UFC Superstar Jon “Bones” Jones Named Honorary Race Official For The 54th Annual Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will serve as Honorary Race Official for the 54th annual Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 26 at Daytona International Speedway (FOX, 1 p.m. ET).

As Honorary Race Official, Jones will be introduced at the driver’s meeting, participate in pre-race ceremonies and ride in one of the honorary race official cars ahead of the 43-car field for the 200-lap, 500-mile historic race.

“Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is the biggest name in mixed martial arts,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “We are excited to welcome him to the ‘World Center of Racing’ and have him be a part of the pre-race ceremonies for NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race.”

“I am thrilled to be able to serve as Honorary Race Official at this year’s Daytona 500, NASCAR’s premier event,” Jones said. “Like the UFC, NASCAR has a passionate and knowledgeable fan base, and I am honored that I will get to share this experience with them.”

Jones’ holds a career record of 15-1, which is comprised of eight knockouts and five submissions. He was named “Most Dangerous Man” at the 2011 Spike Guys’ Choice Awards and “2011 Fighter of the Year” at the World MMA Awards.

In December 2011, the Endicott, N.Y. native capped off what many have hailed as the greatest year in MMA history with a submission against Lyoto Machida.
Earlier in the year, Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history at the age of 23 after he won all four of his fights and earned the Light Heavyweight title. With two more defeats of former champions later in 2011, Jones became the first fighter in UFC history to defeat three former champions in one year.

Jones entered the UFC in August 2008 after only four months of competing in professional fights.

Currently, Jones trains in Alburquerque, N.M. under legendary MMA coach Greg Jackson. On April 21 in Atlanta, Jones will take on his former champion training partner, “Suga” Rashad Evans, in one of the most anticipated UFC fights of the year.

Tickets for Speedweeks 2012 events, including the 54th annual Daytona 500, are available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

If you are unable to attend in person, be sure to tune in to the Daytona 500 on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. ET.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter (www.twitter.com/disupdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway). In addition, fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #DAYTONA500.

Jon “Bones” Jones featured in the launch of The NOC

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones is one of the featured athletes in the Feb. 15 launch of The NOC (Network of Champions), a YouTube-based project.

Bringing viewers the world’s most famous sports stars like they’ve never seen them before, the NOC is a 24-hour YouTube channel devoted to athlete lifestyle and comedy. Original shows include Say What, a funny take on what athletes say in social media. The Ice Bucket offers an inside look at how athletes unwind off the field. And FaceOff features athletes competing against celebrities and YouTube stars.

Jones is featured in the initial The Ice Bucket video. He spent a day training with the Broome County Sheriff ‘s Office in upstate New York, and the video shows Jones taking part in combat, driving and attack dog training.

“My time with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office shooting for The NOC was amazing. If I wasn’t competing in mixed martial arts, I would want to be working in law enforcement. This experience gave me just a small sample of what happens in that field. I had to be ready physically and mentally for all the challenges, and I can’t wait to get back out there again,” Jones said.

The video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKj0ZqhaBIQ&feature=youtu.be

UFC Welterweight Champ Carlos Condit to visit Eglin Air Force Base March 2-3

UFC Interim Welterweight Champion “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit will visit Eglin Air Force Base in Florida March 2-3 to meet with many of the brave men and women serving the U.S. military domestically and internationally.

The trip will be sponsored by Military Debt Management Agency, a non-profit charitable organization which assists military personnel in obtaining previously denied security clearances as well as personal budget counseling, credit education, and affordable debt management programs to active duty and retired military personnel.

“It’s an honor to be able to meet with the our country’s military personnel.  They do so much for our country and protect our freedoms.  I am excited to visit Eglin Air Force Base to be able to shake the hands of the troops and thank them,” Condit said.

During the two-day trip, Condit will sign autographs and take pictures for military personnel, conduct a question and answer session and also teach a one-hour self-defense seminar for military wives.

Condit, who trains in his hometown of Albuquerque, N.M. at Jackson’s MMA, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz in UFC 143, which earned him the Interim Welterweight title.  He holds a career 28-5 professional record (5-1 UFC), has won his last five fights and 13 of his last 14 bouts overall.  Three of his last four victories have ended via KO/TKO.

For more information on Military Debt Management Agency, visit www.militarydebt.org.  To follow Condit and his training, fans can visit his web site, www.CampCondit.com or follow him on his Twitter handle, @CarlosCondit.

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Penticton Vees set to Break Record

The Penticton Vees are ready to set a new BCHL record for consecutive wins tomorrow night in Chilliwack. As a proud sponsor of the Vees organization, we are very excited for the players and coaching staff for their opportunity to make history. They are only one game away from setting a new mark on the record books by winning 30 regular season games in a row.

The Vees have not lost since November 5^th where they fell short in overtime against the Merritt Centennials.

On Friday the Vees defeated the Chilliwack Chiefs 5-1 in Penticton which tied the 1989-90 New Westminster Royals record of 29 straight wins to later take the BCHL title and Doyle Cup championship.  With this win, and Merritt’s loss in Vernon, the Vees have now clinched first place in the Interior Conference.

