US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics and Sperry Top-Sider extend Partnership

by Marlieke Eaton on 9 Jul 2009 US Sailing, national governing body for the sport of sailing, and Sperry Top-Sider, an iconic American brand best known for inventing the first performance boat shoe, announced today that their partnership has been extended through the next Olympic and Paralympic Quadrennium which goes through 2012. Under the new agreement, Sperry Top-Sider is named an 'Official Silver Partner of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics' and the Team's official and exclusive footwear partner. US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) consists of 66 athletes who are training for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth, UK.

According to US Olympic Sailing Program Chair Dean Brenner, 'Sperry Top-Sider has been providing our team with world-class products and critical resources for years. We are excited that a great American sailing brand like Sperry Top-Sider will be supporting our athletes and the program through 2012.'

'We are proud to continue our long-term relationship with the country's top sailors of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics,' said Craig Reingold, President, Sperry Top-Sider. 'Like Sperry, these athletes share a clear passion for the sport. They have been invaluable in helping our brand create footwear for those who are dedicated to performing at the world’s top level.'

In addition to its support of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, Sperry Top-Sider supports various other US SAILING events and programs, including the National Sailing Programs Symposium, USSTAG athletes Zach Railey, Debbie Capozzi, Brad Nichol and Andrew Campbell, and several U.S. Championships.

About Sperry Top-Sider
Since 1935, Sperry Top-Sider has been the leading brand of footwear for those with a Passion for the Sea. From its introduction of the world’s first siped rubber outsole for non-marking traction, to advanced technical fabrication to combat the elements, Sperry Top-Sider remains the vanguard of high-performance amphibious footwear. Available through independent, marine, outdoor and department stores, Sperry Top-Sider is the official footwear of the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas, Key West Race Week, the Salt Water Sportsman seminar series and the National Safe Boating Council. Based in historic Lexington, Massachusetts, Sperry Top-Sider is a division of The Stride Rite Corporation, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE:PSS). For more information, please visit www.sperrytopsider.com.

About the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics and US SAILING
The US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top three boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. US SAILING supports these elite athletes with funding, coaching and training. The title sponsor of the team is AlphaGraphics; other sponsors include Rolex, Atlantis WeatherGear, Sperry Top-Sider, LaserPerformance, Harken, Team McLube, Bow Down Training, and New England Ropes. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US SAILING is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country. For more information about US SAILING, please visit: www.ussailing.org. For more information about the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, please visit: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org.