Patagonia Signs New Snowboarders to Ambassador Team

VENTURA, Calif. (May 25, 2011) — Patagonia Inc., the enviro-minded apparel company, is pleased to announce that Josh Dirksen, Ryland Bell and Forrest Shearer have joined the company as Snowboard Ambassadors. Each rider embodies the company’s core values, comes equipped with a life-long dedication to snowboarding and a desire to ride in the best outerwear possible. As a company, Patagonia has increased its focus in the snow sports category with a major update to its outerwear line in Fall 2011 and plans to continue the progression into future seasons. Dirksen, Shearer and Bell will collaborate closely with the company’s designers to provide first-hand input on every aspect of product performance and design.

“I’m pleased to welcome Ryland, Josh and Forrest to the Patagonia family,” says Josh Nielson, Patagonia’s grassroots marketer and ambassador liaison, “This group of athletes represents a growing demographic of savvy backcountry riders who demand technical products suited specifically to their needs. We look forward to working closely and collaboratively with these guys as we continue to build the best product on the market while causing the least environmental harm.”

Dirksen, an icon in snowboarding for the past 15 years, says, “Now that I’m putting so much time into splitboarding to access my lines and riding more technical terrain, I need clothing that will work perfectly for all situations. I want to eliminate as many X-factors as possible when I’m out there and I know that with Patagonia gear, I don’t need to think twice.”

Patagonia’s environmental efforts and cause-the-least-amount-of-harm design ethics played a role in the snowboarders’ decision to join the company as Ambassadors. Says Forrest Shearer “I want to be involved with environmentally responsible companies because that’s what is important to me. Patagonia thinks about the products they make and tries to have the least amount of impact. The company has a killer history of taking remarkable steps not only in snowsports, but in all aspects of business.”

Bell, an Alaska native and Squaw Valley local says,” I’m excited to apply the heritage of Patagonia’s technology and design specifically to snowboarding. Having high-end, light, performance gear is the difference between struggling and being comfortable in the mountains. I’m really looking forward to taking snowboarding apparel to the next level.”

Bell, Dirksen and Shearer join a team of Ambassadors that includes surfing’s Malloy Brothers, Gerry Lopez and climbing’s Tommy Caldwell, Sonny Trotter and other notable athletes at the height of their sports.

About Patagonia
Patagonia, with sales last year of over $400M, is noted internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism. Incorporating environmental responsibility in to product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line. With its most recent launch of synthetic fiber-to-fiber recycling, Patagonia is taking back worn-out polyester and nylon clothing and reincarnating it as new products, forever capturing the raw materials used in making virgin fiber. The company also advocates corporate transparency through its interactive website, The Footprint Chronicles, which outlines the environmental and social footprint of individual products. Patagonia was featured as The Coolest Company on the Planet on Fortune Magazine’s April 2007 cover.

Contact:
Jen Rapp, Patagonia, 805.667.4768, jen_rapp@patagonia.com