Boathouse
Sports has been named as the official apparel supplier for the U.S. Rowing
National Team. The deal will include apparel used in the Worlds, held in August
in Poland, the 2012 Olympic
Games in London
and all USRowing events through Oct. 1, 2013. Nike had been the outfitter for
the past eight years.

 

The deal
is considered Philadelphia-based Boathouse's largest sponsorship deal to date..
Financial terms were not disclosed. The relationship, starting Oct. 1, will
encompass online-and-event merchandising, including the sale of licensed
USRowing products available to the public.

 

“Providing and developing the best performance product for the world’s
most elite athletes has always been Boathouse’s mission from day one,”
said Boathouse Sports Founder and CEO John Strotbeck. “As an active
member of USRowing and a former member of the U.S. National and Olympic
Teams, it is with great personal pride that we enter into this
partnership, as we both work to expand the sport of rowing and put more
American rowers on the medal stand at the 2012 Olympics in London.”


Founded in 1989 by two-time Olympic rower Strotbeck, Boathouse Sports will become the exclusive athletic apparel supplier
for the U.S. Senior and Under 23 National Teams, as well as the U.S. Rowing
Training Center, effective immediately. Boathouse will work with USRowing and
its athletes to develop a new unisuit specifically for the national team.

 

Beginning
October 1, 2009, Boathouse Sports will become the exclusive online and event
merchandising partner of U.S. Rowing. Boathouse Sports will create a new USRowing
Store on its Web site; manage all sourcing, merchandising and selling of
licensed products in the online store and at events; and promote the
partnership through public relations, joint marketing programs, online
advertising and participation at events.

 

“We
are very excited to work with Boathouse Sports,” said U.S. Rowing Chief
Executive Officer Glenn Merry. “They represent a tradition and have roots
in our community that extend back through both the team and the sport. They
understand our athletes’ needs, and we look forward to a strong partnership. I
still have my Boathouse jacket from when I was a college rower. It's a brand
that makes sense to have as part of the USRowing family.”

 

The
agreement runs through October 1, 2013.

 

Based in
the city of Philadelphia
since its inception, where it manufactures over 95 percent of its products,
Boathouse has earned an exclusive customer base of schools, universities and
teams.