Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Burton Snowboards Re-Signs Kazu Kokubo & Mikey Rencz

BURLINGTON, VT (November 1, 2010) Fifteen years ago on two different
continents, local reps from Burton Snowboards spotted Japanese rider
Kazuhiro Kokubo and Canadian rider Mikey Rencz at just about the same time,
and started flowing them product. Fast-forward to today, where both riders
are now internationally acclaimed and both are still with Burton, after just
re-signing head-to-toe contracts.

³When my recent contract with Burton was up, I had a lot of choices as far
as sponsors go,² said Kazu. ³But I wanted to stay with Burton because they
are so dedicated to snowboarding and their team riders, along with making
the best product and supporting the sport. All of these things are very
important to me.²

Kazu¹s name is virtually synonymous with style in the snowboard world, and
this along with his explosive amplitude have made him a crowd favorite at
home and abroad. He has been stacking results since the start, beginning
with a Nippon Open win at 15 years old and a 2nd in the Burton Global Open
series in 2008. A two-time Olympian, Kazu earned a podium spot at almost
every event he entered last season. He also made history when he became the
first Japanese rider to take home the Burton US Open 2010 halfpipe title,
with a run that included his signature chicken wing McTwist and three‹count
Œem, three‹1080s. Kazu has also gained fans from North America to the Far
East with fluid segments in six Standard flicks, two Burton movies and three
guest appearances in production company Seven Samurai¹s films.

Kazu¹s teammate Mikey Rencz also has earned a long list of accolades. The
2004 film Promo Copy was his breakout performance, but he stepped up to
another level in 2006, earning the ender in Whiteout's Wear it Well. Since
then he has grown into one of the biggest names in Canadian snowboarding
with standout parts in Transworld¹s Get Real and the 8-Mile movie YO!, a
production for a grassroots company Mikey co-founded. He elevated his
profile even more in 2010 as he landed on the covers of both Snowboarder and
Snowboard Canada.

³Burton has been there for me since the beginning, and I wouldn't be where I
am today without their backing," said Mikey. "I have a lot of respect for
Jake and the company as a whole because of how much they do for snowboarding
and how much they involve riders in making the best product out there. I
wouldn't want to ride for anyone else.²

Burton is proud to have been supporting Kazu and Mikey since the beginning,
and their snowboard careers speak for themselves. Check out all of Kazu and
Mikey¹s career highlights in their timelines at www.burton.com/kazu and
www.burton.com/mikey

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