Look for spotlights of other AIRHAWK team members in the upcoming newsletters. You can find the first Spotlight on Craig Johnson here. The next one will come out in April. Enjoy!

-Danielle

Danielle Boenisch
eMarketing and Support Surface Product Coordinator
The ROHO Group/AIRHAWK

Becca Heckert

Don't let this pretty face fool you. Becca is about as badass as they come.

Age: 26

Hometown: Okawville, IL

Current City: St Louis, MO

Spouse & Children: No and No (although I’ll be married at the end of April)

Describe a typical day for you.
Nuts. I juggle multiple projects with multiple brands for our Consumer segment. One minute I’m speaking with a media rep, purchasing ad space and then next I’m working on a new website or online feature to enhance functionality, and even trade shows and rallies; you name it, I’m doing it or learning it.

Favorite Food: I’d have to run with pizza, although any item with mass quantities of sugar sure does tug at my heartstrings.

Favorite Song: Janis Joplin “Me & Bobby McGee”

Favorite Band: Of all time?!?!? Oooh this is difficult. I love almost every genre of music so this is like asking me for my favorite dessert! (Trust me, this girl loves dessert!) Maybe Jack Johnson as he makes me want to grab a drink and go sit on a beach. Or even Frank Sinatra, he’s an old crooner and I’d do anything to bring him back just to hear him sing.

Favorite Movie: Anything Adam Sandler, I’m a sucker for stupid comedy.

Favorite Video Game: I don’t play such silly things but if I did, it would be old school Mario brother or even some Atari.

What was your best subject in school?
English always seemed to be a strong area. Apparently I can read, write and speak reeeal niiice.

If you could be any superhero, who would you be?
Well I am sorry to say that I’m not a huge comic book person and I know very few superheros, so I’d have to say “not applicable” in this situation. But I do think Catwoman is a fairly foxy superhero and she drives wicked vehicles so I’d choose her by default.

What is your favorite place that you have traveled?
Recently Germany, it’s such a beautiful place with fabulous architecture…and not to forget the glorious beer selection they offer.

If a movie was being made of your life, who would you cast to play you?
Strictly off personality would be Tina Fey or Sarah Silverman. Although I recently watched Bridesmaids (I know, I know…) and Melissa McCarthy was PHENOMENAL in it! I’m keeping my eye are her — she’s pee-your-pants fantastic.

Paper or Plastic? Paper

If you owned a CB radio, what would your handle be? Pork Chop (Back story: Becca grew up on a hog farm.)

What’s the closest you’ve come to becoming a pop star or winning an Oscar?
Uh, karaoke at a bar at 3:00 in the morning, I received a free beer from the ‘audience’ after my stellar performance of Janis Joplin.

If you knew that you could not fail, what would you do?
Be the doctor that finds a cure for cancer — too many people are affected by it.

What do you like best about your hometown?
The fact that I know 95% of the people in it.

If you could be one kind of beer, what would you be and why?
Any ‘seasonal’ flavor because you get a cool draft tapper, like a pumpkin or snowman.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Australia or New Zealand, but only if it didn’t require 24+ hours of flight time.

What internet site do you surf the most?
At this moment in time, food blogs because I’m always looking for new recipes to try.

Name three things that you think will become obsolete in ten years.
DVDs, newspapers in print form, and after 2 decades of seasonal appearances, the McDonald’s McRib sandwich will also disappear.

What is your favorite movie/TV show quote?
“If peeing you’re pants is cool, then consider me Miles Davis.” – Old Farm Lady in Billy Madison

If this was your last day to live, what would you do and why?
Spend it with my family because they are truly an awesome group of people. Cheesy and cliché? Perhaps, but it’s true.

When you were six years old, what did you think that you were going to be when you grew up?
I’m pretty sure I wanted to be a veterinarian…until I realized you actually had to put animals to sleep as part of your job.

Would you rather be rich or famous and why?
Rich, because you can still afford to do all the things a famous person can, the only difference is that you’ll enjoy them instead of being hounded by camera and be on every magazine and celebrity gossip blog.

What TV game show would you go on and why?
The Price is Right! – only if Bob Barker was still doing it. I used to watch that show all the time and loved playing from my living room.

