Clarion Welcomes Skimboarding World-champion Austin Keen as an Elite Brand Ambassador for Its Growing Marine Audio & Multimedia Category

"Spending so much of my time on boats, I have grown to notice and appreciate the quality of Clarion's marine audio systems. Wakesurfing sessions and spending time on the water with friends is made even better with great music cranking out of Clarion marine radios and speakers," said Austin Keen. "I only endorse and support brands that are connected to my lifestyle. Clarion has been in the marine space a very long time, and their commitment to developing the best marine audio systems, components and accessories makes them a stand out brand in the market. They also have a creative approach to marketing that I find exciting. I look forward to working with Clarion to expose a new generation of watersports enthusiasts to the Clarion brand and its long list of innovative marine-focused products."

Austin Keen has made a name for himself through his bona fide personality, lifestyle, and unsurpassed wave-riding skills. In 2007, Austin drove his 1975 BMW 2002 from Tybee Island, GA to Laguna Beach, CA to follow his dream. Two years later, Austin competed in his first professional skimboarding contest and went on to tour Australia, Bali, Brazil, Costa Rica, Japan, Mexico and Philippines. In 2013, he was crowned World Champion of Skimboarding after competing in the eight-stop international, United Skim Tour Circuit. In 2014, he was listed in SurferToday.com's Most Influential in Wave Sports next to greats like Kelly Slater. Then, in 2015, Keen branched out into a new sport – wakesurfing. In addition to multiple action sports and lifestyle magazines, Austin has become an internet sensation, starring in dozens of viral videos. In 2016, Austin won the 40th Annual Victoria World Championships of Skimboarding in Laguna Beach. He now strives to push the sport to new limits, helping promote and grow skimboarding around the world.

As a brand ambassador for Clarion's marine division, Austin will be a key contributor in expanding the brand's awareness and reach among a new-generation of watercraft and watersports enthusiasts. Clarion's sponsorship of Austin, combined with the company's commitment to support his craft and lifestyle, is expected to ignite excitement for the Clarion brand and its marine products among Austin's fans, friends and followers, all of whom are at the forefront of the trends impacting today's marine lifestyle. To that end, Clarion recently greenlit the production of a successful music video for up-and-coming rock band Funk Shui Planet that was filmed aboard a Clarion-equipped wakesurf boat and featured Austin Keen performing stunts and hanging out with the band.

"From his champion attitude and genuine love of being out on the water, to his dreadlocks and overall cool, laid back personality, Austin doesn't just appeal to, but effortlessly embodies the essence of, today's watersports and marine enthusiast," said Allen H. Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing and Product Planning at Clarion Corporation of America. "Our marketing team is looking forward to working with Austin to integrate his cool style and presence into our marine marketing activities, while leveraging his keen audio interest and lifestyle to design innovative new products that appeal directly to his diehard fan base."

Austin will be working closely with Clarion USA's marketing team to script and produce lifestyle-oriented content, including videos. He will also participate in Clarion's marine marketing activities in both traditional and social media categories including support of industry events on a national scale. Austin is also expected to work closely with the company's product planning team to design new products and solutions for today's very active marine lifestyle and trending applications.  

Designed to deliver remarkable sound quality and provide ironclad resilience to the elements, Clarion's robust line of purpose-built marine-grade multimedia products are engineered for the extreme environments and exhaustively tested to ensure each can withstand extreme marine environments.  Recognized by the industry for their benchmark durability and reliability, every Clarion marine multimedia audio system, component and accessory endures a battery of character defining tests. By replicating prolonged UV exposure, simulating the humid saltwater environment and rigorously testing for thermal shock to imitate quick changes in temperature, Clarion ensures that its entire product line-up can withstand the rigors of harsh marine environments, season after season.

Clarion's marine product offering includes:

• High performance, feature-packed, and torture-tested multimedia source units (several different form factors to choose from);
• Rugged and powerful compact amplifiers (mono to 4+1 channels);
• A complete and robust line up of premium-quality dust and water resistant speakers and subwoofers featuring LED illumination;
• Class-leading enclosed speaker solutions for boat towers;
• Extensive assortment of wired and wireless remote controls plus cables, cameras and other accessories supporting the source units, amps and speakers.

About Clarion

Headquartered in Cypress, California, Clarion Corporation of America is a subsidiary of Japan-based Clarion Co., Ltd, which has been a consolidated subsidiary of the Hitachi Group since 2006. Clarion has been an international leader in car audio and electronics since 1940. The company is engaged in the research, development, engineering, design, manufacturing, sales and marketing of mobile entertainment, navigation, infotainment, communication, safety and security products for the automotive, marine, recreational vehicle, commercial fleet and heavy industry environments. Clarion has been the recipient of numerous excellence awards for design, innovation, support, manufacturing and product reliability from independent organizations. The company has marketing and sales affiliates in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Clarion is located on the web at www.clarion.com/us.

SOURCE Clarion Corporation of America

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