Monday, December 31, 2007


It's been 3 years since I made the first Vanderkitten branded T-shirts, before we ever even started this business. Over the last 3 years we have learned more than I could have ever imagined! We've been inspired by unlikely people, had uncanny experiences, met amazing people and have made more new friends than a grade schooler!

We entered into the "Cycling Industry", won 3 National Championships, designed our own bikes, kits that got people talking (good and bad)... but people took notice, YOU took notice.

There is nothing esoteric about Vanderkitten. There is nothing fake, phony, empty or contrived. What we offer is a concept that is REAL. It is real, it has not been articulated and developed as a brand like we've done it, and it has been widely praised for it's forward thinking.

Cycling goes Argyle, we go plaid. Cycling goes white, we go black... and guess what? You the people LOVE IT, and we love you!

One comment I received from one of my mentors was that Vanderkitten did not have enough of my voice. In fact, I've helped and guided him in building a very successful new business... he said I gave his business a voice! I have often heard the sentiment that Vanderkitten is a company much larger than it actually is. It's the result of 3 people's passion, skill, determination and inspiration.

For 2008 I want to give Vanderkitten the voice it deserves. As the creator of the business, I suppose that would be mine... and as the inspiration, perhaps it will be Jennie's or as the make it happen guy maybe it's Mark's. I am rewriting the Vanderkitten story, the way I would tell you why I started the business if you asked me. On the new website, it will be my story, our pictures and this journey that includes YOU!!

Every design we do has relevance, and inside "secrets" for design inspiration. Some you will be shocked by, some you will laugh at, some may make you cry. Next week I will tell you how I became inspired to start Vanderkitten, leave a great income and work endlessly into the night, every night...

2008 is going to be an AMAZING year. A year of TRUTH, a year were we stop compromising and start making every move we make count, and every action speak... I hope you join us for this ride, it is going to be unforgettable.

Happy New Year!!
Dave Verrecchia
Creator/Designer
Vanderkitten- Clothing for Women Who Kick Ass


Sunday, November 25, 2007

CHILLIN' at Mezzanine, December 1st!!


This event is probably the best of it's kind anywhere. Chillin' Productions packs Mezzanine with Art, Design, Fashion, Ready to Wear, DJ's and DRINKS!! It's an AWESOME event, THE PLACE TO BE SEEN, and... you can pick up some unique gifts just in time for the holidays!



Vanderkitten will be there with some of our new stuff and mostly limited edition, hand printed T's and such. We'll have special deals if you mention you saw this bulletin!

Come support the up and coming artists, photographers, designers, DJ's at this truly AWESOME event!!




Friday, November 23, 2007

We Skipped Black Friday!

Look, why try to compete with every other retailer out there in the world to offer special savings for one measly day? That's not the VK way! We are jamming new product onto the webstore with SUPER EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED EDITION T-Shirts, JACKETS and Sweatshirts!!

Here's the deal: We will be offering our exclusive WORLD TOUR T-shirts for sale, TO YOU! These are hand printed by Dave himself, with riveted tags and printed labels. Strictly BAD ASS, Vintage
cotton, ready to ROCK! Will these be on sale? No. Can you use you discount code for them? Nada. Will you see your self coming and going everywhere you look in these T's? NOPE!


Exclusiveness has a small price of only $38.99... Pretty bad ass? Yes indeed.

Other stuff coming out:
More hand printed, limited edition T's! We'll save you a trip to the boutique!

Get on the email list for the announcement!



Friday, October 26, 2007

WORLD CUP FLASHES!

Here is a very well done video of the Kalmthout World Cup Cyclocross race! For those of you not familiar with Cyclocross, this will give you a great idea of the mixture of terrain and speed. This is a more technical course, IMHO!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Mandy Rules!



The word is out that Mandy is fast, fast, fast on her new Vanderkitten/Ahrens cross bike! Here is a shot last week from Virginia, lookin' good! She is helping build the Vanderkitten onslaught of racing and promoting VK while in Grad School full time!! She is a living example that life can be lived to the fullest!!

Thank you Mandy for keeping the dream alive!!

Christine RAWKS the NEW VANDERKITTEN CROSS KIT in BELGIUM!!




The HOTTEST kits in Cross made their debut at the UCI Word Cup in Belgium this weekend! Vanderkitten partnered up with Belgian team wear manufacturer extrordinairre, BioRacer.

Christine Vardaros reports the kits are the best looking and best feeling kits she's ever worn (and she's been at this on 2 continents for a dozen years!!) How do YOU get one? A VERY LIMITED number will be available for public purchase with proceeds going to Vanderkitten Racing to help fund our cycling team!



