PRESS RELEASE
Goldwin Korea to sponsor the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour
12 December 2012, BERN, Switzerland: The UIAA – International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation has signed a sponsorship agreement with Goldwin Korea, the official license partner of The North Face in Korea, starting with the 2013 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour.
The agreement involves a long-term commitment by the UIAA and Goldwin Korea to champion and develop the sport of competitive ice climbing.
“An agreement such as this one is a sign of confidence that the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour which has been growing in popularity over the years is a top notch international event,” said UIAA president Frits Vrijlandt. “We are ready to take the sport to the next level and the support of a major company such as Goldwin Korea will ensure this happens.”
Kihak Sung who is Chief Executive Officer of Goldwin Korea said the sponsorship agreement with the UIAA is an evolution of the company’s continued and proud support of a number of Korean climbers and explorers since 1997.
“I am very delighted that we will support global climbers as sponsor company of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour series from 2013 to 2018,” said Sung. “I also look forward to the ongoing success of all UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour events.”
Sung who sent a video message to the UIAA General Assembly last month said that he is especially enthusiastic that the first stop in the 2013 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup tour will be in Cheongsong, Korea and he is looking forward to meeting ice climbers from all over the world.
The 2013 tour dates are:
- Cheongsong, Korea (12 – 13 January, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed) & World Championship (Lead)
- Saas-Fee, Switzerland (18 – 19 January, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed)
- Rabenstein, Italy (26 – 27 January, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed)
- Busteni, Romania (7 – 9 February, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed)
- Kirov, Russia (8 – 10 March, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed) & World Championship (Speed)
The promotional video for the 2013 competition which was recently released by the UIAA can be found here.
In addition to the usual tour, a new event, the UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championship will be held in Saas Grund, Switzerland 12 – 13 January, 2013 simultaneously with the Cheongsong competition.
The 2012 tour saw 209 athletes from 27 countries compete in the Lead and Speed disciplines.
In Speed, competitors climb up an artificial ice wall in the fastest time while in the Lead discipline athletes are judged on their ability to climb a difficult route in the best time.
There are two types of winners; those who win each phase of the competition and overall winners based on the total points accumulated after events in Korea, Switzerland, Italy, Romania and Russia where the tour concludes on 10 March 2013.
The UIAA Ice Climbing Commission has added Rabenstein (Italy), which has experience holding ice climbing competitions, as a new venue for the 2013 competitions calendar. Additional requests from organizers for competitions to be held in the U.S.A. and Russia are under consideration.
Kihak Sung of Goldwin Korea (Photo: Goldwin Korea)
About Goldwin Korea
Goldwin Korea is the official license partner of The North Face in Korea. Goldwin Korea launched The North Face in Korea in 1997 and The North Face is now the leading outdoor brand in Korea.
About The North Face
The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company’s products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains.
About the UIAA
The UIAA was founded in 1932 and has 80 member associations in 50 countries representing about 1.3 million people. The organization’s mission is to promote the growth and protection of mountaineering and climbing worldwide, advance safe and ethical mountain practices and promote responsible access, culture and environmental protection.
The organization operates through the work of its commissions which make recommendations, set policy and advocate on behalf of the mountaineering community. The UIAA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee for mountaineering and natural surface climbing.
Press contacts
Harry Kim (Goldwin Korea)
Tel. +82-2-940-1330
Email: kimhs [@] youngone.com
Gurdeepak Ahuja (UIAA)
Tel: +41 (0)31 370 1828
Email: gurdeepak.ahuja [@] theuiaa.org
