COLUMBUS, GA. (Nov. 23, 2018) – Salt Life, one of today’s leading ocean-centric and active lifestyle brands, is proud to announce that three members of Team Salt Life have qualified for the ISA World Standup Paddle Championship in Wanning, China taking place November 23 - December 2. April Zilg, Emmy Merrill and Connor Baxter will be representing Team USA in the event, which is anticipated to be one of the qualifying games for the 2020 Summer Olympics if SUP is added as a sport. Team Salt Life is an elite group of athletes that embody the Salt Life brand. Learn more about Team Salt Life here and on Salt Life's YouTube channel.
Three-time world champion Connor Baxter said, "I am always happy and grateful to qualify to go to the ISA. It is an honor to compete with a team and it is super motivating." Born and raised in Maui, Hawaii, Connor was twice named "Fastest Paddler on Earth" and "SUP Athlete of the Year."
Emmy Merrill has grown up in Southern California and her life revolves around the ocean. She is an experienced short board surfer, canoe surfer, and stand-up paddle boarder. Emmy is a force to be reckoned with in the world of SUP surfing having won the World SUP Surf Championship (two times) and earning 1st place in the US Women's Pro SUP. Whether surfing, fishing, or diving her goal is to live the Salt Life every day!
April Zilg started paddling recreationally during college, and now she is one of the top 10 SUP racers in the world. She is a two-time WPA and Salt Life Cup Champion and has secured top five finishes in the Euro Tour and the Carolina Cup. While exploring the Indian Himalayas in 2012, April paddled the Zanskar, the Indus and many high-altitude lakes, including Suraj Tal at 16,020 feet, which holds the current record for highest SUP session. When she is not training, April teaches paddle boarding in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, where she lives the Salt Life with her dog Kaya.
"It is our goal as a brand to strive for the best in active lifestyle and team members with world wide appeal. How awesome to have three of our athletes competing in China at the ISA World games," says Salt Life Director of Marketing, Larry Laska. "They are some of the top athletes in any category and a strong addition to the Salt Life team."
About Salt Life:
Salt Life is an authentic and aspirational lifestyle brand that embraces those who love the ocean and everything associated with living the “Salt Life.” Founded in 2003 by four avid watermen from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, the Salt Life brand has widespread appeal with ocean enthusiasts worldwide. From fishing, diving and surfing, to beach fun and sun-soaked relaxation, the Salt Life brand says, “I live the Salt Life.” Numerous professional athletes, sportsmen and other ambassadors in the fishing, surfing, diving, rock, pop and country music worlds have an alliance with the brand through cross-marketing partnerships. Learn more about Team Salt Life here. Salt Life is the preferred lifestyle brand of outdoor and fishing legends like Peter Miller, Captain Jimmy Nelson, Luiza Barros, Captain Don Dingman, Erin Osborne and more. The brand is also visible in areas across the media, sports and popular culture landscapes, including music videos, national tour sponsorships, fishing and outdoors-related television shows, professional auto-racing events, the Netflix series “Bloodline,” and Salt Life’s popular YouTube channel.
From its first merchandise offerings in 2006, Salt Life has grown with distribution in surf shops, specialty stores, department stores and sporting goods retailers. Salt Life products are also available to consumers at www.saltlife.com and at Salt Life’s various branded retail stores, including recently opened locations in Huntington Beach, California, Columbus, Georgia, Daytona Beach, Florida and Tampa, Florida. The brand’s flagship store is located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where the term “Salt Life” was coined over 15 years ago. The Salt Life brand is committed to supporting conservation efforts by contributing to various organizations through Salt Life Gives Back. Learn more here.
Salt Life, LLC is an operating subsidiary of Delta Apparel, Inc. (NYSE American: DLA). Salt Life's corporate office is located in Columbus, Georgia and its distribution center is located to Fayetteville, North Carolina.
About Delta Apparel, Inc.:
Delta Apparel, Inc., along with its operating subsidiaries, Salt Life, LLC, M. J. Soffe, LLC, and DTG2Go, LLC, is an international design, marketing, manufacturing, and sourcing company that features a diverse portfolio of core activewear and lifestyle apparel and related accessory products. The Company specializes in selling casual and athletic products through a variety of distribution channels and distribution tiers, including department stores, mid and mass channels, e-retailers, sporting goods and outdoor retailers, independent and specialty stores, and the U.S. military. The Company’s products are also made available direct-to-consumer at its branded retail stores and on its websites atwww.saltlife.com, www.coastapparel.com, www.soffe.com and www.deltaapparel.com. The Company’s operations are located throughout the United States, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, and it employs approximately 7,700 people worldwide. Additional information about the Company is available at www.deltaapparelinc.com.