Vista, CA, April 5, 2006 – Zoot Sports, the world’s leading manufacturer of triathlon performance and race day apparel, announces the launch of the Zoot Sports Triathlon Team. Together with Team Sports Inc., Zoot Sports formed the team to showcase its innovative line of apparel and wetsuits and to support professional and amateur endurance athletes and the sports in which they compete.

Zoot Sports and its supporting sponsors are very excited about the launch of this new professional triathlon team. The Zoot Sports Triathlon Team is comprised of a mixture of professional and amateur athletes from throughout the world, including Australia, Canada, Mexico and Germany.

“We are thrilled to launch triathlon’s newest triathlon team for the 2006 season,” said Eli Carlson, Zoot Sports Director of Marketing. “As the industry leader in performance apparel, we feel the Zoot Sports Triathlon Team is the perfect vehicle to promote our products while supporting deserving athletes throughout North America. Our athletes are ambassadors for the sport and our sponsors, and they represent the very best characteristics of the triathlon community. We are particularly proud to be supporting the efforts of successful athletes as well as some new and rising talents in the triathlon world.”

Zoot Sports Team members will compete at triathlon events throughout North America with a particular focus on the Ironman 70.3® events throughout North America. The dramatic growth of the Ironman 70.3 events provides an excellent platform to showcase the Team’s sponsors and products meanwhile supporting the efforts of the 70.3 event participants.

Zoot Sports will provide all team members with a customized ULTRAfit Tri Tank and ULTRAfit Tri Short, along with a Zoot Sports Z-Pack Training Bag packed with the latest Zoot Sports training gear.

The benefits of the ULTRA race day line of apparel include Sunpaque 50+ UPF to protect the body’s most exposed areas, stabilized TekSheen panels to provide ultimate back and hip flexor support, and strategically placed ventilator mesh panels for maximum cooling. Luke Bell secured the first Ironman Championship for the Zoot Sports ULTRAfit racesuit by winning the California 70.3, five minutes ahead of his competitors.

All Zoot Sports athletes will ride Orbea Ordu framesets and run in Asics footwear.

“Zoot Sports is the world leader in technical performance clothing for athletes of all abilities and skill levels.” said Zoot’s Eli Carlson. “The people of Zoot Sports are excited to support the commitment and drive of the athletes on the Team. We look forward to an exciting 2006 race season.”

The Zoot Sports Triathlon Team debuts at Ironman Arizona, April 9, 2006 in Tempe, Arizona.

Supporting sponsors for the 2006 season include: Asics –Shoes and footwear, Orbea – Bicycles, Nutra-Fig – food, health and energy products.

Zoot Sports Team Roster as of April 5, 2006

PROS

Athlete Name
City

Felder, Amanda
La Jolla, CA

Garza, Arturo
Naulcalpan, Mexico

Gough, Kristy
San Leandro, CA

Hackett, Steve
Terrigal, N.S.W., Australia

Homo, Malaika
Salt Lake City, UT

Plata, Victor
Sacramento, CA

Tichelaar, Paul
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


AMATEURS
Bailey, Steve
Seattle, WA

Darling, Kalen
Honolulu, HI

Golding, Daniel
Fort Collins, CO

Goodman, Gabrielle
Oakland, CA

Hilger, Kristen
Boulder, CO

Jensen, Adam
Missoula, MT

Jones, Stephanie
Yuma, AZ

Lieneke-Nickle, Sarah
Tucson, AZ

Lovejoy, Diana
Encinitas, CA

Mackrides, Christine
Holland, PA

O'Brien, Claire
San Diego, CA

Overton, Jennifer
Boulder, CO

Robertson, Tracy
Ladera Ranch, CA

Sherwood, Alex
New Paltz, NY

Taylor, Terry
Mill Valley, CA

Thompson, Nick
Orinda, CA

Uri, David
Stamford, CT

About Zoot Sports: Founded in Kona, Hawaii, the home of the Ironman Triathlon World Championships, Zoot Sports has been committed to triathletes and their sport since 1983. Zoot Sports specializes in Triathlon Race Day apparel as well as innovative and refined performance apparel, WetZoots and accessories to outfit athletes in each discipline of the sport; Swim, Bike and Run. The Zoot Sports philosophy is to provide the highest level of performance, innovation, quality and fit without sacrificing design and aesthetics. Zoot Sports believes that the athlete that is the most comfortable, supported and ventilated will be the athlete that performs best, race day and everyday.
www.zootsports.com

About Asics: Asics has been developing sports shoes for more than 50 years. Everything Asics undertakes at their research and development center in Kobe, Japan is developed on the basis of scientific work with the intensive cooperation of male and female athletes. And with a very clear objective: Producing innovative sports product solutions and technologies to help athletes achieve their goals.

The company name is an acronym for the Latin phrase “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano”, meaning “Sound Mind In A Sound Body”. This phrase has shaped our destiny. It is the echo of our consistency, our innovation, our commitment to quality and our originality. www.asicsamerica.com

About Orbea: Every Orbea bicycle is born in the heart of the Pyrenees in northern Spain. It is a region that is lush and emerald green with a mild climate that is good for riding year-round. It is a land where cycling is a way of life. It is a region where children learn to ride in school and are taught the history of cycling in the region.

Each and every Orbea is made with a passion that is expressed in beautiful bikes. Every Orbea has an intricate hand-painted finish that takes hours to perfect. More importantly, every Orbea ignites passion in its rider. Orbea bicycles climb with aplomb and descend intuitively. It is a pedigree born in the best cycling region in the world: The Pyrenees. www.orbea-usa.com


About Team Sports Inc.: The Zoot Sports Triathlon Team is managed by Team Sports Inc. Team Sports provides professional team and event management, consulting and sponsorship services to clients throughout North American and the world. Contact Tom Schuler, Director Sportif at tjsplow@aol.com for additional information on the Zoot Sports Team. Information on Team Sports is available at www.TeamSportsInc.com.