PRESS RELEASES:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                August 10, 2008

Retail Stores begin to take interest in Nordic Walking Poles

(Miami Beach, Florida) August 10, 2008- The U.S. owned and operated Nordic Walking pole manufacturer Fittrek announces it’s entry into the retail market place.  “We knew it would take some time before the consumer demand was high enough for retailers to stock Nordic walking poles.  I think we have reached that point now.” states Dan Barrett whom founded the company in January 2000. 

The single most important aspect of Fittrek’s retail plan is the network of carefully selected Master Trainers and Nordic walking instructors.  According to Barrett, “This network is crucial for the success of retailers.  Instead of a sales representative that may visit the store twice a year, in many locations we can provide weekly workshops and seminars to drive sales”.  To further assist retailers in merchandising Nordic walking poles and equipment Fittrek has developed display racks, posters brochures and other in store promotional materials. 

Founded in 2000, the company was one of the first to introduce consumers to walking with poles for exercise and fitness. 

Contact information:
1-800-345-1004 or www.fittrek.com

Fittrek Sponsors The Nordic Walking World Championships to be held as part of the Oct. 1, 2006 Portland Marathon.

(Portland, Oregon) May 25, 2006 -  In response to last year’s successful introduction of Nordic Walking as an official division and the increased popularity of Nordic Walking worldwide, The Portland Marathon Event Committee has dramatically increased their support of the newly emerging activity of Nordic Walking for the upcoming 2006 marathon.

The Nordic Walking Marathon World Championships will be open to all levels regardless of skills and abilities. Nordic Walkers will start together and be chip-timed like all other participants. It is anticipated the championships will draw participants from all over the US as well as a strong European contingency.

“Nordic walking is extremely popular in Europe and I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in the U.S. in recent years” says Race Director Les Smith whose foresight lead to last year’s inclusion of a Nordic Walking division making The Portland Marathon the first marathon to officially recognize Nordic Walking as a category.  The Marathon Event Committee believes Nordic Walking is a natural fit for a marathon that welcomes walkers and is held in a city that is often considered the most walker friendly city in the U.S.   “Nordic Walking is experiencing the most growth as a fitness activity for numerous reasons, the competitive aspect is a natural evolution of this increased awareness” says Smith.

Fittrek, a U.S. based Nordic Walking pole manufacturer, has been brought in to facilitate this year’s Nordic Walking event. Fittrek’s extensive experience in manufacturing Nordic Walking equipment and strong background in education will be instrumental in “taking it to the next level” states Smith.  “In addition to recruiting participates, Fittrek will provide the resources to allow them to make it to the finish line. First and foremost we want participants to have a fun and safe experience” states Fittrek President Dan Barrett.

A key component of “enjoying” a 26.2 mile Nordic walk is in the preparation.  Without the access to the knowledge and recourses in this merging activity a marathon can seem overwhelming for the first timer.   To address this issue this year’s event will offer assistance from start to finish in the form of training clinics, workshops and on-line resources.  To learn more about The Portland Marathon and Nordic Walking please visit: www.portlandmarathon.org  and www.fittrek.com.  For training tip/question please contact: tony@nordicwalkingclubs.com.

Fittrek’s Canadian Market Continues to Grow!

 (Miami Beach, Florida) July 6, 2006 – Following there successful U.S. model of instructor driven marketing, Fittrek has received accreditation from Canada’s largest fitness educator-Can-Fit-Pro.  According to company President Dan Barrett “ We are very excited to meet approval of the leading fitness education provider in Canada…the approach of establishing instructors first, then working on distribution has proven successful for us, so we are sticking with it”.  The company is currently scheduling workshops and instructor training courses throughout Canada.

Fittrek is the largest Nordic Walking educator in the U.S. and a leading manufacturer of high-quality Nordic Walking poles.Fitness professionals interested in becoming a Nordic Walking Instructor can locate an upcoming course location on the company’s website www.fittrek.com or by calling 1-800-345-1004.

FITTREK Announces Improved Manufacturing Capacities.

(Miami Beach, Florida) Feb 5, 2005- FITTREK, a leading player in the nordic walking pole category, has expanded its manufacturing capacities to meet the growing demands for nordic walking.  Starting in 2005, Fittrek will began manufacturing nordic walking poles under it own brand name. “We needed the ability to quickly bring our innovations to the market without the complexities of co-branding and better price points for increased distribution channels” stated company president, Dan Barrett.  Fittrek’s innovations combined with their background in the fitness industry have been critical in their success, allowing the company to compete with larger European pole manufacturers.  In addition to the increased design flexibility, the new positioning will allow retail, wholesale and OEM accounts to be a realistic part of the company’s sales plan.  “In the past we had to rely on our strength as a fitness company and work with other pole manufacturers to produce our products. This was often frustrating as they didn’t share our vision for the potential growth in the nordic walking category” says Barrett.  Retailers and wholesalers interested in Fittrek’s Nordic walking poles can contact company president, Dan Barrett, via e-mail at :
dan@fittrek.com or 1-305-534-6016.

Continuing Education Credits for Fitness Professionals teaching Nordic Walking.

(Miami Beach, Florida) Jan 1, 2005- The American Council on Exercise and the Aerobic Fitness Association of America has recognized Fittrek’s Nordic Walking Course as a continuing education course for fitness professionals.  The recognition may give Fittrek increased credibility over many of their competitors that are manufacturing based companies with little or no experience in the fitness industry.  As the awareness for Nordic Walking continues to grow some companies are creating their own associations in an attempt to establish credibility for their products.  “ I think it speaks well for our products and programming, to be the only nordic walking company recognized by ACE and AFAA” stated company president Dan Barrett in a recent interview with Fitness magazine. Fitness professionals successfully completing Fittrek’s  8 hour Nordic Walking Instructors Course receive continuing education credits required to maintain their primary certifications as personal trainers or group exercise instructors.  Courses are offered at fitness conventions and fitness clubs throughout the U.S. and Europe.  Fitness professionals interested in becoming a Nordic Walking Instructor can locate an upcoming course location on our FITTREK Courses page or by calling 1-800-345-1004