Check out Vanderkitten webstore the first week of November for more!!!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Vanderkitten's Christine Vardaros named to US Squad for UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup.



From USAcycling.org

USA Cycling announced today the seven athletes that will represent the United States at the upcoming UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Kalmthout, Belgium on October 21. Four men and three women were selected to the squad that will compete in the first of nine UCI Cyclo-cross World Cups this season.

Ryan Trebon (Ventura, Calif./Kona Yourkey), Jonathan Baker (Boulder, Colo./Vitamin Cottage), Jonathan Page (Northfield, N.H./Sunweb Projob) and Ian Boswell (Bend, Ore./Hagens Berman) will race for the men, while Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Spike Shooter), Christine Vardaros (Mill Valley, Calif./Vanderkitten) and Sarah Kerlin (Capitola, Calif./HRS- Rock Lobster) will compete in the women’s race.

Christine will be riding the Reynolds equipped Ahrens "Whole Shot" Cyclocross bike in special Vanderkitten-created livery. The Whole Shot is a prototype bike that features Ahrens' signature ride-tuned yoke system that also provides the benefit of extra mud clearance. The added secret speed ingedient on the bike is achieved by the plaid custom graphics and matching team kits to be unveiled at the opening UCI round. This kit and bike are unlike anything to come before it!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

PRESS RELEASE


Berkeley, Calif. (October 15, 2007) -

Vanderkitten announces the establishment of Vanderkitten Racing, an experienced and talented team of Elite Women cyclists contesting the NRC Road circuit in 2008. Growing on the success of the one-woman team of Liz Hatch in 2007, Vanderkitten will be fielding a 6-woman elite team as well as developmental and regional support riders. "Our success in sponsoring Liz Hatch in 2007 has convinced us that Vanderkitten and cycling go hand in hand. Our focus next year will be the majority of the NRC calendar, and to that effect we have signed 4 immensely talented girls with another 2 athletes to be announced shortly" says Vanderkitten's Mark Zefeldt.

The current roster includes Leigh Valletti of Atlanta, GA, Mandy Lozano of Charlottesville, VA, Christine Vardaros of Mill Valley, CA, with Liz Hatch of Delray Beach, FL returning for another season. The team is accepting resumes and is in serious talks with several bike companies and corporate sponsors.

"Vanderkitten is thrilled to support these hard working, vibrant athletes and the sport of Women's Cycling. We're all looking forward to the upcoming season with great anticipation. Vanderkitten's mission since its inception is to create a long-term relationship with cycling and raise the bar of sponsorships for women athletes. High-profile athletes provide a tremendous marketing value to all parties associated with their image. Women influence both female AND male purchasing decisions. Why, then, have women typically earned less than 10% of most pro male athletes salaries?" asks Vanderkitten's founder David Verrecchia of Berkeley.

Vanderkitten introduced a line of clothing and cycling apparel at Interbike whose proceeds go directly to build the cycling program. For more information please contact dave@vanderkitten.com or mark@vanderkitten.com

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Interbike – Las Vegas


Attention to detail aside, and of all the wise tales and past experiences shared, please remember this……. ‘sleep is not a requirement to function in Las Vegas’.

Vanderkitten’s 1st Interbike was truly a success. Did you happen to stop by booth #158 (the one with the pink plaid sign)? Chat with Dave or Mark, hang with one or more of the smile filled girls……Liz, Mandy, Leigh, Jackie, or Jen?


We would like to thank everyone who made it by to say Hi, Introduce themselves, Congratulate the women, or to place an order for some Kick Ass apparel. I speak for all of us when I say we were pleased to meet you and spend time sharing the Vanderkitten story.

Of course any posting wouldn’t be complete without a few road time antics (pictures).




Sunday, September 23, 2007


Destination- InterBike/Las Vegas
Est. Time of Departure- 10 a.m. Monday 24, September
Est. Drive Time- 11 hours
Est Time of Arrival- Ummmmmmm????
Est Amount of Fun- LOADS!

InterBike is upon us. We are feverishly working to finish the prep work and get on the road Monday a.m. in order to make it to Vegas by nightfall. We being, Dave, Mark, Liz and Jackie.

InterBike promises to be an adventure as it always is when you take Vanderkitten on the road. The excitement has been building for ages and it's about to explode. Weeks of hard work have finally been realized and now it's time to see the fruits of our labor. If you've never been to InterBike the best way I can describe it is like a Star Trek convention for bike geeks. We're really no different if you think about it... All the tight shiny lycra and whatnot.

This morning we attended our last CA road race for the 2007 season in Chico and to say we had a favorable outcome is perhaps an understatement. Liz took every prime and won the race outright so it couldn't really have gone better!

