After two successful years partnering with the USA Pro Challenge professional cycling race, Polar Bottle has extended its contract with the race organizers to be the official water bottle of the Colorado stage race for the next two years.
Considered the toughest professional cycling race in the United States, the USA Pro Challenge travels through Colorado’s mountain passes and top cycling destinations. Polar Bottle, founded and based in Boulder, Colorado, signed on as a race partner in 2012 with a line of six custom Pro Challenge insulated sport water bottles.
For a limited time only, athletes can get all six bottles (normally US$11.99 each) for only US$50 on the Polar Bottle website. The six-pack includes 24oz and 20oz size options.
The ‘Made in Colorado’ USA Pro Challenge bottle line features designs inspired by each of the five award jerseys. For the past two years, the line has also included a commemorative route bottle that mapped the 2012 and 2013 seven-stage race. Once the route has been finalized, a 2014 Commemorative Route bottle will be added again this year.
“Being the official water bottle of an elite cycling event like the USA Pro Challenge means a lot to our brand,” said Polar Bottle President Judy Amabile. “We are a small company that started out of a garage 20 years ago and now we are a major partner of one of the greatest cycling events in the country. That says a lot.”
The bottles are sold on the Polar Bottle website, and in bicycle and sports shops around the US. The bottles were also sold at the 2012 and 2013 races by the Polar Bottle events team, who travelled with the riders through the rigorous event. The company plans to attend several stages of the race again this year.
Judy Amabile and Robert Heiberger founded Product Architects Inc (Polar Bottle) in 1994. As avid cyclists and budding entrepreneurs, they wanted to develop a bottle that would keep liquids cool during long rides.
Robert, a mechanical engineer with experience working with heat loss, adapted his expertise to create the insulated Polar Bottle water bottle. From there, he and Judy began making the reusable insulated water bottles by hand with plastics sourced from Denver.
At that time, Polar Bottle had one employee, who helped produce bottles while Judy and Robert travelled around Colorado selling the product to individual bike shops. Today, Polar Bottle has grown to a company of more than 50 employees with customers around the world.
Referred to as ‘America’s Race’, the USA Pro Challenge will take place on 18-24 August 2014. For seven consecutive days, the world’s top athletes race through the majestic Colorado Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than most of us have ever had to endure.
One of the largest cycling events in US history and the largest spectator event in the history of the state of Colorado, the USA Pro Challenge is back for 2014. Featuring a challenging course, the fourth annual race will spotlight the best of the best in professional cycling and some of America’s most beautiful scenery.
www.polarbottle.com
www.USAProChallenge.com
