Press Release — PRWEB.com

Poker, cycling, auto racing, triathlon, desert duel and more scheduled.

Portland, OR (PRWEB) May 20, 2008 — Athletes from Fluge Global Adventures intend to build on last year’s successes with a full portfolio of conquests for 2008. These include another assault on the annual Portland Rose Cup auto races, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) championships, World Poker Tour competition, a grueling triathlon, several new extreme sport “duels,” and a 200-mile cycling classic.

Fluge Global Adventures, the brainchild of Portland, Ore.’s Nick Fluge, burst upon the sports scene in 2007 with victories in the famous Rose Cup races and a championship with the Oregon Region SCCA in a 198 mph Corvette Z06.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Fluge also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, competed in the Las Vegas World Poker Tour and nearly won the “Great American Run”, a 3,000-mile cross country sports car race. Team members also successfully climbed to the base camp of Mt. Everest and went on a search to Scotland for the Loch Ness Monster.

Ongoing reports, results and new challenges are posted regularly on the group’s Web site, www.flugeglobaladventures.com.

For 2008, Fluge has an even more ambitious schedule starting with select appearances in sports car races at Portland International Raceway. He already leads this year’s Super Touring class in the SCCA road racing championship.

Team FGA also includes local drivers Todd Harris of Portland and Wilsonville’s Matt Crandall who are making an assault on the historic Rose Cup Races on May 30-June 1. Todd Harris, last year’s Rose Cup winner, will be driving the FGA Team’s 200 mph-plus Derhaag Corvette, and Crandall pilots the team’s Panoz GTS.

Fluge, who was last year’s Rose Festival Trophy winner in the Corvette Z06, will be off that weekend to Las Vegas to compete in the first World Series of Poker event of the year. This is his third straight attempt at the World Series of Poker and he hopes to shake up the status quo with his solid and sometimes wild play. FGA teammate and Vigneron, Bill Lowblad of Banks, Ore., joins Fluge at the tables.

A major women’s triathlon in August will include two strong FGA competitors in the swim, run, and biking event challenging the best in women’s sports. Team FGA is entering athletic trainer and Kilimanjaro climber Yelena King from Tigard, Ore., along with Lamborghini spokes-model and marathon competitor Ashley Perlinger of Austin, Tex. In 2007, Perlinger along with sister Aimee, formed half of the Team FGA “Bentley Girls” in the 3,000-mile Cannonball Run.

Two mano a mano “Duel” events between Nick and a team athlete are also scheduled this year. The first of these is a 200-mile cycling classic in early July. Team FGA and endurance specialist Troy Carter from Beaverton, Ore. is expected to make an immediate impact on the large field featuring some of the nation’s best cyclists. A deal is in the works for Nick to kick off the event by completing 200 miles on a stationary bike in record time.

The second of these events is entitled, “The Duel at Death Valley”. While final plans are still in development and yet to be announced, it is known that Fluge will battle Carter in Death Valley at the most dreaded time of year under the scorching desert sun.

If all these adventures aren’t enough, Fluge is also considering an expedition to track down poltergeists at a famous location.

Fluge not only shares his world adventures but invites visitors to post their travels and adventures on the team’s Web site at www.flugeglobaladventures.com.

About Nick Fluge

Nick Fluge was the Chief Visionary of Innovative Online development for JDV Online, a vibrant Internet marketplace for lifestyle sites and digital marketplaces until December, 2006. In 2005, Chefs.com was born providing culinary insight via podcasts, recipes, and historical information to an enthusiastic audience that grew to over 2 million unique visitors by December, 2005. Then, in February, 2006, Fluge helped launch Blish.com, a digital marketplace bringing together buyers and sellers. Blish became connected with the 2.0 community when Boris Karadogan, partner at ComVentures, recognized its potential and cited it as a prime example of Web 2.0 eCommerce. It was later immortalized in Stabilo Boss’ Web 2.0 Collage.

In 1999, Fluge was pivotal in securing CEC’s exclusive partnership with the world renowned Le Cordon Bleu brand from Paris France helping it to become the world’s largest provider of culinary arts education. In 2001, Fluge launched CEC’s Online Education Group which provides a unique online education to over 25,000 students annually from every state in the U.S. and 50 countries abroad. At the time of his departure in 2005, the group generated over $650,000,000 in revenue. The Online Education Group has been recognized for its leadership in non-linear, multi-media courseware, proprietary course platforms, a comprehensive virtual campus, a virtual lead management system and other software all developed in house. One of the groups’ online universities also participated in the prestigious U.S. Department of Education Demonstration Program from 2002 - 2005.

Fluge holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Portland State University and later attended Gonzaga Law School. In 1999 he completed Management Programs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and followed in 2000 with continued studies at Harvard University in Internet Technology. In 2001, he completed the “eBusiness: Models and Applications for eCommerce” certificate program at The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania.

FGA Team Leading SCCA Road Race Series

After three SCCA Championship races Team FGA stands at the top of the sports car world (at least in our minds)! Nick Fluge has deftly managed to pilot his Corvette Z06 to a commanding lead in the Super Touring division all the while showing poise and humility (!) Matt Crandall also finds himself leading the pack of the GT2 standings in his Panoz GTS. Both drivers expect to extend their leads as the season progresses and the dry race tracks favor the supercars.

Todd Harris, last years’ Rose Cup winner, will be driving the FGA Team Corvette in the June 2008 Rose Cups along with Matt in the Panoz. Double victories are never easy but within reach. Last years’ Rose Festival Trophy winner, Nick Fluge, will be off to Vegas to compete in the first 08 World Series of Poker event. While torn, between events – Fluge has evidently selected celebrity and cash over driving skill.

VEGAS BABY!

Competing in his third straight year at the World Series of Poker at the Rio in Vegas, Fluge hopes to shake up the status quo with his solid and sometimes wild play. FGA Team-mate and Vigneron, Bill Lowblad, joins Fluge at the tables. Lowblad is known for ‘by the book’ high quality play while Fluge’s bravado unnerves those at his table. Their paths to victory are different – but both are early favorites (along with several thousand other players)!

AND WHAT’S WITH ALL THESE EXCLAMATION POINTS ANYWAY!

It’s FGA and it’s REAL exciting!

SUMMER EVENTS LOOM LARGE ON FGA CALENDAR

The 200 mile cycling classic takes place in early July. FGA VO2 Max Specialist, Troy Carter, is expected to make an immediate impact on the large field. A deal is in the works for Nick to kick off the event by doing 200 miles in the gym on a stationary – could be boring – but never dull with Fluge talking to spectators up close and personal. Whether in the gym or on the same open road as Troy, Fluge expects to report back big things from this summer classic.

FGA Team NW headed by Yelena King, Core Specialist and FGA Team SW headed by Ashley Perlinger, Lamborghini Spokes-model are fit, tan, and ready for “Duel on Land, Water and Bike” a major triathlon, this August. Both competitors are already operating at expert fitness levels –so the question is who will add the mental leadership to take the Duel championship?

The second “Duel” of the year is scheduled for summer. “Duel at Death Valley”. While final plans and competitions aren’t forthcoming, it is known that Nick Fluge, Lead Adventurer will battle Troy Carter in Death Valley at the most dreaded time of year, under the scorching desert sun.

We’ll also be participating in other selected events including racing, poker, and poltergeist as the year progresses. Stay tuned for more details and results as the summer heats up!