Surfing and Climbing will debut at the Olympics for the first time in 2020, and the US teams will head to Tokyo with Rise as their official coffee sponsor. The partnerships have already begun and will be represented at all major regional and national events leading up to next summer’s games.
On February 8, Rise kicked off the partnership with USA Surfing at Toyota USA Surfing’s Prime Series in Huntington Beach, Calif. On February 1, the USA Climbing deal debuted at the Bouldering Open National Championship in Redmond, Ore.
The coffee will be provided to the organizations, judges, athletes and attendees at all upcoming competitions throughout the seasons.
Zachary Brinchi, marketing and communications manager for USA Climbing, said “As an organization that is always on the move and constantly making coffee shop runs, having convenient, ready-to-drink coffee that also tastes great is a huge win. Our athletes are looking for quick alternatives to coffee for those early mornings at the crag or at the gym.”
Greg Cruse, CEO of USA Surfing, said “Rise Brewing Co. is such a smart, progressive group of pros, who are making big waves in the market. Our athletes like the portable, clean energy the drink provides for early morning surf sessions and it tastes amazing.”
Building out in 2019
Rise is focusing on expanding its reach and distribution in 2019, building on the success of the last 12 months. In 2018, Rise opened a flagship cafe in Manhattan, established a presence in the Pacific Northwest and launched its Organic Nitro Cold Brew Oat Milk Latte.
The oat base is used for the Oat Milk Latte and Mocha Latte, both introduced in September along with the Classic Latte. The inspiration behind the latte line came from Rise’s customers.
The company found that more than half the people asking for milk in their coffee at Rise locations in New York wanted non-dairy, with oat leading the pack. The latte cans are now available alongside the core flavors: Original Black, Lemonade and Blood Orange.
In conjunction with the USA Surfing and USA Climbing partnerships, Rise is showing up in more mainstream retailers this year. It will enter 2,000 Walmart locations in April as part of its effort to move the brand west.
CEO and co-founder Grant Gyesky recently moved to Oregon to further the brand’s growth in the region, going straight to the ‘home of coffee’ for inspiration and expansion. Since debuting in 2014, Rise has built a strong presence on the East Coast, Florida and California.
