Irvine, Calif. – Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ celebrated its 30th anniversary with the premiere of the short film “Grassroots” at the Oakley Theater in Foothill Ranch, Calif. on September 7, 2011 to a packed audience of Team Green alumni and friends. The celebration kicked off at 6:30 p.m. with guests arriving on the green carpet to enjoy food and drinks prior to the start of the film.  Following the film there was a panel discussion about the dynamic history of Team Green, hosted by RACER X contributor Steve Matthes.

The 22-minute feature celebrates the past, present, and future of Team Green and stars current team members Adam Cianciarulo, Destry Abbott, Darian Sanayei, Justin Soule’, Chad George, and Stilez Robertson. Former and current Team Green managers who helped create and grow the program including Dave Jordan, Bruce Stjernstrom, Ron Heben, and Kawasaki’s present Senior Manager of Racing, Reid Nordin were part of the panel discussion following the screening, which also included Davey Coombs. Many Team Green athletes and alumni from the program’s rich 30-year history were also in attendance.
In 1981, Kawasaki launched the Team Green program to provide support for Kawasaki racers at major amateur motocross events across the nation. Over the past three decades the program has continued to evolve and grow into what has become the most successful amateur race program in the world. Some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing have come through the Team Green ranks including Larry Ward, Jeff Matiasevich, Mike Kiedrowski, Jeff Emig, Jeremy McGrath, Kevin Windham, Ricky Carmichael, Ty Davis, James Stewart, Blake Baggett, Dean Wilson, along with the 2011 FIM World Supercross Champion and current AMA Motocross points leader, Ryan Villopoto. What started out as a couple of Kawasaki technicians in a van traveling to races to help a few mini-cycle racers has grown into a full-fledged racing program which includes amateur motocross, off-road, flat track, and RUV racing. While Team Green continues into the next decade, its core principles remain the same, to provide support for anyone on a Kawasaki product and for the riders to have fun.

“It makes me proud to be associated with this program for so long,” said Nordin. ”To know that it means so much to so many people is what really makes it special. From all of the athletes who have graduated the program to our current roster of young athletes, it’s a never-ending story that connects with everyone who has ever been part of the program. This film not so much historical piece, but it does represent the triumphs and tribulations that most of the past and present riders have gone through. The stories told in this film really resonate through the history of the program. For me the movie is one step beyond what we did in our 25th anniversary. To watch how Team Green has evolved and to actually think about what three decades of amateur support and racing activities have accomplished for so many people really drives home the point how important this program is on so many levels. It’s good for our young riders and employees to watch this film to better understand and visualize what this program really represents and the huge impact it’s had on this company and the industry as a whole. I think this film really illustrates how much the program has matured and improved over the past 30 years. As time passes the market will change, athletes will change, and events will change, but we will always continue to try to be at the head of that change. Staying at the front of the pack is a challenge, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far and this film really illustrates that success”

Following the premiere of “Grassroots” at the Oakley Theater, the film has been made available for free to the public via the iTunes store.  To download the film visit the iTunes store and enter the keywords, “Kawasaki Grassroots”. The html address is also provided below.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grass-roots-30-years-team/id461541236