FGL Sports recently announced a new partnership between Sport Chek and apparel brands Quiksilver and Roxy that will see the retailer begin to carry the brands’ clothing and footwear in-store and online.

To help promote the partnership with Quiksilver, the retailer and the brand are bringing legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk to Canada for a three-store tour. The tour will begin July 13 in Calgary, before moving to Winnipeg July 15 and finishing up in Toronto July 18.

It will see the skateboarder and his team perform 45-minute skateboarding demos outside a Sport Chek store in each market, followed by a meet and greet with fans.

To support the event and the arrival of the brand, Sport Chek has launched a Facebook contest, inviting fans to enter for a chance to win one of three skateboards autographed by Tony Hawk, and is also leveraging its social flyer.

Frederick Lecoq, VP of marketing and e-commerce, FGL Sports, tells MiC that the partnerships with Quiksilver and Roxy were a move by the brand to help improve its reach among young adults aged 15 to 25, a target which is slightly younger than the store’s usual demo. He adds that it also helps the brand expand its reach in the lifestyle apparel category.

Lecoq says that in the past the retailer has typically focused on traditional advertising that promotes products and price, however, it’s no longer sufficient because the competition is now only “a click away.” He adds that this new approach is part of a broader strategy for Sport Chek that stems from its “Your Better Starts Here” rebranding campaign, which earned Touche! PHD a Bronze Lion for its work in the media category at Cannes and features creative by Sport Chek’s AOR, Sid Lee.

While no events are planned to promote the arrival of the Roxy brand, Lecoq says Sport Chek is taking a “test and see” approach with the Quiksilver activation and may look to roll out something in the future.