IRONMAN has confirmed a multi-year global partnership that expands its relationship with ROKA, the Austin-based performance multisport brand. This new partnership makes ROKA the Official Global Wetsuit and Swim Partner of IRONMAN and the IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship events.
The partnership between IRONMAN and ROKA will further a relationship that began in 2014. Besides an expanded physical presence at IRONMAN events across the globe, ROKA and IRONMAN are collaborating on IRONMAN World Championship swim products this October in honour of IRONMAN’s 40th Anniversary.
Additionally, ROKA will now sell co-branded swim products online via www.ironmanstore.com and roka.com, and will continue to give out the ROKA Fastest Swimmer Award to congratulate the fastest age group athlete during each event’s swim.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with IRONMAN,” said ROKA CEO and Co-Founder Rob Canales. “IRONMAN is the best in the world at providing the ultimate endurance race experience, and ROKA is the best in the world at supporting those athletes with technical products that meet the demands of the day. We’re excited to collaborate with IRONMAN on new products and services and to immediately bring our existing ones to more athletes around the world.”
In the last six years, ROKA notes that it has ‘designed the world’s most advanced high-performance wetsuits, goggles, eyewear, swimskins and race apparel, which have been worn to numerous world titles and over 50 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 wins by the world’s best triathletes’. These include sponsored athletes such as: Javier Gómez Noya, Lucy Charles, Tim Reed, Melissa Hauschildt, Luke McKenzie, Meredith Kessler, Linsey Corbin, Jesse Thomas and more.
‘With this new partnership, IRONMAN athletes will be able to sample ROKA’s ground-breaking technology before they buy at each IRONMAN event in the IRONMAN Village and have exclusive access to new products during the lead up to their races.’
“I first tried ROKA’s Maverick wetsuit and Viper swimskin in 2014 and have been using both ever since; however the products have at times been difficult to find outside the US.” said Javier Gómez Noya, two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion who splits time between Spain and New Zealand. “With this expanded partnership, IRONMAN athletes from around the globe can now get their hands on the cutting-edge technology that has been my secret weapon for the past four years.”
Just six years from its humble beginnings in a garage in Austin, ROKA has grown to become a leading wetsuit and swimwear brand; and its ‘Viper swimskin has been trusted by more athletes at the IRONMAN World Championships than any other brand for multiple years running.’
“ROKA embodies the spirit of innovation and ingenuity that aligns well with the needs of our athletes,” said Matthieu Van Veen Chief Revenue Officer for IRONMAN. “We are eager to expand this partnership to cover all of our events globally and bring ROKA’s swimwear products to our athletes around the world.”
In 2018, ROKA will have a presence across the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Series, including 40 races in North America, 32 in Europe, and 13 in Oceania, as well as the IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
