LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skullcandy Inc. (Nasdaq: SKUL ) announced a strategic collaboration with the University of Southern California (USC) Center for Body Computing (CBC) to present the premier USC CBC SLAM at the annual Body Computing Conference to be held on the USC Los Angeles campus on October 3. The competition will challenge the greatest minds from multiple disciplines to discover new ways to harness the power of music and advance human performance.
Over the next month, teams from around the world are invited to submit concepts that combine the latest thinking around audio, biometrics and music to uncover new ways for people to perform at a higher level and improve their overall health. Finalists will be invited to present their findings before a prestigious panel of experts, including CBC founder and Executive Director and Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Leslie Saxon and Skullcandy CEO Hoby Darling as well as other experts from various fields.
Mr. Darling, calls the collaboration, "A step toward unlocking the potential of music to increase human performance." He added, "We have seen from working with the spectrum of people from the elite athlete to the grandparent affected by Dementia or Alzheimer's, that music can play an important role in improving performance and unlocking potential." Darling shared his enthusiasm over joining with the CBC team, "We are excited to coordinate with the CBC to accelerate learning around how to harness the power of music to help people. We both believe that the biggest innovations often come when combining ideas from multiple disciplines and areas ranging from creativity, sports, science, art, music and technology – there is no limit to what the SLAM teams may discover."
Skullcandy's knowledge of the industry's latest audio technologies and advanced functionalities through its Advanced Concepts Engineering and Product Development teams make its exploration of expanding human potential through music a natural step. In initial third-party studies, music has been shown to affect heart rate, brainwaves and mood, and research is just scratching the surface in understanding how to improve health and alter physical, emotional and cognitive states.
Skullcandy's participation with the USC CBC conference furthers its goal to be the most innovative company in audio, and its deeper mission to help people live better lives and unlock their potential.
"As an athlete, I have seen personally the powerful effect music can have on performance," said three-time Olympian and head of Skullcandy Sports Performance and Human Potential, Emily Cook. "Skullcandy's experience in providing music and inspiration to many of the most accomplished athletes from 3X world champion surfer Mick Fanning to NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving makes this collaboration with USC CBC a perfect evolution."
The annual USC Body Computing Conference, now in its eighth year, is the premier gathering of a dynamic mix of leading experts in the digital health sector. Dr. Saxon echoes Skullcandy's enthusiasm about collaborating on the CBC SLAM event this year.
"Each year we re-dedicate ourselves to finding the most innovative technology solutions that transcend and transform the health experience," said Saxon. "This year's collaboration with Skullcandy showcases how together we can disrupt traditional ways of thinking to change health and human performance by harnessing the power of music and biometrics."
For more information please visit: www.skullcandy.com/blog/2014/08/23/now-streaming-live-bio-music . Proposals are due by September 22 and finalists for the live pitch in Los Angeles will be chosen by September 26.
About Skullcandy Inc.
Skullcandy is the original lifestyle and performance audio brand inspired by the creativity and irreverence of youth culture. Skullcandy designs, markets and distributes audio and gaming headphones and other accessory related products under the Skullcandy, Astro Gaming and 2XL brands. Find out more on the company's website at www.skullcandy.com .
University of Southern California (USC) Center for Body Computing (CBC)
Founded in 2007 as an independent health center which is part of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the USC Center for Body Computing is an interdisciplinary brain trust that works with schools throughout the USC system including: Marshall School of Business, the Viterbi School of Engineering, the School of Cinematic Arts, USC Athletics and other innovators. The CBC mission is simple: To study, accelerate and create digital solutions that improve worldwide health. The CBC specializes in the incubation of ideas, products and services for chronic disease management, sports monitoring, mHealth, and gaming and entertainment through collaborations from Silicon Valley to Hollywood embracing techies, creatives and research-driven medical health experts. To become a member or learn more, visit: uscbodycomputing.org.
For Skullcandy contact: ICR Brendon Frey / Joe Teklits 203-682-8200
