OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - CHICAGO, January 5, 2009 — The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo, announced today the addition of three new professional athletes to their elite team roster, including 14-year-old pro skateboarder Chaz Ortiz, 17-year-old pro snowboarder Ellery Hollingsworth, and 20-year-old pro BMX rider Nigel Sylvester. This marks the first beverage sponsorship deal for all three athletes.
 
In addition to working with Ortiz, Hollingsworth, and Sylvester, Gatorade also has plans to support professional and amateur action sports events in 2009 and will do more with parks and in films as well.
 
“We’re excited to take our presence in action sports to the next level,” said Kenny Mitchell, action sports team manager with Gatorade.  “Many skaters and riders are using our products already because they know Gatorade is what you reach for when you want to stay hydrated and fueled so you can session longer.  We think tapping into this interest is a very authentic move for us as a brand.”
 
Chaz Ortiz, Pro Skateboarder
In 2008, Ortiz took home several pro wins, including the overall 2008 Dew Tour title in Skate Park, edging out three-time reigning champ Ryan Sheckler.
 
“The support from Gatorade means a lot to me and I think it’s important for skateboarding too,” said Ortiz.  “It’s a sweaty sport, and if you want to stay out there and keep skating, you have to be hydrated so it just makes sense for Gatorade to support skaters.”
 
Ellery Hollingsworth, Pro Snowboarder
As a member of the US Snowboarding Team, Hollingsworth is a hopeful for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and is qualified to compete in the 2008/09 Junior World Championships, Winter X Games and Dew Tour Series.
 
Hollingsworth’s focus on fitness aids in her success in the halfpipe as does her multisport interests including surfing, skating, running and swimming.
 
“I’m really excited about joining the Gatorade team,” said Hollingsworth.  “This is going to be a really busy year with a lot of travel and competitions.  I want to ride as much as I can so I’m stoked to have the support I do from Gatorade because I really see them helping me a lot in maximizing my hydration and nutrition strategies so I can keep raising the bar in terms of my skills.”
 
 
Nigel Sylvester, Pro BMX Rider
Sylvester is the owner of a BMX shop in Queens, NY. He rides primarily for photoshoots and for filming purposes, and appears in many BMX films and print ads.
 
“When we film, I’ll be riding and pushing myself for hours on end,” said Nigel Sylvester.  “Having support from a product like Gatorade is great and will definitely be beneficial at times when getting that ‘one last shot’ can last for hours.”
 
Chaz Ortiz, Ellery Hollingsworth and Nigel Sylvester join a world class roster of athletes also with Gatorade, including basketball legend Michael Jordan, New York Yankees star Derek Jeter and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, to name a few.
 
 
 
About Gatorade
The Gatorade Company is a division of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP). The Gatorade hydration portfolio includes the nation’s leading sports drink, Gatorade® Thirst Quencher, as well as Gatorade Tiger™ Focus, G2® and propel®. Gatorade is designed to meet the needs of all athletes, no matter where they’re active. Gatorade is backed by more than 40 years of research and is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes, and provide carbohydrate energy to enhance athletic performance. G2 is a low-calorie sports drink containing electrolytes, B vitamins and antioxidant vitamins C and E to support a healthy lifestyle. Gatorade Tiger Focus contains theanine, which when combined with advanced hydration and carbohydrate, helps promote mental focus. As a line of lightly flavored, nutrient-enhanced water beverages, propel has 10 calories per eight-ounce serving and essential vitamins. PepsiCo’s overall hydration portfolio includes leadership brands Gatorade, propel, Aquafina® and SoBe Life Water®. For more information, please visit http://www.gatorade.com and http://www.pepsico.com.