Posted Saturday, Feb 24, 2007

A Little Background, to bring you up to speed, September '06 ...


After placing 1st at the Las Vegas 2006 NABX event for Land Kiteboarding, Alex Brown, Pro Team Rider for MBS Mountainboards, first met up with the Best Team at the end of September, for the Second Annual European Dealer’s meeting in Fuerteventura.

In addition to sitting around in lectures learning about product, his brief induction into corporate policy included a practicum on the importance of the Fish Logo Temporary Tattoo for increasing market share and brand awareness, a field study on the durability of kite pumps via extreme hydraulic testing (a.k.a. water bombs), and ... of course ... landboarding demonstrations and testing out the 2007 lineup.

After some late-night head-to-head discussions with Best CEO Ian Huschle on profiteering and world domination ... in which they (theoretically) turned the hotel into a successful money-making enterprise instead of a sinking money-pit ... it was decided that brilliant minds (obviously) think alike. Alex Brown, with his uncanny ability to generate the right amount of publicity, was exactly what Best was looking for in its quest to develop the glorious sport of landboarding in the USandA.

Alex Joins the RV Tour, November '06 ...


After signing onto the team, Alex headed to Corpus Christi in November, where he met up with team rider Bucky Ashcraft and the Best RV. The two of them plowed their way through Texas and New Mexico, scouting locations and shooting footage for Alex’s upcoming DVD, Drill2, the second part of his landboarding instructional “Drill” series.

After a fateful decision that catapulted them both into permanent Corporate Legendary Status … taking the 13,000-lb RV “off-road” in the Salt Flats of Texas and getting stuck in the sand overnight ... they both came away with a deeper appreciation of the performance and durability of the Best product lineup: not only are Best boards great on the water, but they also make great digging tools!

While Bucky preferred the heavier Pro model, Alex’s weapon of choice, both on the water and in the sand, was the 125 Limited Drive with the hot girlie graphics. “Not only does the Drive absorb chop and rougher water,” remarked Brown, but the board’s superior flex makes it the ultimate sand-maneuvering machine.

A new adventure is about to begin, March '07 ...


Now, after spending the last couple of months in the UK scripting out his movie and laying the groundwork for the trip, all of Alex's hard work is about to pay off as he embarks on a 2-month stint in the US, which will begin at the Best Headquarters in Delray Beach, Florida, in the middle of March, and end in Texas in the midldle of May, where he'll represent Best at the Velocity Games, along with Kristin Boese, Andy Hurdman, and as always, a few random kooks from the office.


After spending a week or so in Delray … participating in video and photo shoots, hanging out on warm sunny beaches, answering customer service calls, and dealing with warranty issues ... he’ll fly to Texas with Gavin Butler, Best Photographer and Chauffeur, where they’ll hop on the RV and head to Las Vegas for the weeklong 2007 NABX event, where Alex will prepare to defend his championship title.


Then it’s off to California for some renegade filming in top-secret locations, where he’ll finish filming Drill2, a video that will take the rider beyond basic landboarding skills such as pulling on the left to turn left, etc., into more advanced landboarding moves, as well as a ground-breaking section on common pitfalls to avoid, such as "The Dangle" as demonstrated in the image to the left.

And it doesn't look like the Adventure is going to stop ...


Alex Brown will also work in conjunction with Chairman of the Board Alex Shogren to coordinate and judge the US portion of the soon-to-be-announced Worldwide Model Search for the Best Twins … unless one of the other team riders can wrest away this coveted slot!


Finally, after returning the RV to Corpus Christi just in time for the Velocity Games, Alex will return to the UK for the start of the summer season, where he will finish up Drill2 and represent Best at every kite and landboarding event in the country. In between all the travel and video production, Alex will be working closely with top land kite magazines writing travel stories and trick sequences and maximizing exposure for the Best brand.


And after that … the sky is the limit, and only time will tell how far this rising star will go. But if the past is any indication of the future, it’s looking very bright.

To read more about what Alex has been up to, visit his team rider page at www.bestkiteboarding.com/Alex-Brown.