Oakley and Shaun White Present Air + Style 2010

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Oakley, Inc. today announced that the company has partnered with legendary snowboard & skate champion Shaun White to co-present the 2010 Air + Style event in China. Air + Style is a world-class contest and one of the most progressive freestyle snowboarding event formats in existence. The December 4th spectacle is set to pave the way for the entire snowboarding industry to enter the emerging Chinese market.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101021/LA86106)

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101021/LA86106)

"We are excited to team with Shaun for Air + Style 2010," said Oakley CEO Colin Baden. "Shaun isn't just a world champion — he's a global icon who brings his own unique style to whatever he does. Shaun has been part of the Oakley family for a long time, and this event will allow us to showcase some of the performance and style innovations we developed in collaboration with the superstar."

Baden continued, "China has one of the largest and fastest-growing middle class demographics in the world, and Chinese youth are currently experiencing a cultural revolution. All accounts point to these young people moving toward urban culture, music and action sports, and Air + Style delivers on all fronts. We'll bring the excitement of snowboarding to a new frontier, and the industry will likely follow our lead," Baden concluded.

"This is a huge opportunity, and it's really great to be part of it," said Shaun White. "We'll bring together top riders and showcase global talent, and we hope to stoke all the homegrown talent that's coming out of China and see some of their best in action. To partner with Oakley and share our ever-progressing sport with Beijing and Chinese society as a whole is an amazing honor," White concluded.

Snowboarding was the third most viewed discipline on television during the Winter Games and enjoys increased popularity every year. Air + Style events have been organized in Olympic arenas in Europe since 1993. Olympic and world champions take part in the highly-regarded freestyle snowboarding spectacle. Confirmed riders for the 2010 event in Beijing include Torstein Horgmo, Mikkel Bang, Gjermund Braaten, Kazuhiro "Kazu" Kokubo, Seb Toots and Haldor Helgason.

White collaborated with Oakley to create a special edition goggle and sunglass, and both will be featured at Air + Style. The Shaun White Signature Series A Frame® goggle offers the clarity and protection of High Definition Optics® (HDO®). Highlighted by unique styling accents, the design combines the comfort of moisture wicking triple-layer face foam with the performance of a vented ballistic lens enhanced with anti-fog treatment. Oakley Holbrook™ sunglasses reflect White's American Classic style in contours of comfortably lightweight O Matter® frame material matched with HDO optics and impact protection.

Air + Style is part of the Swatch Ticket To Ride (TTR) World Snowboard Tour. TTR is a non-profit organization aimed at establishing snowboarding as a major global sport while providing quality competitive experiences for snowboarders. As a 6-Star competition of TTR, Air + Style is a top-level event that showcases the highest and most progressive level of riding.

Shaun White is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a ten-time X Games gold medalist. Born in San Diego, California in 1986, White won his first amateur snowboard competition at age seven. Since then, he has filled his trophy case with medals earned in Slopestyle and Superpipe. His prowess in skate is equally impressive, and today he is one of the most recognizable action sports figures of his time.

Visit Oakley.com to learn more about the company's sport performance and lifestyle products, and to see the special edition designs made in collaboration with Shaun White.

Click here to view the short video: "Oakley and Shaun White Present Air + Style"

About Oakley, Inc.

Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading sports brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is continually seeking problems, solving them with inventions and wrapping those inventions in art. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with innovations that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is famed for its insuperable lens technologies such as High Definition Optics® (HDO®) which is incorporated into all Oakley sun and prescription eyewear, and goggles. Oakley has extended its leadership position as the world's leading sports eyewear brand into apparel, footwear and accessories collections. Laser focused on the consumer, Oakley has both men's and women's product lines that target Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group (NYSE: LUX; MTA: LUX). Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.

SOURCE Oakley, Inc.