Golf Fashion Market Leader Preferred by Professionals Worldwide
(Vancouver, BC, Canada) – Popular golf and sportswear designer Linda Hipp and her company, LIJA, announce the extension of endorsement agreements with Tour pros Katie Bakken and Kristina Tucker, who are among the expansive roster of professionals worldwide that prefer the brand’s stylish on- and off-course looks.
Like LPGA Tour star Christina Kim, Bakken and Tucker will wear the company’s clothing displaying the LIJA logo during all on-course activities.
"These days, there’s just as much talk about what a player wears as the score she posts," says Bakken. "In LIJA, I know I look good and can focus on my game."
As an amateur, Bakken was named Minnesota Golf Athlete of the Year and won the 2001 Minnesota Women’s State Open. In 2006, the 28-year-old competed in 12 Ladies European Tour events, finishing tied for 11th at the Ladies Open of Portugal.
The 26-year-old Tucker has just begun her rookie year on the LPGA Tour. In 2006, the Swedish native was a contestant on The Golf Channel’s Big Break V: Hawaii series and finished tied for third at the Alliance Bank FUTURES Golf Classic, as well as tied for 20th at the U.S. Women’s Open.
"Katie and Kristina both have a defined sense of style, making them great brand ambassadors for LIJA and we are happy to continue the relationships," says Hipp, principal designer and company founder.
LIJA is a staple in finer golf and non-golf retailers throughout North America, including world-renowned resorts like Pebble Beach, Doral, Kiawah Island and Kapalua. The company’s Spring 2007 collection – showcasing innovative textures, superior styling, unique prints and functional fabrics – is in stores now.
For more information, call 888.263.1191 or visit www.lijastyle.com.
About LIJA
LIJA has received significant recognition within and outside the golf industry, achieving organic annual sales growth of at least 50 percent each of the past seven years. Enjoying a rapidly expanding sales force and account base in North America, LIJA recently began selling into the UK, Australian and Japanese markets.
Recent recognition for the company includes:
â?¢ 2006 PROFIT W100 Ranking of Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs (No. 5)
â?¢ 2006 Business in Vancouver "BC’s 50 Fastest-Growing Companies" (No. 20)
â?¢ 2006 PROFIT 100 Rankings of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies (No. 69)
â?¢ 2005 Canadian Golf Company of the Year – Score Golf magazine
â?¢ 2005 PROFIT W100 Ranking of Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs (No. 3)
â?¢ 2005 PROFIT 100 Rankings of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies (No. 56)
â?¢ 2004 Polartec APEX Award (for innovative use of technical fabrics)
â?¢ North America’s "Top-5 Up-and-Coming Women’s Golf Apparel" – GolfWorld Business
Individually, Hipp has been honored as a grant recipient of the Matinee Fashion Foundation Award, which annually recognizes and funds select Canadian designers, and voted a "40 Under 40" winner by Business in Vancouver.
Hipp, 40, previously worked as a business development executive for Vancouver’s Canucks (NHL) and Grizzlies (NBA). An avid and highly-skilled golfer, Hipp struggled to find on-course apparel that meshed with her off-course fashion sensibility. Recognizing a market opportunity – and the chance to combine her passions for fashion, golf and business – Hyp Golf was launched in July 1997. The company re-branded as LIJA in late 2004. Chiefly influenced by both European trends and West Coast style, Hipp has garnered a widespread reputation as one of North America’s hottest sportswear designers.
Contact:
Andrea Latta
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3383
alatta@billycaspergolf.com
