Athletes

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Kent Pearson News

Tifosi's BMX Pro Kent Pearson competed in North Carolina's Zero Gravity BMX Comp last weekend, taking 4th place overall!

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Jorge Castelblanco, Panamanian Running Champion

Tifosi Optics introduces Jorge Castelblanco, Panama's top runner. Castelblanco competes Nationally and Internationally, but still finds the time to have a career in Law Enforcement. Gracias for representing Tifosi in Panama, Jorge!

MAY 19, 2011

Tifosi at Peak of Mount Everest

Tifosi sunglasses - preferred eye protection of 1st team to summit Everest this year!
On 5 May 2011 at 4pm Nepali time, nine climbers reached the top of Mount Everest becoming the first team to reach the summit of the 8,848m (29,028ft) mountain this season. What is special about these summiteers is that they were not only braving the high altitude and difficult conditions above 8,000m, they were also fixing the ropes for the many expeditions that are currently preparing to reach the highest peak in the world. Nine Sherpas (Phurba Tashi, Dorjee, Ang Rita, Tashi Tshering and Tshering Tashi from Himalayan Experience, Karma Gyalgen and Phu Tshering from International Mountain Guides (IMG) and Kami Rita from Adventure Consultants) left Camp II at 12.30am, each carrying a heavy load with rope fixing equipment. On their way up, they picked up Himalayan Experience guide Adrian Ballinger, who had been waiting at Camp III for the Sherpas to arrive as he had opted to stay up there to assist them in their rope fixing. Himalayan Experience’s Dorjee was reaching the summit for the 14th time. The attached photo is not the summit day, but on one of the acclimatisation peaks.

There will be a lot more material in hi res when they get back, at the moment all this is coming from Sat links and mobile networks. (Yes there is actually a 3G link into base camp!!)

Richard Lundberg
Director, Peak M3

DECEMBER 4, 2010

Kent Pearson - Technical & Creative

This Q&A with Kent Pearson gives us the inside scoop on his take on combining the technical/creative, BMX trends, recent video projects and more! Check out his answers to questions written by some of the people closest to him!

Describe your style, and what is your motivation for doing the tricks that you do? - Jon Bast /Ninja Crew Member

I woulld describe my style as really technical but creative and the creative side being probably my main motivation to do the tricks that I choose to do. When I started riding the main goal for most riders was to do their own thing and not be a clone of any other particular rider and try to have as much fun as possible. I still try to live and ride that way today. BMX was my chance to combine creativeness with athletics. My thought process on moves that I'd like to work on is if it were music - would I rather play my own music or be in a cover band? I'll stick to doing my own thing...

After riding for most of your life and going thru various injuries and surgeries to repair the damage, you have become a mainly ramp and street rider and moved away from flatland which you were so well known for. How long do you think you can ride as hard as you do now and will you return to flatland when your body can't take the abuse of ramp riding any more? Jon Dowker/ Owner & President -The Freestyle Connection stunt shows

It was kind of strange how focusing more on ramps came about. One of my last injuries was a broken wrist. With the kind of break that I had, alot of people don't realize how long the physical therapy and recovery time can last. I realized that I could brace the wrist up and still be creative on ramps while the wrist actually couldn't hold up to the flatland moves that I like to do. By the time the wrist was as healed as it ever will be, I had really turned my focus to ramps and street moves because I had so much more to contribute. I will always love flat and will ride some flat but It's obvious that serious BMXers are going to get hurt. I accept that, but there are other athletes such as martial artists or fighters who really are at their best once they become veterans at what they do. The common thought is that most riders can't move from flat into ramp riding after so long. I didn't make it this far by doing what everyone else does, so I guess I plan to prove 'em wrong.

