303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Sarah Giffard Office: 207.807.1100 Email: ridevegabond@gmail.com
AUBURN’S FIRST SKATEPARK OPENS IN SEPTEMBER Grand opening celebration to take place Labor Day weekend AUBURN, Ala. –The Vegabond Railroad located on Mitchum Avenue in Auburn will open Saturday September 4, 2010. The skate park is a joint venture between Vegabond and the City of Auburn, in an effort to improve the community. “I was hoping to provide an outlet for kids who aren’t interested in the traditional ball sports,” said David Zima the founder of VEGABond. “I wanted to find a way to get the kids who are looking for something to be passionate about involved. I wanted to share my passion with Auburn.” Zima also hopes to open the sport of skateboarding to those who are not traditionally exposed to it.
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The park will be open from 10 a.m. to sundown Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The City of Auburn will pay for lighting of the facility and paid for the construction of the facility. Vegabond will provide location security and skate park management. The park will be available for rent for events and parties. As a precaution, skaters will be asked to sign a waiver. Lessons provided by members of the Vegabond skate team will be offered at a minimal cost. The grand opening celebration will start at 10a.m. Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Various skating competitions and contests will take place throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. Free skateboarding clinics will be given and the Vega Van will be on hand with hourly giveaways. Skaters will also have an opportunity to meet their favorite Vegabond surf and skate team members. On Saturday night the park will stay open late for a performance by The Vegabonds, an Auburn rock band. The grand opening celebration of The Vegabond Railroad will also serve as the launch party for VEGABond.com. Admission during the grand opening celebration will be free. Tickets for The Vegabonds concert will cost $5, with all proceeds going to The Tony Hawk Foundation, a non-profit organization created to empower youth through action sports. For more information please contact Sarah Giffard at (334) 758-8342 or email at pr.vegabondbiz@gmail.com. Vegabond is a lifestyle brand which focuses on the action sports industry that was launched in the spring of 2009 by David Zima. The company produces skateboards, surfboards and a variety of soft goods with a mission to make action sports available to everyone. -###-more-
303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Sarah Giffard Office: 207.807.1100 Email: ridevegabond@gmail.com
VEGABOND.COM LAUNCHES IN AUGUST will serve as the online home for Vegabond AUBURN Ala. –Tuesday August, 31 2010 will mark the launch of Vegabond.com. Vegabond.com will serve as the online home to Vegabond, an action sports lifestyle brand. The website launch will be celebrated during the opening celebration for The Vegabond Railroad, a skate park created through a joint venture between Vegabond and the City of Auburn. The site features an online store, news and events page, company information page, Vegabond team page and a page for retail and wholesale buyers. In the online store, customers will be able to browse and purchase the full line of Vegabond merchandise, read information about the company and participate in forums about skating and surfing. Customers will also be able to customize t-shirts through the website as well as submit requests and designs for custom surf and skate boards.
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The news and events page will feature links to follow Vegabond on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. Users will also be able to subscribe to RSS feeds of Vegabond news and events as well as the Vega Van blog. Part tour bus, part skate and surf shop, the Vega Van travels around the country promoting Vegabond at action sports events. The Vegabond team page will feature athlete bios, photos and a listing of events in which Vegabond athletes are competing. Amateur action sports athletes will be able to apply for sponsorship and become a Vegabond. The company information page will feature a company history, a biography of founder David Zima, all contact information for the brand and a comprehensive press kit. Press releases will also be featured in the company information page via RSS. Retail and wholesale buyers can create an account through the buyer’s page which will allow them to view product catalogs in PDF form, request quotes, place merchandise orders and chat with other buyers about current trends. Buyer will also be able to view pictures of merchandising ideas and order in-store merchandising displays. Prior to the website launch Vegabond’s online presence was maintained through Facebook and a storefront on Zazzle.com. For more information please contact Sarah Giffard at (207) 807-1100 or email at ridevegabond@gmail.com. Vegabond is a lifestyle brand which focuses on the action sports industry that was launched in the spring of 2009 by David Zima. The company produces skateboards, surfboards and a variety of soft goods with a mission to make action sports available to everyone. -###-
303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Sarah Giffard Office: 207.807.1100 Email: ridevegabond@gmail.com
VEGABOND IS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN DAVID ZIMA CAUGHT HIS DREAMS passion meets tenacity in Vegabond skate and surf company AUBURN, Ala. –A student by day and an entrepreneur by night, David Zima lives a busy life. Last spring Zima, a student studying architecture at Auburn University, started a company that embraced the action sports lifestyle. Inspired by his love of skateboarding and surfing, Zima started designing t-shirts in the spring of 2009 under the brand name Sound Machine Army, while working more than 40 hours a week and taking classes full time. Zima’s hard work paid off. In the company’s first month of business it turned a profit. Things have gone uphill from there. After seeing the Sound Machine Army t-shirts grow in popularity, Zima ventured into designing and building skateboards on a small-scale basis. A month before the brand celebrated its one-year anniversary, Carrie Williams, a senior studying radio, television and film at Auburn, produced a video of Zima and another Auburn
