Last year Oakley debuted the REVTour, a pre-season, on-snow demo designed to communicate the message of Oakley’s High Definiation Optics to the masses. Oakley reps invited top accounts as well as local consumers to interact one-on-one with the brand through on-hill shred days with Oakley athletes, custom goggle bars, educational Oakley HDO technology tours through the Rolling O Lab, parties, music acts, movie premiers and more.

This year the tour aims to kick-off the snow season by reaching more locations, utilize even more top athletes and will be featured in a weeklong series on FUEL TV. Oakley is excited to partner with FUEL TV to showcase the tour on the network’s daily interview and variety show “The Daily Habit.”

The REVTour is centered around communicating the message of Oakley’s HDO to the masses, and it does so by utilizing the Rolling O Lab fleet of trucks. The Rolling O Lab is Oakley’s research and development laboratory on wheels that focuses on educating consumers and accounts alike about the innovation and protection from the winter elements offered in Oakley’s goggles, including but not limited to, impact protection, UV protection and clear vision provided through the best optics available. Oakley developed HDO technology to meet the demands of the world’s greatest athletes – these same technologies are built into each piece offered to the consumer.

“This is a great opportunity to bring image and technology together and take our two brands on the road with some of the best snow athletes in the world,” said Pat McIlvain, Oakley VP of Global Sports Marketing. “Oakley’s week with the ‘The Daily Habit’ will make for some great television, highlighting our world class snowboard and ski teams personality, style and progression.”

For the first time ever, “The Daily Habit” will be filmed outside of Los Angeles, on location for one special week in downtown Breckenridge, Colorado in front of an authentic mountain community. Look for Oakley’s world class athletes including Olympic silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler, two-time Olympic silver medalist Danny Kass, seven time X Games gold medalist Tanner Hall and many more to be featured in one-on-one interviews on Breckenridge’s Riverwalk Plaza, as well as on-hill shred sessions at Breckenridge Resort and Copper Mountain. These shows will be shot the week of the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix, December 8 – 13, 2008 with an on-set audience.

“FUEL TV is really excited about our upcoming partnership with Oakley,” says Scott Paridon, FUEL TV VP of Production and Development. “We look forward to featuring its world class athletes on ‘The Daily Habit’ in a completely new location. These shows will take FUEL TV to a whole new level and provide viewers with a fun and unique experience.”
 

Turns out Oakley, the sunglasses and bunch of other things maker, had an employee who liked to “borrow” a lot of stuff.

Police searched a former employee’s home in Santa Ana, CA, after Oakley let them know about many items it had found for sale online on eBay.  There they found approximately $1 million in stolen merchandise taken by the employee (or $250,000 according to some results — still not small potatoes).

Authorities recovered 9,800 pieces from the ex-employee’s home, including very unique items that were not available to the public.  Oakley figured the items were either stolen by an insider or counterfeit.

The ex-employee Oscar Zuniga is being held on $100,000 bail with an immigration hold.  Charges are still pending.

Find out more about the crazy story here.

Oscar Zuniga booking photo. cr. OC Sheriff’s Dept.

Last year Oakley started a campaign for women called “Uniquely” featuring some of its athletes in photo shoots/advertisements and videos.  Now that campaign has kicked into high gear with the release of a new HD film featuring most of the top-flight Oakley women in a “cultural journey” around the globe.

Among the featured athletes are snowboarders Gretchen Bleiler, Marie-France Roy, Elena Hight and Chanelle Sladics, surfers Karina Petroni and Layne Beachley, skiers Kristi Leskinen and Grete Eliassen and wakeboarder Amber Wing, among others.

The film will be distributed in the US via Foam magazine and through Oakley retailers, and an online release is probably an option down the line.  There will also be a five-city/three country tour in October starting in Colorado and ending in London (check out the release at the end of this story for more on that).

For more about the film you can check out Oakley and watch the trailer.  And if you’re interested, the music is MGMT “Time to Pretend.”  Pretty sweet, eh?

Here’s the full release about the film.

Oakley Announces Women’s Action Sports Film Entitled, “Uniquely”
1242 Productions Releases Fifth Film

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., Oct. 1, 2008 – Oakley, Inc., in conjunction with 1242 Productions, announced today the upcoming release of “Uniquely,” a 35-minute travel inspired women’s action sports film shot exclusively in High-Definition (HD).

“’Uniquely’ showcases the diverse personalities, lifestyles and athletic talents of the Oakley women’s team,” said Liesl Holtz, “Uniquely” Executive Producer. “The film exposes the joys and challenges of being a professional athlete while inspiring us all to create our own adventures.”

