Press Release

Spoke Apparel Signs On As Presenting Sponsor of Gravity East Series, Forms Downhill Race Team

Mountain Bike Apparel Company Joins Maxxis International & Formula North America as Sponsor of the East Coast’s 2013 Downhill Mountain Biking Race Series

Spoke Apparel, an online mountain bike apparel company, has announced its presenting sponsorship of the 2013 Gravity East Race Series as well as the company’s 2013 downhill race team. Through Spoke Apparel’s relationship with the branding firm, Vitamin, the apparel company will help promote and grow the series’ name and brand.

In an effort to parallel the sponsorship and boost Spoke Apparel’s visibility, the company has also put together a downhill race team for 2013. The team, consisting of both male and female riders, is comprised of racers in the semi-pro and sport categories. The team will help promote the brand through Spoke Apparel’s kit, which includes team jersey and matching Spoke Apparel designed SockGuy socks.

Mike Karfakis, founder of Spoke Apparel and also founder of Vitamin, is leveraging his brand management boutique’s assets and talent set to help the Gravity East Series with a wholesale redesign of the series web site. The updated web site will be social media friendly, visually stimulating and photography-centric. Videos and pictures will be aggregated in logical, user-friendly formats on dedicated pages for each race. It will be a destination that riders and racers will frequent when they are looking for results, photos, and videos of each race within the series.

Mike Karfakis, founder of Spoke Apparel and also founder of Vitamin, is leveraging his brand management boutique’s assets and talent set to help the Gravity East Series with a wholesale redesign of the series web site. The updated web site will be social media friendly, visually stimulating and photography-centric. Videos and pictures will be aggregated in logical, user-friendly formats on dedicated pages for each race. It will be a destination that riders and racers will frequent when they are looking for results, photos, and videos of each race within the series.

As a part of the sponsorship package, both Spoke Apparel and Vitamin will receive promotion throughout the Gravity East race venues including brand visibility on the winner’s podium backdrop, race-day signage, race day number plates, and through banner advertising via the Gravity East Series web site.

“We’re ecstatic to put fourth the effort to support this series,” said Mike Karfakis. “The scene at the Gravity East races consists of everything from professional riders to recreational riders. Family and friends are everywhere and everyone is supportive of one another. The vibe is enthusiastically positive, and we’re proud to be a closer part of it all. The Gravity East Series, and those that support it and race it,  are what mountain biking is all about. We’re proud to see our company names along side established and respected  brands like Maxxis and Formula North America.”

In an earlier press release by the Gravity East Series, Maxxis and Formula were quoted as saying:

“Maxxis is once again proud to be the title partner for the 2013 Gravity East Series,” said Aaron Chamberlain, Marketing Specialist at Maxxis International, USA. “We’re excited to continue our partnership with the premier downhill race series on the East Coast.”

Christoph Vogl, General Manager of Formula North America, said, “Formula is very excited to continue our partnership with the Gravity East Series in 2013. As the returning Presenting partner for the series, we are proud to work with such a proven and longstanding series.”

About Spoke Apparel

Spoke Apparel® is a lifestyle clothing company specializing in t-shirt fashion for cycling enthusiasts. The company’s designs are focused primarily on freeride, downhill and XC mountain biking. Through creative graphic designs, Spoke Apparel’s t-shirt artwork visually depicts the essence of cycling that pedal bike enthusiasts share.

About Vitamin

Vitamin®, the “Cure for the Common Brand®,” is the mid-Atlantic’s first boutique design-web-public relations firm focused on nourishing brands through a best practices, all-in-house approach to creating cohesive identity, print, interactive and PR programs. Vitamin’s client list includes regional and national companies in diverse fields, including built industry, banking, education, healthcare, restaurant/ hospitality, non-profit and search/staffing. Vitamin is certified MBE/DBE by the Maryland Department of Transportation.

About the Gravity East Series

The Gravity East Series is the East Coast’s preeminent downhill race series. Founded in 2007, the series is in its seventh season. Since that time, it has grown to become one of the largest and longest running gravity series on the East Coast offering riders an affordable, professionally run series with ever changing diverse competition, courses and venues. The series has served as the training ground for several amateur athletes, such as Neko Mullaly, who have moved on to have successful careers in professional mountain bike racing.

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