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entrepreneur. Sound Machine Army was highlighted not only as an example of a student as an entrepreneur, but also as an example of finding success through following personal passion. Initially featured on Auburn’s Eagle Eye TV, Williams submitted the video to a contest sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called I Am Free Enterprise. As of April 2010, the video has had more than 7,000 views. A little more than a year after he created Sound Machine Army Zima took another step into the action sports industry. Zima started fabricating surfboards. Building and shaping a surfboard is a lengthy process that requires complete commitment by the person creating it. To complement the entry into yet another genre of action sports and to represent the commitment Zima felt he had to his customers, friends and family, Sound Machine Army was renamed Vegabond. The transition from Sound Machine Army to Vegabond was not easy. The change required Zima to abandon his original product line in order to make room for Vegabond. Nonetheless fans of the brand were excited to see what was to come. The designs used on Vegabond merchandise are created by Zima and by collaborations he has done with his friends. The designs evolve from geometric forms and free-hand drawings to create products that exude a relaxed edginess that is not often found, but often sought.. The designs can be seen on t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, skateboard decks, and surfboards. Zima plans to expand the Vegabond product line to include swimwear in the coming year. To Zima, Vegabond represents more than just a clothing company. Vegabond promotes skateboarding, surfing and other action sports as activities that can be shared by everyone regardless of background. In order to promote this idea, Vegabond recently participated in a skate park opening in Greensboro, Ala. At the opening celebration, Zima donated t-shirts and skateboards for prizes. The
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park was opened with the help of a $20,000 grant from The Tony Hawk Foundation, a non-profit organization created to empower youth through action sports. Zima has done everything he can to pursue his passion and to give back locally. The soft goods in the Vegabond line are embroidered and printed in Auburn and the wood and foam used to make his skateboard decks and surfboards are sourced from small businesses in the Southeastern United States. To make skateboarding available in Auburn, a public skate park is under construction as a joint venture between the Town of Auburn and Vegabond. The public skate park will be called The Vegabond Railroad and is scheduled to open on September 4, 2010. As part of the grand opening celebration The Vegabonds, a local rock band, will play a benefit concert. “I want to provide an outlet for kids who aren’t interested in the traditional ball sports,” said Zima. “Auburn is a great town, but I want to find a way to get the kids who are looking for something to be passionate about involved. I wanted to share my passion with Auburn.” Vegabond continues to grow and bring more and more people together through skating and surfing. -###-
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303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830 Contact Information: Sarah Giffard Office: 207.807.1100 Email: ridevegabond@gmail.com
FACT SHEET
Vegabond is a lifestyle brand which focuses on the action sports industry. The company primarily produces skateboards and surfboards on a small-scale basis.
Vegabond was launched in the spring of 2009 by David Zima, who started the company while he was studying architecture at Auburn University.
In addition to skateboards and surfboards, Vegabond also produces a line of hats and tshirts under the same brand.
Making action sports available to people of all backgrounds serves as a guiding principle for Vegabond.
Vegabond helped to sponsor the opening of the Greensboro skate park in Greensboro Ala. The company also sponsors the AU Rhythm dance team through apparel donations.
Vegabond is sold through word of mouth, and at Vegabond sponsored events; however a website is currently in the works.
In a campaign to spread skateboarding throughout the local community Vegabond joined forces with the City of Auburn to build a skate park.
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Goals for the next five years include opening a Vegabond store, expanding the product line to include women’s clothing and swimwear, and to create a larger brand presence throughout the United States.
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303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Sarah Giffard Office: 207.807.1100 Email: ridevegabond@gmail.com EXECUTIVE BIO: DAVID ZIMA
As an 11-year-old living in Del Ray Beach Fla., David Zima found his passion in the waters of the Atlantic. He fell in love with surfing. Zima spent as much time as he could surfing, and when he wasn’t in the water he learned to skateboard so he could ride the concrete wave. He surfed and skated through high school and was accepted into the Architecture program at Auburn University. He packed his bags and left his home on the Florida coast for the plains of Alabama. Although the town of Auburn is more diverse than other towns in Alabama, the local skateboarding scene is minimal. More than a four-hour drive from the ocean, Auburn’s location offered Zima no surfing opportunity. With surfing and skateboarding constantly in his thoughts and nowhere to express them, Zima felt like a fish without water until spring 2009. Zima decided to put his passion for skating and surfing towards a line of t-shirts. Driven by his desire to share his passion to make skating and surfing available to everyone, he created the
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Page 2 of 2 Sound Machine Army. Sourcing a local business to print the shirts, Zima created t-shirts that embraced the energy and excitement of skating and surfing. Even while taking a full load of classes and working full time, Zima began making skateboard decks. Sound Machine Army’s popularity grew over the next year and in spring of 2010 he began shaping surfboards. Zima changed the name of his company to Vegabond to accommodate the addition of surfboards to his product line. Motivated by his passions and by his desire to make skating and surfing available to everyone, Zima stays involved with the Auburn community through mentoring. Still working full-time at an apparel customization firm in Auburn and taking classes, Zima is currently working on designing a line of swimwear and board shorts for VEGABond to be released in the spring of 2011.
