Local sunscreen brand Skinnies has partnered with Surfing New Zealand as an official supplier and with a welcome ambition to support talent development.
In the freshly inked deal Skinnies will become the official sunscreen of Surfing New Zealand and support the development of emerging talent by providing the Skinnies VW Van for training camp road trips.
Surfing New Zealand general manager Ben Kennings said the brand echoed that of Surfing New Zealand when it came to protecting New Zealand’s coastal environment.
“As a New Zealand-owned, environmentally friendly company, Skinnies fits well with our desire to develop world class surfers here in New Zealand while protecting and enhancing their well-being and the well-being of our coastal environment,” he explains. “We’re looking forward to sharing the benefits of Skinnies’ great product with the surfing community this summer, starting at our Nationals that run from 10-16 January at Piha”.
This is not Skinnies first foray into supporting the development of surfing in New Zealand. They were pivotal in the success of Fiji Launchpad in 2017 that was developed by Box of Light and Surfing New Zealand’s president Chris Fougere.
Skinnies’ co-founder Olly Van Arts was excited about the potential of the new deal.
“Skinnies is a performance brand that really fits the lifestyle of surfers, so we’re delighted to form an official partnership with Surfing New Zealand,” Van Arts shares. “Surfing is one of those sports where you are fully exposed to the elements, the hot sun, and many sunscreens are known to wash off easily in saltwater. Skinnies sunscreen doesn’t evaporate or come off when you get active, so we’re excited to associate Skinnies with this popular sport.”
The new deal is an encouraging one from Surfing New Zealand, which has struggled to gain traction in terms of fresh corporate sponsorship over the years. Let’s hope this is the turning of the tide …