LOUISVILLE, Colo. (Jan 18, 2022) — PEARL iZUMi, the worldwide leader in cycling apparel and footwear, is pleased to announce its official partnership with Canadian freeride mountain biker, Mark Matthews. Matthews, 31, will work with PEARL iZUMi to be a voice for the brand’s initiatives centered around the mountain bike community, sustainability and culture.
“I am stoked to partner with a brand like PEARL iZUMi that values both trail stewardship and product sustainability,” said Matthews. “I’m proud to wear product that I know will perform both on the bike and while I’m building trails, and is made with the least amount of environmental impact.”
Matthews’ love for freeriding and building trails dates back to his teenage years. His father inspired him to go through the local bureaucracy to build a jump park in his local community outside Victoria, British Columbia. His notable achievements include winning the 2012 NSMB AIRprentice and competing in the 2013 Red Bull Rampage. After he sustained an injury in the high-risk world of competition, Matthews redirected his talents towards trail building and content creation. He has over 350,000 Instagram followers, over 45,000 subscribers on YouTube and more than 750,000 followers on TikTok. His how-to videos and his Isolation and Blueprint video series are some of the most popular pieces of mountain bike content on the web.
“Partnering with Mark aligns with PEARL iZUMi’s ethos on many levels,” said PEARL iZUMi brand director Andrew Hammond. “He brings the stoke in everything he does and inspires people to go out and get involved in their local trail building associations. We look forward to working together to help amplify our brand’s voice in the mountain bike community.”
About PEARL iZUMi: PEARL iZUMi was founded on two things: the love of cycling and, more importantly, love for future generations. The brand originated more than 70 years ago in Japan when the founder created a special jersey out of technical fabric for his son, an aspiring bike racer. Since then, the company has been progressing the design and manufacture of performance apparel and footwear for cyclists of all levels. PEARL iZUMi believes that how we live shapes how future generations ride and is committed to using its business practices, products, and community advocacy to positively impact cycling. PEARL iZUMi’s world headquarters are located in the Colorado Front Range, where it embraces strong influence, both culturally and structurally, from its Japanese heritage.