“Uniquely” takes viewers on a cultural journey through Japan, Russia, Colorado, California, Indonesia, Australia and beyond.  Explore the remote corners of the earth with the women of Oakley, as they search for perfect conditions while building lasting memories and lifelong friendships.

The film stars snowboarders Gretchen Bleiler, Marie-France Roy, Elena Hight, Anne-Flore Marxer, Chanelle Sladics and Etsuko Tominaga; skateboarders Lauren Perkins and Lyn-z Adams Hawkins; surfers Karina Petroni, Leilani Gryde, Layne Beachley and Claudia Goncalves; skiers Kristi Leskinen, Grete Eliassen and Angeli VanLaanen and wakeboarder Amber Wing.

“To me, ‘Uniquely’ is a reunion of passionate girls who want to share their passion for their sport,” said Oakley snowboarder Marie-France Roy. “It’s a mix of adventures and portraits that show how beautiful life can be when you find what you really love and you sacrifice everything for it.”

The film was shot, directed and edited by John Roderick, who used HD and RED cameras to capture progressive action while creating a vivid picture of the world.

“Uniquely” will be distributed by Foam magazine in the United States, Cooler magazine in Europe, Yen magazine in Australia and Transworld Snowboarding magazine in Japan.

The film is also available at participating Oakley retailers.

“Uniquely” Film Tour:

October 3, Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, CO
October 8, Henry Afrikas, Manly, Australia
October 8, Hotel Ipanema Plaza, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
October 23, Oakley Headquarters, Foothill Ranch, CA
October TBD, London, UK

About Oakley, Inc.

The global leader in performance sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear, Oakley also offers technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. The company was created for athletes who see impossibility as just another challenge, and their dedication inspires Oakley to seek out problems, solve with innovation and wrap invention in art. Exceeding the limits of possibility for more than thirty years, Oakley serves the demands of world-class athletes with unbeatable technologies including High Definition Optics® (HDO®). Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.

Olympic silver medalist and four-time X Games snowboard champ Gretchen Bleiler has a new collection from Oakley that’s hitting stores this fall.  Not only will it include sunglasses, but also jackets and other clothing, including a beanie — a total of 17 pieces in all.

“I wanted to create clothing I would be excited to wear, something entirely new that could take me from daily riding to just chilling,” said Bleiler in the release pimping the new line.

While most of the gear is made for snowboarders like Bleiler, there are things like t-shirts that anyone in any environment can enjoy.  As long as they are female, of course.

If you don’t live in an area where someone carries the line, you are still in luck.  You can check the items out online at Oakley.com and buy from there, too.  Just in time to watch Bleiler perform at this winter’s inaugural AST contests and at the Winter X Games.

Many surfers are happy to win one event a year — but few can say they’ve won the same event three years in a row.  Nate Yeomans did just that Sunday after winning the Oakley Newport Beach Pro for the third year in a row.

Yeomans had few problems in the four-man final, scoring an 8.50 in the opening minutes that helped him secure the top comined score of 15.37.

After the win at the 2-Star ASP WQS event Yeomans moved to No. 26 on the 2008 ASP WQS ratings, and he still hopes to qualify for the ASP World Tour in 2009.

“I’m a little bit speechless after all this,” Yeomans said. “Everyone is coming up to me and saying that no one has ever won a ‘QS three years in a row and that kind of spins me out. It’s great. I love this event and it’s a great confidence boost heading into the rest of the year. My goal is to qualify for the ASP World Tour and I’m planning to do that in the next few months.”

Get more info about the win at the official site and keep reading for a release from the day’s action.

 Nathan Yeomans Wins Third Consecutive Oakley Newport Beach Pro

NEWPORT BEACH, California (Sunday, September 21, 2008) – Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, has claimed his third consecutive event title with a big win at the 2008 Oakley Newport Beach Pro over fellow finalists Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 18, Travis Mellem (San Clemente, CA), 23, and Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA), 26, in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Newport Beach’s 56th Street.

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2-Star event is the second of three stops on the 2008 Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series (an ASP North America Specialty Series), and Yeomans’ emphatic victory vaults the phenomenal goofy-footer into the lead heading intp the third and final stop in Santa Cruz this October.

Yeomans, the two-time defending event champion and 2006 Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series Champion, wasted no time in this afternoon’s Final, picking off an excellent 8.50 out of a possible 10 for detonating on a roping lefthander in the opening minutes.

“I knew that all the other guys were ripping so I wasn’t planning on leaving anything to chance out there,” Yeomans said. “I got that pretty good left at the start and that set me up for the rest of the heat. Dillon (Perillo) was ripping everything that came his way, but I got a solid righthander about midway through and was able to throw a little backhand air and that sealed it for me.”

