Snow Business For Suzuki's Latest Ambassador

LAVERTON, AUSTRALIA – July 11, 2011: World champion snowboarder Alex Pullin is the latest addition to the stable of Suzuki ambassadors.

The man known around the world as "Chumpy", along with fellow Suzuki ambassador and Olympic champion Lydia Lassila, is leading Australia’s emergence as a winter sports power.

And he is heading the charge from behind the wheel of a brand new Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV.

“I am loving this car – it’s perfect for me. It’s great around town and the 4x4 system means I can get to the best snow fields anytime, anywhere,” said Chumpy.

One of the country’s leading sporting stars, Chumpy added a World Cup boarder-cross title in March for his burgeoning trophy cabinet.

He turned in a flawless performance in the final event of the season to secure the title, defeating a field including a dual Olympic gold medallist, the defending World Cup title holder and a former World Champion.

Hailing from the Victorian high country town of Mansfield, where his parents run a ski and board shop, Chumpy first impressed at World Cup level in his debut event in when he rode to fifth place in qualifying.

Chumpy began skiing with his parents at the age of three and took up snowboarding at age eight. He began competing in his first year of snowboarding and dominated all snowboarding disciplines in his age division during his school years.

At the age of 15, Chumpy won the Australian National Championships Boardercross event, setting him on his path to becoming the world champion.

Suzuki Australia General Manager Tony Devers said the company was proud to join forces with a genuine star of one of the world’s fastest growing sports.

“Suzuki has a long association with sports stars and we are very happy to welcome Chumpy to our family,” Devers said.

He joins a growing Suzuki sponsorship portfolio including the National Snowsport Series, Olympic aerial skiing champion Lydia Lassila, world kite boarding champion Andy Yates and the Melbourne Storm rugby league club.