Thanks to everyone who posted a caption. We had a lot of great submissions and it was tough to choose!

EM Hayes, please email online.support@airhawk.net for more information.

Craig Johnson

Craig Johnson, AIRHAWK National Sales Manager, motorcycle division (While this isn’t his typical AIRHAWK attire, Craig insisted that I use this photo. Don’t ya know, he’s a classy guy. “Think of me like Yoda, but instead of being little and green I wear suits and I’m AWESOME. I’m your bro—I’m Broda!”)

Hometown: I was raised primarily in Brainerd, Minn., and never really moved more than 15 miles away. I like it there.

Current City: Brainerd, Minn.

Marital Status: Single

Describe Your Job.

It’s my kinda party! (Someone’s been listening to way too much Jason Aldean. See Craig’s favorite song below.) I travel all over the country working with dealers, distributors and customers to save asses.

Favorite Food:

Venison, it has to be on the grill though. I like everything about it! Hunting it, cutting it up and especially grilling it! (Awe, poor Bambi!)

Favorite Song:

That’s a tough one. There are too many good ones. I’d have to say the question should be, what’s on your iPod? Ha-ha, Jason Aldean was the artist of choice on the plane here (Las Vegas BikeFest). “My Kinda Party” is probably what I would say right now.

Favorite Movie:

Hmm…I’m not really much of a movie guy, but any of the “Rocky” movies, or probably “Pure Country,” maybe “The World’s Fastest Indian.” Can I say tie?

Favorite Video Game:

“Rock Band” or “Guitar Hero.” They’re the same thing, but I like to have friends over and play it. We kick all the kids off for the night though. We’re like a garage band, but with screaming fans!

What was your best subject in school?

Believe it or not, my best subject was math.

If you could be any superhero, who would you be?

What kind of a question is that?! Would you not agree that I am a super hero?! You have traveled with me! (I do have to say that he’s saved me a few times. Stranger danger is real.)

If a movie was being made of your life, who would you cast to play you?

I think that I’d have to go with Van Wilder, Ryan Reynolds. He has the same kind of attitude, but I’ve been told that I look like Michael J. Fox. He’d be good, too.

Paper or Plastic?

Paper, cash is always better. But if you are talking about bags, still paper! I don’t like to burn the plastic, and I like to burn stuff! (Can we say pyromaniac?)

If you owned a CB radio, what would your handle be?

Ha! I DID have a CB radio! Long before your time, Danielle, they were cool! Well we thought so. My handle was “The Wanderer.” (Craig always has to rub in it in that I’m the baby of the crew and only 24-years-old. Craig doesn’t know that CB radios will always be cool — there are CB radio apps for my iPhone.)

What is your favorite place that you have traveled?

I would have to say the Yellowstone area. I go in the fall when there aren’t a bunch of people around. As it turns out, I like to get away from people when I can, to small towns and nothingness.

What’s the closest you’ve come to becoming a pop star or winning an Oscar?

I’m pretty sure they used my likeness for the Oscar statue so that puts me all over that program! (You be the judge.)

If you knew that you could not fail, what would you do?

I’d do whatever I wanted to. I’d probably take another shot at racing professionally. Wait…is there a guarantee against injury somewhere?

What do you like best about your hometown?

I like that it isn’t a big city but it’s big enough not to be boring. There is a huge variety of motorsports in the area, and for the outdoorsman there are over a hundred lakes within a 60-mile radius.

If you could be one kind of beer, what would you be and why?

A cold refreshing kind that ladies would drink!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Cozumel, Mexico. I love it there. Nothing to do but relax, beat the crap out of their rental scooters and drink. Nobody can get a hold of me there and when the locals get pissed at me, it’s in Spanish so I don’t understand.

What internet site do you surf the most?

Facebook

Name three things that you think will become obsolete in ten years.

Me, myself and I. (Well, that’s depressing.)

What is your favorite movie/TV show quote?

“Where most people’s shame gland is, I have a second “AWESOME” gland. True story.” —Barney Stinson, “How I Met Your Mother”

What TV game show would you go on and why?

