Alpine Ontario and Vitess Bicycle Corporation are extremely pleased to unveil a unique partnership that brings together the thrills of alpine skiing and cycling. The collaboration pushes the boundaries of active lifestyle seasonality and creates a formidable platform of knowledge sharing and community development.
Vitess joins a roster of best-in-class lifestyle partners that includes Audi Canada and Miele and that is committed to supporting Alpine Ontario in its quest for excellence in developing and deploying world-class alpine ski racing programs.
Alpine Ontario is the provincial governing body for the sport of alpine ski racing in Ontario. With a representation of over 30,000 active athletes, coaches and officials Alpine Ontario coordinates a number of successful programs across the Province and continues to foster the development of “state of the art” ski racing programs, from grass roots level to the elite level. Under the leadership of Alpine Ontario, the Ontario Ski Team travels throughout North America and Europe to train and compete in elite FIS-level ski races. Athletes are looking to take the next step towards the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and their Olympic and World Cup dreams.
“Back in France quite a few years ago, to me the winter was about down-hill ski racing in Auvergne and the Alpes, and summer was about racing my bikes” says Vitess Founder Julien Papon. “It’s always been about the thrill of speed and how to tune things: body, mind and hardware to go faster. This is where the Vitess brand is rooted” Papon adds. The Vitess brand name comes from the French word for speed.
“Vitess’ commitment to quality and excellence is closely aligned with our own goals and core values…not to mention the pursuit of speed! We at Alpine Ontario Alpin are very much looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Julien and Vitess” says James Lazor, Executive Director at Alpine Ontario.
“When Vitess started to work with a select few Collingwood-based ski clubs in 2010, it was like getting back to my roots, mixing ski and cycling and having fun” Papon comments, “and over the last 2 years, we’ve grown into a significant community of Vitess Riders in the various clubs of the Escarpment, so it feels only natural to partner with Alpine Ontario and support the growth of both sports. Skiing and cycling are the perfect fit, with none better to complement and allow for cross-training for one another – it’s about active lifestyle with a twist: speed!” Papon concludes.
The relationship kicked off during the après-ride of Vitess’ Gran Allenamento in Oakville on June 16th – one of two invitation-only cycling lifestyle events produced by Vitess in 2012.
About Vitess Bicycle Corporation
Toronto-based Vitess Bicycle Corporation is the fastest growing premium cycling brand in Canada. Ranked one of the four best high-end bikes in Canada by Canadian Cycling in 2011, Vitess has garnered much national media coverage through its innovative approach to merging state-of-the art technology and product design with unequalled service level. Editorial pieces in the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Audi Magazine, CHIC Magazine, Canadian Cycling, Canadian Cyclist, NewsTalk1010 and many other leading media channels can be found at www.vitess.com/media.
Vitess has been delighting discerning cyclists with a formidable cycling experience since 2009. Riders of all riding abilities, from novice to former professional cyclists have worked with our team of experts to custom fit, paint and build their high-performance bicycles to match their performance goals while guaranteeing comfort and matching their unique personality. Riding a Vitess is about making a statement; it’s about individuality, self confidence and exclusivity. It’s when only the best of quality matters.
Vitess Founder Julien Papon, a former automotive executive, serves on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Cycling Association.
Learn more at www.vitess.com
About Alpine Ontario Alpin
Alpine Ontario Alpin (AOA) is the provincial governing body for the sport of alpine ski racing in Ontario. AOA was officially created in July of 2001 after the culmination of several years of hard work to join the four ski racing divisions of Ontario; Alpine Ontario South (AOSD), Northern Ontario (NOD), National Capital Division (NCD) and Lake Superior Division Alpine (LSDA).
As the recognized Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) and promoter of competitive alpine ski racing in Ontario, AOA represents four divisions, 44 member clubs and over 30,000 active athletes, coaches and officials (volunteers). AOA coordinates several successful programs across the province and continues to foster the development of “state of the art” ski-racing programs from the grass roots level to the elite level.
In addition to the successful development programs, AOA’s main property is the Ontario Ski Team (OST). The OST travels throughout North America and Europe to train and compete in elite FIS level ski races. Each athlete is looking to take the next step towards the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and their Olympic or World Cup dreams.
Learn more at www.alpineontario.ca
