Why Hyundai craves
sports partnerships
- WORDS
- EVAN SCHAPIRO
7 minute read
At Hyundai, we love football. We love the dedicated passion, the camaraderie that unifies the fans and the players, the speed and precision. And we have supported it for years, as we have been a FIFA top partner since 1999 and in cooperation with UEFA for 18 years previously. As an official partner of the FIFA World Cup, you can see our banners hanging proudly at games played by multiple teams such as Chelsea FC, Club Atlético de Madrid, Hertha BSC, AS Roma, and many more.
But our love of sport goes even beyond the field. From the slopes to the shore, there is no limit to our admiration of strong athleticism – especially when it conjures the best of the human experience and its connection to nature. We align ourselves with the most courageous athletes and boundary-pushing events. Sports can bring out the best in us – strength, joy and harmony – and Hyundai is proud to partner with some of the top venues and events in the world.
Sports can bring out the best in us –
strength, joy and harmony.
La Parva Snow Park
In the Chilean Andes Mountains, you will see Hyundai’s flags proudly waving at the La Parva Snow Park. We have spent more than a decade with La Parva, a place where families and thrill-seekers alike can navigate down some of the most beautiful slopes in the world and enjoy meaningful times with the most serene elements of nature. Skiing and snowboarding in the winter and mountain biking in the summer – this landscape is stunning all year round.
Surfing Australia
Further south of the globe and down at sea level, Hyundai focuses on its partnership with the leading organization for surfing in Australia, Surfing Australia. Like skiing, surfing is a true lifestyle sport, and Hyundai is there for the ride. Surfing is meditative, spiritual and links the athlete with the elements in an unbreakable bond. The American computer scientist and cognitive scientist, John McCarthy, said “Surfing is the most blissful experience you can have on this planet, a taste of heaven.”
Chapelco Tetratlon
In a quest to support the most dynamic athletic events, we partner with Tetratlon Chapelco in Argentina – one of the most intense races in the world. Set in the Chapelco Mountain Range in Patagonia, athletes traverse its snowy trails, its native forests and the sublime Lake Lácar. This race challenges and enlivens the body and soul and includes skiing, mountain biking, kayaking and running. The moments of excitement, humanity and joy in this race are unparalleled. They are the parts of the human experience that Hyundai values so deeply.
Duck-Hee Lee
Hyundai is proud to support all these beautiful moments – where human power and the majesty of nature join in moments of greatness. We also promote our vision of enhancing opportunities toward a more sustainable future with other sponsorships. For instance, we have supported South Korean tennis player, Duck-Hee Lee, since 2012. He is the first-ever deaf ATP Tour Player. Lee lacks the ability to hear, but he is a player who surpasses all obstacles with excellent skill and determination. And his determination is something to which we can surely relate.
As the leading electric and FCEV brand in the automotive industry, we know that we can use our newest technology to help sports reach new heights. We can also rest assured knowing that our teams and athletes are breathing fresh air, without emissions from standard cars, with the help of electric vehicles like the KONA EV leading marathons.
This is where the future is heading. Hyundai sees a world where humans can interact with nature cleanly and sustainably, where our strengths can push us to accomplishments yet unimagined. There are marathons to run and waves to ride, and Hyundai will be there along the way.