Wipeout! Have you seen this show? It fits an adrenaline junkie like me! (I’d like to see this with Craig competing against the Ass Pad Tycoon. “It’s going to be legen…wait for it…and I hope you’re not lactose-intolerant cause the second half of that word is…DAIRY! Legendary!”)

Describe a typical day for you.

Ha! There is no typical day in the life of a super hero. That’s the best part of my life and this job. There is no routine!

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Besides visiting Vendor Village, Las Vegas BikeFest offers several other events. A few of the events include bike stunt shows, Limpnickie Lot, a poker run, strongest motorcyclist competition, a wet t-shirt contest and much more. You can check out all of the events on the Las Vegas BikeFest website.

Stop by Vendor Village in Cashman Center and say hello to Steve and Craig!

Cashman Center
850 Las Vegas Blvd. North
Las Vegas, NV 89101

AIRHAWK is one of dozens of Motorcycle Industry Council aftermarket companies that helped make this year’s promotion bigger and better than ever with its donation of a three AIRHAWK Comfort Seating Systems. The winners of AIRHAWK’s prizes are Ryan Sloan from Page Arizona, and a patron of Page Honda, Molinda Ellis from Ocala, Florida, and Craig Owens from Ft. Meyers, Florida, and a patron of Horney’s Cycle Shop.

“Congratulations to Ryan Sloan, Molinda Ellis, Craig Owens, and dealers Page Honda and Horney’s Cycle Shop,” said Steve Peyton, AIRHAWK Director of Sales. “We’re proud to have been a part of this year’s WIN BIG Spring Giveaway. Like last year, this promotion was a huge success, creating excitement about riding and bringing new and existing customers back into dealers.”

Revive Your Ride!, the industry’s first-ever collective promotional campaign, began in 2010. This year’s Revive Your Ride! WIN BIG Spring Giveaway Grand Prize was a $5,000 pre-paid debit card. In addition to the Grand Prize, more than 100 products were donated by Motorcycle Industry Council aftermarket member companies for giveaways, ranging from leather jackets and helmets to windshields and saddlebags to magazine subscriptions and much more.

AIRHAWK motorcycle cushions provide the effective pressure redistribution with interconnected air cells. A new cell design in the AIRHAWK™ R provides added comfort to address specific pressure areas. All AIRHAWK motorcycle comfort seating systems come with a non-skid cover and straps for securing it to the rider’s bike seat. AIRHAWK cushions use shape fitting technology^® and are fully adjustable and customizable to each rider to double the ride time, guaranteed.

“Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Revive Your Ride! promotion this year,” said Frank Esposito, MIC aftermarket committee chair. “Thanks to our Motorcycle Industry Council aftermarket members, this tremendous promotion again drove thousands of customers into dealerships everywhere. Although this was only the second year, we still saw a dramatic increase in participation from MIC member companies who donated $40,000 in cash, cool products and great services as giveaways. We are already looking forward to the fall promotion beginning October 1 through November 30 and hope to use the momentum from this promotion to make the next Revive Your Ride! event even better.”

AIRHAWK is a brand of The ROHO Group, based in Belleville, Illinois, that specializes in shape fitting technology, manufacturing cushion and support surface products for medical applications as well as for recreational and commercial vehicle use. For more information, visit AIRHAWK’s website at www.AIRHAWK.net or contact customer service at (800) 851-3449.

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit, national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

The Motorcycle Industry Council is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office adjacent to Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at mic.org.

# # #

For more information, contact:

Danielle Boenisch

eMarketing & Support Surfaces Coordinator

AIRHAWK

danielleb@therohogroup.com

800-851-3449, ext. 2220

http://www.airhawk.net

I have had two spinal fusion surgeries, first in 1996 T-12 thru L-3, then in 2008 my L-4 burst when I was hit by a pick-up truck in a parking lot. Now I am fused from T-12 thru L-5. Some days it hurts just to get out of bed, mostly on rainy or cold, damp days. It rained about the last six or seven out of the 12 days it took to get to Anchorage and I was “good to go” thanks to my AIRHAWK. It truly ‘SAVED MY ASS!’ Thanks AIRHAWK for a great product and to Becca for all her emails and encouragement.” —Paul B., New Jersey

Paul Brown in Anchorage, AK

Paul Brown's Bike at House of Harley-Davidson Anchorage Alaska

BELLEVILLE, Ill., (June 29, 2011) — AIRHAWK, manufacturer of support surface products for consumer applications, is introducing a new motorcycle seat cushion, the AIRHAWK™ R, to address specific issues of prostatitis, general discomfort in the sacrum and coccyx, as well as areas under the prostate and scrotum.

