Costa Mesa-based Vans Inc. signed on as the presenting sponsor for the International Surfing Association’s 2019 ISA World Surfing Games, which will be held in Miyazaki, Japan, Sept. 7 to 15 and serves as a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The event will also feature a two-day Surf Festival, showcasing the culture, food, music and lifestyle of surfing in Japan, and include performances by Japanese musicians Def Tech, HIRAIDAI and others.
The International Olympic Committee voted in 2016 to include surfing and skateboarding among the five new sports for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The action sports brand also sponsors Vans Pro Skate Park Series, a competition held in five countries “to inspire youth and grow skateboarding participation worldwide.”
Its marketing strategy appears to be working. Vans posted 20% increase in revenue in the fiscal first quarter. The unit is “well on its way to achieving its $5 billion target by 2023,” according to its parent, Denver-based VF Corp.
