Ryders Eyewear Sponsors Freeride Veteran Paul Basagoitia

Ryders Eyewear, the premier manufacturer of high-performance and affordable eyewear, is proud announce the addition of Paul “Bass” Basagoitia to their line-up of distinguished athletes.

Bass emerged as a hardnosed contender on the freeride circuit at age 17, soaring to a first place finish at Whistler Crankworx on a borrowed bike in 2004. A year later he again took first place at Crankworx, and solidified his pro status with a first at The Gathering and second at the Red Bull District Ride.

Over the past few seasons Bass has continued to thrive competitively, with a series of notable performances at the annual Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO, where he took top honors in both the Slopestyle and Freeride Dual events in 2009, secured another win in Freeride Dual and second in Slopestyle in 2010, and followed up with a solid second place finish in Slopestyle in 2011.

During his time off-tour Bass has focused his energy on pushing the limits of big mountain riding; doggedly seeking to bring progressive slopestyle tricks into the hazardous and unpredictable big mountain realm. Working with Freeride Entertainment, Bass spent extensive time in 2011 filming in Arizona, Utah, the Gobi Desert, and other remote international locations, for the highly anticipated feature film Where the Trail Ends, slated to premiere at Interbike 2012.

“I’m stoked to be joining the Ryders Eyewear team,” said Bass while enjoying the downtime between film trips at his Minden, NV retreat, “Their products are at the top of the game. The Shore Goggle is the only goggle specifically designed for freeride, and it performs flawlessly compared to the moto goggle designs that are usually pushed on mountain bikers. It’s an essential component in my set-up. I look forward to having Ryders on my side as I continue to explore new terrain and push my limits in the coming year.”

“We’re honored to have Bass join our team this season,” said Ryders Eyewear Founder Brent Martin, “His commitment to pushing the limits of freeride speaks directly to the core values that we at Ryders live by. We look forward to watching him excel and take the sport to new heights.”

Basagoitia will continue his quest for excellence in 2012- filming in remote locations internationally and competing on the World Mountain Bike Freeride Tour at a variety of events including the 2012 Teva Mountain Games, Whistler Crankworks, and Redbull Rampage.

For more information on Ryders Eyewear and Athlete Updates, please visit www.ryderseyewear.com

About Ryders Eyewear:

Based in adrenaline sport mecca North Vancouver, British Columbia, Ryders Eyewear puts their backyard to good use testing the endurance and performance attributes of their eyewear products.  Ryders is the leading provider of quality performance eyewear at an amazing value in the biking, running, winter sports and lifestyle categories.  For more information on Ryders Eyewear, visit www.ryderseyewear.com.