The AIRHAWK R motorcycle cushion provides the same effective pressure redistribution with interconnected air cells as the original AIRHAWK motorcycle comfort seating systems, but with a new cell design to provide added comfort and to addresses specific pressure areas.

“We designed the AIRHAWK R to address all of the issues that our customers have pointed out to us over the years—the new cell design eliminates contact with the tailbone, prostate and the scrotum area,” Steve Peyton, Director of AIRHAWK Sales, said.

Made from neoprene, the new AIRHAWK R is 14 inches by 14 inches that is comparable in size to the AIRHAWK Medium Cruiser, the most popular AIRHAWK motorcycle cushion.

As with all AIRHAWK motorcycle comfort seating systems, the AIRHAWK R comes with a non-skid cover and straps for securing it to the rider’s bike seat. AIRHAWK cushions use shape fitting technology^® and are fully adjustable and customizable to each rider.

To see AIRHAWK’s upcoming events and where you can try out the new AIRHAWK R visit Airhawk.net. To view images from the rallies, more news and upcoming events visit Facebook.com/AirhawkSeats or blog.airhawk.net.

Specializing in shape fitting technology, AIRHAWK is a brand of The ROHO Group that manufactures and distributes a variety of standard and custom-size wheelchair cushions and accessories, back systems, powered and non-powered support surfaces and the full line of XSENSOR^® Pressure Mapping Systems. For more information, visit AIRHAWK’s website at AIRHAWK.net or contact customer service at (800) 851-3449 or (618) 277-9173.

Retailers interested in selling the new AIRHAWK R should contact their local Tucker Rocky, Parts Unlimited, Custom Chrome or Western Powersports sales representative. Visit AIRHAWK.net to be listed on AIRHAWK’s dealer locator.

The new AIRHAWK R can be purchased online at TheROHOStore.com or through an authorized dealer.

For more information, contact:
Danielle Boenisch
eMarketing Assistant
The ROHO Group, Inc.
1-800-851-3449, ext. 2220
danielleb@therohogroup.com

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The rally will include a stunt show, boat cruises, a scavenger hunt, hot air balloon rides and more. There will also be white water rafting, or go for a horse-back ride. Americade also has seminars hosted by Lee Parks, Christa & Florian Neuhauser, Ken Condon, Fred Rau and Clement Salvadori.

The AIRHAWK crew will be at Americade ready to save some asses, so stop at Booth #116 & 117 and say hello to Steve, Craig and Heather.

The show will feature a Custom Chrome International Bike Show, autograph signing by Dave Perewitz and Eddie Trotta, live music, Miss Sturgis Road Show Model Search and more.

To find out more information visit the Sturgis Road Show website.

The study surveyed more than 100 bikers from the US, UK and Germany that work white-collar jobs. Eighty-five percent of respondents were male, 14% were female. The average age for respondents was 48-years-old. Respondents were shown pictures, one of a motorcycle and the other image varied. They were then asked to choose which image they preferred. A few of the other images were a cozy fireplace, children, kittens, puppies and an attractive female in lingerie. Here are a few of the results from the male participants:

• 76% prefer women over their motorcycles.
• 56% prefer their motorcycles over kids at play.
• 70% prefer their motorcycles over Christmas with the family.
• 75% prefer their motorcycles over a cosy fireplace.
• 75% prefer their motorcycles over a romantic sunset.
• 79% prefer their motorcycles over a newborn baby.
• 78% prefer their motorcycles over a beautiful oldtimer.
• 84% prefer their motorcycles over puppies.
• 90% prefer their motorcycles over kittens.

While the researches expected those conclusions from the males, they had surprising results from the female white-collar riders.

Overall though, this study is pretty cool. I haven’t seen a lot of manufacturers do any research like this (or at least publish it).