Currently sitting No. 26 on the 2008 ASP WQS ratings, Yeomans will be looking to use the momentum from today’s win as he continues his campaign to qualify for the prestigious ASP World Tour in 2009.

“I’m a little bit speechless after all this,” Yeomans said. “Everyone is coming up to me and saying that no one has ever won a ’QS three years in a row and that kind of spins me out. It’s great. I love this event and it’s a great confidence boost heading into the rest of the year. My goal is to qualify for the ASP World Tour and I’m planning to do that in the next few months.”

Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 18, former No. 8 on the 2008 ASP North America Pro Junior Series, claimed the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior today over fellow finalists Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 20, Michael Dunphy (Virginia Beach, VA), 18, and Trevor Saunders (San Clemente, CA), 19. The stylish natural-footer comboed the field, netting a 9.33 and an 8.83 (throwing away a 7.33) with a blistering series of backhand blasts and forehand aerials to secure his first ASP Pro Junior victory.

“It feels great to get that first win out there,” Perillo said. “There were so many good guys in that Final and I’m stoked to come out on top. I came really close a couple of weeks ago at Ponto, but came up just short. I was in a really good rhythm for the junior Final and everything just went my way.”

Competing in both the Oakley Pro Junior and the ASP WQS 2-Star Oakley Newport Beach Pro, Perillo took honors for being the form surfer of the event, announcing himself as a legitimate threat on the 2008 ASP North America Tour.

“I was maybe a little bit tired for the men’s Final,” Perillo said. “It’s a whole new level of surfing in the men’s division and I felt like I had it in me, but Nate (Yeomans) was ripping and kind of unstoppable. Still, I’m stoked with 2nd and it’s been a pretty good day for me all in all.”

Highlights from the Oakley Newport Beach Pro and Oakley Pro Junior will be available via www.newportbeachpro.com

The next stop on the 2008 ASP North America Men’s Tour is the ASP WQS 4-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz from October 21 – 26, 2008. The ASP North America Pro Junior will be culminating alongside the O’Neill Cold Water Classic with the ASP Grade-3 Oakley Pro Junior.

The ASP WQS 4-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic and ASP Grade-3 Oakley Pro Junior in Santa Cruz will also culminate the 2008 Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com and www.aspnorthamerica.org

RESULTS: Day 6

Oakley Newport Beach Pro – ASP WQS 2-Star Men’s

Final
1 – Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.37
2 – Dillon Perillo (USA) 13.67
3 – Travis Mellem (USA) 12.40
4 – Micah Byrne (USA) 10.57

Semifinals: 8 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd advance)
SF 1: Dillon Perillo (USA) 12.40, Travis Mellem (USA) 10.90, Brett Barley (USA) 10.16, Darrell Goodrum (USA) 9.30
SF 2: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.83, Micah Byrne (USA) 14.60, Asher Nolan (USA) 11.90, Brad Ettinger (USA) 11.10

Oakley Pro Junior – ASP Grade-2 Pro Junior Men’s

Final:
1 – Dillon Perillo (USA) 18.16
2 – Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.16
3 – Michael Dunphy (USA) 11.93
4 – Trevor Saunders (USA) 9.86

Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series (ASP North America Specialty Series) Ratings:

ASP WQS Men
1 – Nathan Yeomans (USA) 2,175 points
2 – Asher Nolan (USA) 1,800 points
3 – Joel Centeio (HAW) 1,650 points
3 – Kieran Horn (USA) 1,650 points

ASP Pro Junior
1 – Sebastian Zietz (USA) 778 points
2 – Dillon Perillo (USA) 725 points
3 – Jason Harris (USA) 630 points

…Whoa, I was way off on what I thought this movie was about.  First of all it stars all girl athletes.  And it doesn’t have just snowboarding, but skateboarding and surfing as well.  Honestly I don’t watch many girl-involved sports except for mud wrestling but I may actually give this one a chance.  Nice job Oakley. 

• Big-wave surfer Milton Willis involved in a car crash, killing his passenger
• Have you heard of the documentary D.O.P.E. (Death or Prison Eventually)? It’s about skateboarders Jay Adams, Christian Hosoi, Dennis Martinez and Bruce Logan.
• Deaf motocross racer Ashley Fiolek wins her second event of the season.
• Catch up with Blake “Bilko” Williams, the FMX rider who could challenge Nate Adams at this year’s AST Dew Tour.
• In eight months Oakley has raised $1 million for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Not bad.
• Did you see Tony Hawk on “Million Dollar Password” last night? Me neither.
• More about “cyclist” Kevin Robinson’s quest for a world record.
• Check out Scotty Cranmer’s new signature shoe for Vans.