We anticipate that many Penticton Vees fans will be making the trip over to Chilliwack to see history in the making. Regardless of the outcome, we as a sponsor, are so very proud of what the team has accomplished.

On Sunday evening, Vees Assistant Coach Steve Cawley caught up with Jason Bobbitt, owner of West Coast Authentic with news of a greater challenge laying ahead at tomorrow’s game. Five members of the Vees were hit by illness over the weekend and it could not have come at a worse time.

Despite recent news, West Coast Authentic is confident that the Vees organization will face adversity tomorrow night and rise to the occasion.

We wish all the players the best of luck!

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Cody Hodgson Not Your Average Rookie

If you have been watching Cody Hodgson handle the puck recently you were probably not surprised when has was named Rookie of the Month by the NHL for January 2012.

He definitely caught our attention even before he stepped on the ice for the first time wearing a Vancouver Canucks jersey in February 2011. Between his excellent performance representing Canada in International play in 2007-2009 and his recognition in the OHL as one of the top points leaders, Hodgson proved to be a top prospect with NHL scouts and managers.

Although Hodgson suffered a back injury in the 2009-2010 season, he emerged as a solid, two-way player in 2011 with the Canucks scoring his first NHL goal during his second game with the team.

It was a great fit for both Hodgson and West Coast Authentic to ink an exclusive deal for Hodgson’s autographed memorabilia. In October 2011 we did our first private signing with Hodgson in Vancouver where he autographed several photos, jerseys and pucks that soon became popular items on our website.

Hodgson went on to score 8 goals and 14 assists in Oct-Dec and then in January led all rookies with 6 goals and 4 assists in 11 games. He also led the Canucks in scoring in January.

Hodgson is definitely a candidate for the Calder Trophy, to be awarded to NHL’s top rookie but it will depend on how quickly Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recovers from a shoulder injury that has already sidelined him for over a dozen games.

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NHL: The Next Generation

On February 1, 2012 we were privileged to attend the 2012 CHL Top Prospects game and it was an amazing experience to be amongst these young hockey players as they perform in front of a hundred or more NHL scouts and managers.

Similar to the NHL All-star event, it consisted of a skills competition and a game, the only difference is the NHL event is a more of a relaxed, get-together for the top NHL players. The CHL game on the other hand is serious stuff, fast paced, and body contact is not off-limits. You can see it in the faces of these young players the pressure they are under as they give it their all, and then some.

Although scouts do not put full emphasis on a player’s potential based solely on a two day event but a player can certainly stand out if he performs well against players of the same caliber.

The annual CHL Top Prospects game is normally coached by Bobby Orr and Don Cherry but this year’s event was coached by Pat Quinn and Mark Recchi. Many fans were disappointed that the Orr & Cherry Show did not attend this year but we did not mind, it was just nice that the event was held in our home town, Kelowna, BC. It was no surprise that the event was held here, Kelowna’s appeal as a destination is no stranger to CHLers and NHLers especially in the summer and that is one of the reasons Jason Bobbitt, owner of West Coast Authentic chose Kelowna as headquarters. Kelowna has it all, it’s dry, it’s hot and has plenty of golf, wine and skiing in the winter plus we are fortunate to have a great WHL team and a great venue, Prospera Place, to play in. In a typical Okanagan summer it is not uncommon to see Luke Schenn, Carey Price, Ryan Getzlaf, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber, Brent Seabrook, Jordin Tootoo, Jerome Iginla or Greg Adams on the golf course or boating on one of Okanagan’s many lakes.

Ok, back to the 2012 CHL Top Prospects game. The skills competition on day one resulted in a 15-9 win for Team Orr. Francis Beauvillier of the Rimouski Oceanic won the Fastest Skater event, and Nick Ebert of the Windsor Spitfires blasted a 94.7mph shot to take home Hardest Shot honors.

The Shooting Accuracy event went to Gianluca Curcuruto of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Radek Faksa of the Kitchener Rangers took away the Show-Down Breakaway Challenge.

The players laced up their skates again for day two’s big game and we expected an offensive storm by both teams however the game resulted in the lowest-scoring CHL Top Prospects Game in history.  There was no scoring in the first period, the players were too busy feeling each other out, besides, these guys have only played together on a couple days of practice.

Team captains Colton Sissons of the Kelowna Rockets (Team Orr) and Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips (Team Cherry) take to the ice while hundreds of fans and scouts look on, including a few notables that we spotted in the seats; Tim Hunter, Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe and Bob Nicholson, CEO of Hockey Canada.

Defenceman Griffin Reinhart opened scoring for Team Orr in the second period answered by Team Cherry’s defenceman Dillon Fournier midway through the third. In the final minute, Branden Troock of Team Orr put it between the pipes to take the win. Despite the slow start in the first period, the tempo increased throughout out the game and overall it was a great event.

We will definitely be interested in following the careers of these players. Maybe one day we will be organizing NHL appearances and signing sessions for Colton Sissons, Dalton Thrower, Mathew Dumba, Damon Severson, Matt Murray and having them autograph jerseys, pucks and photos.

Looking back at past CHL Top Prospects games we have seen players such as Patrick Kane, Eric Staal, John Tavares, Greg Nemisz and Barret Jackman use the experience from this great event to boost their draft ranking.

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