RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2014) — Falken Tire Corp. will be a sponsor of the live television coverage in May by Discovery Channel of Joby Ogwyn's human flight from the summit of Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain.
Falken said it will serve as one of the primary sponsors of the entire event, including having its logo on Mr. Joby's wing-suit, along with supporting his expedition and accompanying Sherpa team.
Mr. Joby is known for his high altitude climbs — with jumps from some of the most demanding peaks — and will climb from Mt. Everest's Camp IV at 26,000 feet to the mountain's summit of 29,035 and perform a wing-suit jump to Base Camp, a distance of more than 10,000 feet.
"Clearly, this type of jump is something only a select few can attempt, let alone accomplish, and Falken Tire is very excited to be along for the ride," Falken President and CEO Richard Smallwood said.
"This unique live airing definitely takes the concept of 'action sports' to a whole new level."
He said as Falken grows, so does its consumer base, and the company feels that sponsoring a "wide variety of events — from motorsports to Joby's triumphs as a climber and flight-suit jumper — will generate the kind of awareness we relish."
Mr. Joby said this jump will be the final piece of his dream.
"Ever since I was a kid, I've imagined what it would be like to fly. I can't think of a more spectacular backdrop than Everest," he said. "Everything that I've ever accomplished in my life has just been practice for what I'm about to do."
