Toyota Adds Professional Snowboarder Chloe Kim to Team Toyota Roster

TORRANCE, Calif., April 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Snowboarding star Chloe Kim – the youngest member of the U.S. Snowboard Pro team and the Olympic hopeful named one of TIME Magazine's "30 Most Influential Teens" and NBC's Top 10 athletes to watch for the 2018 Winter Games, has agreed to a multi-year partnership to become the newest addition to Toyota's team of athletes. The collaboration marks the continuation of the automaker's athlete sponsorship model launched in 2006, and secures Toyota as Kim's exclusive automotive partner. CAA Sports arranged the deal with Toyota on behalf of its client Chloe Kim.

Toyota, a founding sponsor of the Dew Tour, has been involved in supporting winter action sports for nearly a decade. Kim joins the ranks of fellow iconic riders Amy Purdy, Elena Hight, Louie Vito, and Travis Rice, as well as pro athletes in other disciplines, as Team Toyota – the elite group of sports professionals selected and supported by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Toyota's sponsorship of Kim will include appearances as a brand ambassador, and customized content specific to the Toyota RAV4 and Prius models. Additionally, Kim will wear the Toyota logo on her helmet and board during professional competitions throughout the duration of the partnership.

"Chloe is not only a young pioneer growing her sport, but she is also a role model whose foundation is her family. She embodies the Toyota brand in so many ways, and is a true representation of our mantra, which inspires people to go places," said Jack Hollis, Group VP, Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Forging a relationship with one of the world's top-ranked snowboarders will allow Toyota to continue to celebrate sports, and the women who compete in them."

In a sport that values rapid progression, 16-year-old Kim, a first generation Korean-American, is already putting a dent in history while being called the future of women's snowboarding. The teen prodigy is a decorated winner at X Games, earning her first X Games medal at age 13. She is the only winter athlete to date to win two gold medals before turning 16. Her most recent victory came this past January at Aspen 2016, when she became the second woman in the history of the sport to land a 1080. She made record again the following week at Park City Grand Prix, becoming the first woman ever to land back-to-back 1080s, scoring a perfect 100 to win the halfpipe event.

"I'm so excited to partner with Toyota and represent their brand on the slopes and off," said Kim. "Growing up I was inspired watching some of the most incredible athletes in the sport, and to this day, I'm still impressed by so many of them as a fan of the sport. I'm proud to be the newest member on the team."

To check out #EpicMoments from Team Toyota athletes and to get access to exclusive content, visit: twitter.com/teamtoyota. For more information on Chloe Kim, visit: facebook.com/chloekimsnowboard or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.  

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com. 

Media Contacts:

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.Nick Ammazzalorso, Marketing Communications Manager310.483.1035[email protected]

Saatchi & Saatchi LACandice Dorsey, PR Supervisor310.214.6033[email protected]

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SOURCE Toyota