PRESS RELEASE: MaxxisTo celebrate the amazing support Maxxis receives from the New Zealand MTB community, Maxxis will release a limited edition Assegai tire in partnership with the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI), based at Rotorua’s Te Puia. This tire will be rebranded as Taiaha - the name of a traditional Māori weapon - and emblazoned with unique and meaningful Māori artwork. The Taiaha tire will be released at Crankworx Rotorua, the first stop on the 2019 Crankworx World Tour. All profits from the tire will be donated to trail building in Rotorua.
From the first tire Maxxis released, New Zealanders have understood and chosen Maxxis to be their weapon of choice for battling the local trails and experiencing all that our unique land has to offer. And for taking on the world’s best, New Zealanders from current King of Crankworx Sam Blenkinsop all the way back to local legends such as 2001 and 2002 NORBA winner John Kirkcaldie have trusted Maxxis.
In celebration of this special connection, Maxxis has partnered with NZMACI to develop artwork for the Maxxis Taiaha. “This year marks Maxxis’ first as the official tire of the entire Crankworx World Tour. With Rotorua serving as the kick-off to the season, we knew we wanted to do something big. We are honoured to work with NZMACI and Marleen on the creation of the limited edition Taiaha tire for Crankworx Rotorua. It was a fun project and one that will educate visitors on Māori culture in addition to funding local trail building projects,” said Aaron Chamberlain, Maxxis’ bicycle marketing manager.
The Taiaha tire follows a similar collaboration in Africa, which saw development of the Maxxis Assegai tire, named after a weapon used by the Zulu tribe. The Taiaha is a traditional long staff weapon used in hand-to-hand combat by Māori warriors. Today, it is used by kapa haka (Māori war dance) proponents to demonstrate their skill and is a part of traditional ceremonies.
In the same way as a Tā moko, or Māori tattoo, the design for this tire portrays its own unique tale. Inspired by the concept of “ripping up the trails”, the curved design on the tire itself represents a distorted line, representing the movement and curves of a trail, while the niho, or Taniwha teeth (represented by the arrow-like design) pay tribute to the snarling tread of the tire. A unique mudguard has also been developed and features pūhoro representing movement and speed – a design often seen on canoes.
NZMACI designer Jacob Tautari says the process was similar to designing a tā moko (traditional Māori tattoo), where the shape and design are not predetermined, but are instead created following conversation between the artist and the recipient, representing an individual story. With NZMACI mandated by the New Zealand Government to preserve, promote and perpetuate Māori arts and crafts, Tautari says the Maxxis Taiaha is another unique way to share Māori culture with the world.
Te Puia General Manager for Sales and Marketing Kiri Atkinson-Crean agrees that the tire collaboration is yet another way NZMACI is continuing its mission: “Applying our uniquely Māori concepts to this contemporary medium is another way to profile Māori culture, values and traditions in today’s world. It provides us with another important opportunity to share our culture with the world and it is really exciting to think these tires will be seen on trails around New Zealand – and the globe.”
Bevan Burgess, product and marketing manager for Marleen Wholesalers Ltd, Maxxis’ distributor in New Zealand, says the Taiaha tire is a fantastic way to share New Zealand’s unique culture and traditions with mountain bikers around the world. “From the time Maxxis released their first tire, top Kiwi riders have been taking on the world’s best using Maxxis as their weapon of choice. The fit with the Taiaha tire, drawing on the authenticity of the NZMACI brand, is a natural one,” said Burgess.
The limited edition Maxxis Taiaha tires will only be available at Crankworx Rotorua 2019, featured along with other events, displays and items celebrating Maxxis as New Zealand’s (and the worlds!) weapon of choice.
images.ridemonkey.com/index.php?size=full&src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsmb.com%2Fimages%2Fgear%2Fmarz07%2FTire_Tread.jpg
Btw, those vegans are the type who give all the other (non extremist) vegans a bad rap.
@allmountain17: yes, I am heavily misaligned, but the vegan dilemma can join the queue. Keep spreading the word and in 200 years time, things might change.
Hell no! I'm ready to join the Frenchfriesnbeer tribe!
In fact, I joined a long time ago.
This cascading thread format does get confusing.
I don't think there's a correlation between veganism and believing they put dead babies in vaccines. I'd like to see that study.
@colincolin: how many years? I'm hungry.
Looks like token "Maori" design on it: www.commencal-store.co.nz/meta-am-v42-new-zealand-650b-brushed-2018-c2x23876941
Any news on EXO & EXO+ versions of the Assegai?
DHR 2 Exo+ are available now.
Ha.
(I'll let myself out).
farm8.static.flickr.com/7217/7189472371_f98d4bbe12_b.jpg
What exactly does 'all profits' mean? The full MSRP of the tire, the markup from cost, or just like $3 from each tire? Who will verify that Maxxis is following through?
This is just like 'green marketing'.
Quit being the victim of focus groups.
It's not perfect, but we're working on it. A lot of Kiwis realise that without it we're just another buncha whities floating around the Pacific.
Colonialism isn't dead.
Fixing over a century of screw ups in three decades is a long process, but we're working on it. If you're an expert on treaty partnerships in New Zealand I'd love to hear your thoughts on expediting the process, in fact come over and get a pretty sweet consultant gig for the government.
So much butthurt over something done right...
Out of curiosity do you know any Maori people? I would like to hear their take on this. Not a bunch of white 'men' opining. It is their culture. Not mine. Not yours. Not Maxxis'. Theirs.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=AyifuNC0MT8
Most kiwis in the thread know perfectly well what cultural appropriation is, because guess what -- we see a crapload of it too. Which is why those of us that understand tikanga Māori acknowledge the fact that these folks did not just slap some random pattern on the side of a tire, and consulted with local īwi to get that thing out.
Not Māori myself, but some of my ridding buddies are. And we are all trying to find someone going to CX to bring back some of that rubber.
Not that I need to justify it, but yeah, lots of Maori friends - because I work in a government department with local iwi sorting out appropriate and culturally sensitive ways to integrate tikanga into education. Iwi who bring things to the table and have the final say if something goes ahead or not.
If you're insecure about how your own country has treated it indigenous population then great! Go do something about it! - but don't go projecting those insecurities onto another context that has very little to do with your own.
We treat our indigenous people like shit here in North America. It's sad. Sometimes we give them small concessions to appease them while we continue to take every advantage of them.
Not an expert, just beginning to learn about the concept and really understand the depth/breadth of the whole thing.