Gramicci is Title Sponsor for the Expedition Idaho© 2011

Gramicci is Title Sponsor for the Expedition Idaho© 2011 Adventure Race, hosted at
Silver Mountain Resort ID, August 14th-20th 2011

Race finish kicks of the Blues and Brew Fest at the base of the Mountain.

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., June 23rd, 2011 — Gramicci, the legendary climbing and outdoor apparel Company, is the title sponsor for the Expedition Idaho© 2011 Adventure Race this summer. As official event sponsor, Gramicci will dress Team Gramicci, event staff and all participant teams in its new Gramicci NPT- Natural Performance Technology â„¢ knits, and it’s ROCKIT Dryâ„¢quick drying nylon shorts.

The race starts on August 14th and will finish on August 20th. The finish will be at Silver Mountain at the start of the Blues and Brew Fest. Go to www.expeditionidahorace.com . Expedition Idaho© 2011 Adventure race will have teams from all over the world to compete on this world class course; the kind of course adventure racers covet in their career.

“Gramicci is excited to be a part of such a great event. We have always admired and designed clothing for this caliber of athlete. For 30 years we have been dressing climbers and adventurers all over the world. International sales at Gramicci represent nearly 30% of the business so seemed natural to be a part of an international event like this one,” said Marty Weening, President and CCO of Gramicci.

The race is approximately 670 Kilometers in six days. It will begin near Kellogg Idaho and finish at Silver Mountain Ski Resort. Thirty teams are expected with 4 members on each team. Racers will use map, compass and their own wits and skills to navigate their way over an unmarked route by mountain biking, rafting, paddling, trekking, orienteering, trail running, using fixed ropes, and all through the wild panhandle of northern Idaho. The exact course and specifics of each leg are not given to the teams until the night before the race. Prior to the event each team is told what equipment they will need to complete the race. Race directors may make course changes during the event for safety reasons and to attempt to control the finish so that teams will finish in a 4 to 5 hour window.

“As race organizers we want to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience to those intrepid souls who have the true spirit of adventure in their hearts, and who long to undertake a special journey that will leave their spirit changed forever. We think it will be one of the most scenic, diverse and demanding tracks you will ever have the pleasure of journeying over.” explains Dave Adlard, Race Director.

Gramicci will be at the finish line and at the Blues and Brew Fest: music, art and beer festival. Visit www.bluesandbrews.com for more details. The Gramicci tent will feature and sell the latest in their active organic hemp/cotton performance clothing for men and women, this includes the Camura DT – double traverse endurance knit for men, and the Corawood performance knit tee for women. These shirts wick away moisture and dry at five times more moisture and two times faster than other synthetic performance shirts. This measured comfort with performance is ideal for these racers and active enthusiasts of all sports. The properties of the hemp fibers are anti-microbial or odor resistant and highly durable. Best of all the materials used are herbicide and pesticide free, dyed with low impact dyes and made in fair labor compliant facilities.

Independent tests Camura DT and SENNA fabric blends out performed synthetics and chemically treated performance cottons and virtually eliminated garment odor under high levels of exertion and subsequent perspiration. The same test studies showed chemically treated performance cottons lost their moisture control qualities over time, while the Gramicci NPT garments improved over many washings because it is void of applied chemicals. NPT is all natural and organic. This is why Expedition Idaho© 2011 selected Gramicci as their official apparel sponsor for 2011. It is producing cutting edge innovative natural performance products.

The Gramicci Team will be testing the Gramicci Rock-it Dry collection in pants shorts and shirts, as well as the Double Traverse (DT) hemp blend shirts. The team members include: Ryan Gagnon, Guy Farmer, Corey Haustein, Michelle Haustein, Chris Baker, Jeni McNeal, Mike Kloser, Andy Tucker, Eddie Whitmore, Lisa Adlard, Dave Adlard, and Melissa Coombes.

This is an expedition where the journey is at least as important as the race, and where all who commit to the challenge emerge as champions from one of the most beautiful, epic and challenging terrain on Earth.

“Gramicci is an free spirited, independent, slightly irreverent brand built to last and perform . It chose this event based on the organizers unique and competitive format, world-class racers, and a decisively challenging course . Since our brand’s culture is as much about beers and bonfires as epic outdoor fun we are looking forward to the home brew, music and art. A perfect place to be for us Gramicciheads!” Paul Cronin, US Sales Director for Gramicci.

About Gramicci
Gramicci is often called the ‘soul brand’ of the outdoor industry, known in the climbing community as the originator of the iconic G-series climbing pant and short. Thirty years later Gramicci is still setting the standard for performance climbing and outdoor apparel with its introduction of NPT- Natural Performance Technology â„¢, a pesticide-free, certified organic and hemp blend that naturally produces higher levels of moisture management, breathability and body temperature regulation than synthetics or the new performance cottons that are treated with environmentally harmful chemicals. Gramicci is deeply committed to greener manufacturing. It is developing and adopting new standards of manufacturing that substantially reduce its impact on the environment by using less water and energy. Its organic products have received certification from GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OE Blended (Organic Exchange for blended fabrics) and OE 100 (Organic Exchange for all organic fabrics). Gramicci is also a fair labor manufacturer assuring fair wages, clean work environments and zero-tolerance child labor policies. For more information visit www.gramicci.com

Media Contacts: Beth Cochran, What’s Up PR (406) 579-7909, cochran@whatsuppr.com