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303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Sarah Giffard Office: 207.807.1100 Email: ridevegabond@gmail.com
SKATE PARKS OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT Not every kid grows up playing ball sports. Not every kid belongs to a popular crowd. Not every kid fits in. Originally formed by self-proclaimed outsiders, the modern day skateboarding community offers refuge for youth that breaks the mold. Skate parks serve as the epicenter of the skating community. They offer a safe haven where skaters can express themselves without having to conform to mainstream society. Granted, there is some pressure to perform, but that pressure is countered with encouragement by other skaters. Skateboarding helps youth to build self confidence which can translate to other parts of life, and skate parks provide the venue. “In the communities with no skate park, where skateboarding is banned on city streets, skaters are frustrated from being targeted by police,” according to the Tony Hawk Foundation, a
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non-profit organization created to empower children through skateboarding. “They are discouraged rather than encouraged to pursue their otherwise healthy pastime.� Creating a safe place for kids who break the mold is the primary reason why the town of Auburn should support the creation of a public skate park. Auburn has plenty of opportunities for traditional youth sports; there is a void that can best be filled with a skate park. As part of an initiative to make action sports available and accessible to everyone, Vegabond has teamed up with the Town of Auburn to build a skate park. The Vegabond Railroad will be located on Mitchum Avenue in the space once occupied by the Auburn Railroad Depot. Located within walking distance from local schools, the Vegabond Railroad will provide an opportunity for youth in Auburn to grow through skateboarding. Sarah Giffard is the director of public relations for Vegabond, an action sports lifestyle company that operates with a mission to make action sports available to everyone. -###-
303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830
Vegabond The Vegabond Railroad Grand Opening
Total time 0:33 Sarah Giffard, producer
ANNOUNCER: JOIN THE CITY OF AUBURN AND VEGABOND (VE-GA-BOND) AS THEY CELEBRATE THE GRAND OPENING OF AUBURN’S FIRST SKATE PARK, THE VEGABOND (VEGA-BOND) RAILROAD, ON MITCHUM (MITCH-UM) AVENUE.
THE PARTY STARTS SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH AT 10 AM AND CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY WITH SKATE COMPETITIONS, RAFFLES AND GIVEAWAYS.
ON SATURDAY NIGHT, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE DAY’S EVENTS, LOCAL ROCK BAND THE VEGABONDS (VE-GA-BONDS) WILL TAKE THE STAGE IN A BENEFIT CONCERT.
TICKETS TO THE CONCERT ARE $5, BUT ADMISSION IS FREE DURING THE DAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO AOTOURISM.COM (A-O-TOURISM-DOT-COM) OR CALL 7588342. -###-
303 East Glenn StreetAuburn, AL 36830 Vegabond The Vegabond Railroad Grand Opening
Total time 1:03 Sarah Giffard, producer
ANNOUNCER: JOIN THE CITY OF AUBURN AND VEGABOND (VE-GA-BOND) AS THEY CELEBRATE THE GRAND OPENING OF AUBURN’S FIRST SKATE PARK, THE VEGABOND (VEGA-BOND) RAILROAD, ON MITCHUM (MITCH-UM) AVENUE.
THE PARTY STARTS SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH AT 10 A.M. AND CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY WITH SKATE CONTESTS AND COMPETITIONS. THE VEGA (VE-GA) VAN WILL ALSO BE ON HAND WITH HOURLY GIVEAWAYS AND RAFFLES.
KIDS CAN COME GET A FREE SKATEBOARDING LESSON FROM THEIR FAVORITE VEGABOND TEAM MEMBER AND DEMO NEW EQUIPMENT FROM VEGABOND.
ON SATURDAY NIGHT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE DAY’S EVENTS LOCAL ROCK BAND THE VEGABONDS WILL TAKE THE STAGE IN A BENEFIT CONCERT.
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TICKETS TO THE CONCERT ARE $5, BUT ADMISSION IS FREE DURING THE DAY. ALL PROCEEDS FROM TICKET SALES WILL GO TOWARDS THE TONY HAWK FOUNDATION, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION CREATED TO EMPOWER YOUTH THROUGH ACTION SPORTS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VEGABOND RAILROAD OPENING DAY CELEBRATION, PLEASE GO TO AOTOURISM.COM (A-O-TOURISM-DOT-COM) OR CALL 7588342.
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