You've ridden for a long time and seen alot of trends come and go. Do you think that has changed the way you set your bike up and ride? Jay Roe/ Team Manager - Kink Bike Co

I've seen a million trends come and go and I always laugh when I see an old trend get reborn and the riders that are new to the game think it's a new thing and hasn't ever been done before! I've always tried to set my bike up based on function instead of what anyone else thought or what was trendy at the time. Of course I and everyone else wants a cool bike to ride. But I see so many guys ride bikes that are set up just to look like everyone else's bikes just to fit in and then their bike isn't set up to help them progress or do anything different than everyone else. Whatever moves I'm focused on learning or working on is what dictates how my bike is setup and what I'm going to need to learn those particular moves.

Of the many video projects you've been a part of which was your favorite and why? - Ryan Davis / Ninja Crew Member - Videographer / Editor

This is going to be a copout of an answer, but each video project has a favorite part to it. One of my vitalbmx.com edits had my favorite trick that I created as it's last trick. Our Ninja Crew web video was my favorite to work on while it was being filmed because everyone worked so hard and went so many places together and had so much fun. My biggest surprise was Kink Bike Co.'s "Jetlagged DVD" because I had just hoped to get a couple of tricks on there and ended up with my own section. I was really proud of that. My last Profile Racing web video meant alot to me personally because it was a milestone in my riding career but at the same time was really just filming what tricks I would be doing most of the time whether there was a camera there or not. Georgia Ninja Crew Summer Edit - More BMX Videos

How does it feel to have your son (Mason) coming to the skatepark and following in your footsteps at such a young age? - Kyle Kelsey /Ninja Crew Member - Athens Family

It is a feeling that I can't put into words and it gives us a connection that very few father and sons get to have. It's like he gets better every week he's out there, but I don't know about following in my footsteps though, I hope he'll be alot better than me! (laughter) He's a martial arts black belt and he has skated and done other things so I always tell him that I know he could decide to move on and not ride BMX at all but I will  support whatever he commits himself to and has a passion for.

After riding for as long as you have, what keeps you motivated to ride SO hard after all these years? - Jon Bast / Ninja Crew

I love BMX and it has had such a huge impact on my life. Almost every aspect of what I do has been influenced by my experiences in riding and traveling and living BMX for so long. Every day things don't seem so hard when the night before was spent throwing yourself down on concrete trying learn something new on your bike. I ride this hard now because I owe BMX instead of it oweing me. This stuff isn't just what I do... It's WHO I AM.   

Thanks?

My family, everyone at Kink BMX, Matt and Profile Racing, Tom and Tina at Empire, the Ninja Crew, Jon and everyone at the Freestyle Connection,  Sunshine Cycles, everyone in the Athens Family, and of course everyone at Tifosi!

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Be sure to check out Kent's most recent edit for Profile! See below.

Kent Pearson Profile Edit from Ryan Davis on Vimeo.

JUNE 4, 2010

Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro Cycling Team 2010

Tifosi Optics, Inc. is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro Cycling team for the 2010 season.

Tifosi Optics will create a custom sponsorship piece that will incorporate the KBS kit colors on the brand new Logic model. The team will also be provided with a

variety of lens and frame options from the 2010 Tifosi Optics collection.

"Our products meet the high standards of professional athletes," said Joe Earley, founder of Tifosi Optics. "We are very excited to support the KBS team this season."

KBS Pro Cycling will enter the 2010 season with one of their strongest rosters yet. In 2010, the team will work to expand its international schedule, making a return to Asia in the early season for several races including the OCBC Cycle Singapore and the Tour of Thailand. To learn more about KBS Pro Cycling, please visit http://www.kbsprocycling.com

"The KBS team has a great line-up of sponsors this season," said Charles Aaron, President of Circuit Global Sports Management and Managing Director of KBS.

"We are pleased to be able to partner with best in class sponsors like Tifosi Optics."

Keep up with the Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro Cycling team this season by checking the Athletes section of http://www.TifosiOptics.com or by becoming a Fan of Tifosi Optics on Facebook.

ABOUT TIFOSI OPTICS, INC. Tifosi Optics, Inc. was founded in 2002 when Elizabeth and Joe Earley noticed a need for a technologically advanced, value-oriented eyewear brand in the sport market. Tifosi currently has more than 3,000 U.S. retailers and distributes in 32 countries worldwide.