adidas Outdoor Names Michael Silitch, Alpine Climber and Guide, to Athlete Team
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LOS ANGELES (April 28, 2016) – adidas Outdoor, the athletic brand in the outdoors, today named Michael Silitch, alpine climber and guide, to its roster of athletes. He has more than 20 years of guiding experience, including ascents of Denali in Alaska, iconic routes in Yosemite and has climbed extensively in the Swiss and French Alps.
“With more than two decades of guiding and climbing across the world, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team,” said Greg Thomsen, managing director, adidas Outdoor, U.S. “He is a dedicated athlete and driven alpinist, and his history in the outdoor industry reflect the roots and tradition of outdoor sportsmanship. He will be a valuable resource to younger athletes making their way through the ranks of climbing.”
Silitch is an internationally certified mountain and ski guide with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (UIAGM/IFMGA), is certified by The American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) in alpine, rock and ski and is the only American guide to be a member of both the French and Swiss Mountain Guide’s Association.
Silitch is an avalanche and snow safety educator for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), has been certified as a wilderness EMT and is a certified referee for World Cup Events through the International Ski Mountaineering Federation. He was a Colorado Outward Bound School instructor and trainer for 15 years, an American Alpine Institute guide and guide’s trainer for seven years and is one of only a few Americans with this level of guide training and certification. Additionally, he has been an influence in the world of competitive ski mountaineering, founding successful teams in Chamonix, France and Park City, Utah, and competed himself for years in the Alps.
Silitch is currently the director of High-Alpine Mountain Guides in Chamonix, France, and has been a guide and ski instructor for the Chamonix Guides Bureau, the French Ski School at Chamonix and the Swiss Ski School at Villars.
About adidas Outdoor: adidas Outdoor is the athletic brand in the outdoors. The company’s founder, Adi Dassler, designed equipment solutions for athletes that improved their performance. The long history of adidas Outdoor began in the 1970s with the creation of the first light trekking shoes. Climbing legend Reinhold Messner helped adidas design super light and fast approach hiking shoes for his first Everest ascent without supplemental oxygen in 1980. The tradition continues today with products influenced by Messner, as well as notable extreme outdoor adventurers from around the world.
