Web posted Sunday, May 13, 2007

Wild Alaska salmon to fuel six of America's top athletes

By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Two Kodiak entrepreneurs determined to boost national sales of their wild Alaska salmon jerky are working with six world-class athletes who now include Kodiak Solstix in their training diets.

Mark Witteveen and Rob Baer of Alaska Spirit, which manufactures salmon jerky from wild Alaska pink salmon, said April 25 that they are donating Solstix to athletes Apolo Anton Ohno, Dane Ferguson, Giddeon Massie, Allison Baver, Mike Mannelin and Wayne Johnsen.

Ohno, who is training for the 2010 Olympics, is a five-time Olympic medalist in short track speed skating. Ohno brought home a gold medal in the 1500-meter short track speed skating event at the World Championships in Milan, Italy, last month.

Ferguson, an extreme freestyle snowmachine rider, is training for the 2008 X Games. Massie is currently the men's U.S. sprint cycling champion and is training for the 2008 Olympics. Baver, the current women's U.S. short track speed skating champion, is training for the 2010 Olympics.

Mannelin is a big mountain extreme freeskier recently featured in Warren Miller's 2007 film “Off the Grid.” Johnsen, a super middleweight boxer, is preparing for a fight at Madison Square Garden on June 9.

Alaska Spirit co-owners Witteveen and Baer, who are state fisheries research biologists based at Kodiak, developed the shelf-stable seafood snack with nutritionally demanding athletes in mind. The salmon jerky sticks contain 40 percent protein, are gluten-free and contain no trans fat. Solstix are also naturally high in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Kodiak Solstix Spicy Pepper and Teriyaki flavors can be purchased on the Internet and in various Kodiak locations, as well as at several stores in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Texas and Colorado. Alaska Spirit has also recently teamed up with Colorado-based Wild River Grilling to expand marketing and distribution efforts within the sports nutrition fields.

On the Web: www.kodiaksolstix.com

Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com.

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