Recovery Fund, check out their website www.athleterecoveryfund.com.

Every time this video about the ARF is viewed in its entirety, Ball Park Franks will donate $1 to the ARF: