jcpenney Gets Kids Closer to the Action With Dew Tour Sponsorship

PLANO, Texas, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As a returning sponsor of the Dew Tour for 2011, jcpenney is getting kids closer to the excitement of action sports and giving them up close and personal access to Dew Tour athletes.   This year's sponsorship includes special appearances by Dew Tour athletes, limited edition t-shirts from Zoo York®, Vans® and Dickies® and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to "Ride with the Pros."

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110222/DA51975LOGO)

A popular multi-city action sports competition, Dew Tour features major events in four markets showcasing the skills of some of the world's best skateboard and BMX athletes as well as a festival village full of fun for the whole family. An extensive selection of jcpenney's action sports brands for Back-to-School including Zoo York, Vans, Hoodie Buddie™, Tapout® and Rusty® will also be highlighted during the tour, reinforcing jcpenney's offering of authentic action sports brands.

"jcpenney is committed to offering the best action sports brands to enthusiastic fans who have a unique sense of style and individuality," said Steve Lawrence, EVP and senior general merchandise manager for jcpenney.  "For the third consecutive year, the Dew Tour has been a perfect platform to showcase jcpenney's action sports merchandise and align with a like-minded partner who understands how to provide a fun and affordable family experience."

In-Store Events

jcpenney will kick off the sponsorship with in-store events one week prior to the Dew Tour arriving in each market where customers can win a chance to "Ride with the Pros" and create their own personalized Dew Tour t-shirt.    

Ride with the Pros:

The first 80 local fans to sign up at the participating jcpenney store in each market will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to skate on the official Dew Tour competition course with professional Dew Tour athletes. The lucky 80 local skaters will be granted VIP access to the skate park and will receive two general admission tickets for friends and family to the Dew Tour event.  In addition, they'll be able to:

• Go behind the scenes and tour the Dew Tour grounds and facilities
• Have a one-hour skate session with a professional Dew Tour skater
• Have the opportunity to compete in a "Best Trick" contest

In-Store T-Shirt Design Station:

jcpenney customers can pick from a series of limited edition designs from Zoo York, Dickies and Dew Tour that will be pressed on-site.  An MS tag printed on the back will also connect to an exclusive micro-site (www.jcp.com/dewtour).  Customers who wear the t-shirts during "Ride with the Pros" at Dew Tour will receive VIP treatment.  

On-Site at The Dew Tour

jcpenney will host a lounge in Festival Village at each of the four Dew Tour stops.  Attendees will have a place to relax, get out of the sun and interact with their favorite athletes while a DJ spins the hottest mixes.  The lounge will feature:

• Mini Half-Pipe - Attendees can skate and show off their tricks to the Festival Village crowd.
• Premium Give-aways - Attendees can come and pick up premium items from jcpenney and their retail brand partners with opportunities to win special prizes, VIP tickets, and event credentials.
• Special Appearances/Autograph signings – Specific action sports athletes, including Chaz Ortiz – will stop by the lounge to engage with their fans and sign autographs.

"I think it's awesome that jcpenney is at Dew Tour again," said Zoo York's Chaz Ortiz. "It's cool to have the opportunity to meet and hang out with local fans at the signings and onsite at the event."

Event Schedule:

• Ocean City, MD
  • July 21-24: Dew Tour Pantech Open
• Portland, OR
  • August 6: jcpenney Washington Square Mall
  • August 11-14: Dew Tour Portland Invitational
• Salt Lake City, UT
  • Sept 3: jcpenney Valley Fair Mall
  • September 8-11 :Dew Tour Toyota Challenge
• Las Vegas, NV
  • Oct 8: jcpenney The Meadows Shopping Center
  • October 13-16: Dew Tour Championships

jcpenney Media Contact:

Danika Berry or Ann Marie Bishop; 972-431-3400; [email protected]

About J. C. Penney Company, Inc.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc., one of America's leading retailers, operates over 1,100 jcpenney department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, jcp.com. Serving more than half of America's families each year, the jcpenney brand offers a wide array of private, exclusive and national brands which reflect the Company's vision to be America's shopping destination for discovering great styles at compelling prices. Traded as "JCP" on the New York Stock Exchange, the $17.8 billion retailer is transforming its organization to support its Long Range Plan strategies to build a sustainable, profitable enterprise that serves its customers, engages its associates and rewards its shareholders. For more information, visit www.jcpenney.net.

Dew Tour

The Dew Tour consists of four major, multi-sport events spanning across the country, with a cumulative points system, more than $2 million in event and bonus purses, awarded at year-end based on overall tour standings. The Tour features skateboarding (street and vert) and BMX (park, vert and dirt) along with skateboard bowl, surf and freestyle motocross. At season's end, the overall points leaders in the five disciplines will be crowned year-end champions and awarded the prestigious Dew Cup. As part of an Alli property, key lifestyle elements complement the competitions at each Tour event including the Festival Village, specialty competitions, and live, cutting-edge music. The Dew Tour is broadcast live on NBC Sports with additional competition and lifestyle broadcasts on MTV, MTV2 and USA. The Dew Tour is also distributed on Fuel TV, Universal HD, and internationally on Eurosport, Fox Australia, Extreme Channel and Allarco Superchannel. The Dew Tour partners include Mountain Dew (tour title sponsor), Toyota, Pantech, Nike 6.0, Ball Park, jcpenney, Paul Mitchell, PlayStation® and PowerBar. More information can be found at www.Allisports.com.

AlliSports

AlliSports, is an action sports lifestyle brand whose mission is to connect fans with athletes and brands through best in class events, media, and authentic branded products.  AlliSports includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship and the Gatorade Free Flow Tour; Alli Media which creates, produces, and distributes original content; Alli RideShop an online retailer carrying top skate and bmx consumer products; and Alli MotoShop an online retailer carrying top moto consumer products.  AlliSports is owned by NBC Sports.  More information can be found at www.Allisports.com.

SOURCE JCPenney