As well as the industry show there are two races with Vanderkittens looking to make their marks . Wednesday night Mandykitten Lozano will be showing her stuff at the UCI C2 Cross race. She is sure to have a large cheering section and we wish her the best! The following night is the final leg of the USA NRC Crit series which will deliver high excitement, even more than normal due to the debut of Ms. Leigh "Machete" Valletti. If you are in the area come out and cheer for Liz and Leigh and meet the crew! The race is being held at the Mandalay Bay Casino to be followed by a night of end of season fun.

We'll be sure to document the whole trip in pictures followed be a post trip report so be sure to check back in!

VK, Out!

Thursday, September 06, 2007

September Already?

Time flies when you're having fun (and kicking ass) as they say! September is well under way which means the 2007 road season is almost in the books and what a season it's been. We lined up at our first start line back in May and have been steadily making a name for ourselves across the country with our one girl team. The future looks even brighter for Vanderkitten as we build the 8 woman team for next year. The response that Vanderkitten has received from women, and men for that matter, of all ages has been overwhelming and tells us that we are doing something special. We've been spending countless hours working on the new team and making preparations for InterBike in Las Vegas at the end of this month to ensure that 2008 will be the year of the Kitten!

The Vanderkitten cyclo-cross team is warming up with the first few races of the year and we could not be more excited to have Christine Vardaros in our kit for the 07-08 season. Christine brings with her a vast knowledge of cross and is an invaluable source of experience that she will share with the team. Her love for the sport is infectious!

We'd like to thank all the women that have supported Vanderkitten by purchasing tees and cycling kits, spreading the Vanderkitten message and having the time of their lives doing it. Keep kicking ass and inspiring us ladies!

Talk soon!

Saturday, August 25, 2007















New Jerseys for the Garden State and Beyond!


Is it really possible to make a jersey that is exciting, fashionable and fun to wear? Well, we have 6 of them coming out for 2008 that will rock your world, whether you ride a fixie or a hybrid! Let's face it, 2 wheels are 2 wheels, and you're gonna sweat and want to look your best in the process!

We can't quite let the cat out of the bag yet, but 2008's new designs feature color that POPS, designs the ROCK, and quality that SHOCKS. Stop by the Vanderkitten booth (158/160) at Interbike to make sure and get your order in before the product is sold out!

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Vanderkitten Signs Christine Vardaros to 2007 Women's Cyclocross Team




08.08.07 - Berkeley, California

Vanderkitten, Clothing for Women Who Kick Ass, announces the signing of UCI Elite cyclocross athlete Christine "Peanut" Vardaros to lead its newly-established women's cyclocross team. Christine will fly the flashy new Vanderkitten colors – a standout pink-plaid team kit – while piloting a Vanderkitten team-edition Ahrens Whole Shot cyclocross frame in World Cup, Superprestige, and US National Series races. The Mill Valley, CA native who spends much of her season based in Leuven, Belgium finished last season ranked 22nd in the world, earning herself a spot on the US National Team for the 2007 World Championships.

"We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with Christine," says Vanderkitten co-founder Dave Verrecchia. "Having a top-level racer who's dedicated to sharing her knowledge and experience with her teammates and other female cyclists of all ability levels is invaluable to our growing cyclocross team. Christine doesn't just race – she's a journalist, a cycling rights advocate, and an animal rights advocate as well. Her community involvement lines up with Vanderkitten's goals to do some good in the world while having fun on bikes."

Christine will provide mentorship and support to the women of Vanderkitten's cyclocross team, which is a grassroots team open to cyclocross racers of any ability level. With Christine's help, Vanderkitten hopes to bring more women into the sport of cyclocross – whether they come from road-riding, mountain-biking, or non-cycling backgrounds.
Says Christine, "I chose to ride for Vanderkitten particularly because of what it stands for – permission for women to be athletic while retaining their femininity. Vanderkitten not only encourages women like me to play rough and dirty, but also provides us with feminine clothing so we look sexy as we sprint through the mud. Vanderkitten sends the message to women around the world that it is possible to be powerful and athletic while maintaining poise and grace."

Vanderkitten is currently looking for US riders of all levels to race in the team kit, and take advantage of stellar team pricing on the hand-built Ahrens Whole Shot frames. Complete bikes are also available at team pricing for a limited time, thanks to Vanderkitten sponsors FSA and Reynolds. More information can be found at http://www.vanderkitten.com/.

To join Christine on the Vanderkitten cyclocross team, or to inquire about frames and team kits, email Dave Verrecchia at dave@vanderkitten.com.




MAUREEN KUNZ -2007 NATIONAL CHAMPION!



Maureen rocked Vermont! She won the XC on her sick Ahrens bike, the DH, and the Super D!

Per Mo: "I won the DH by default cuz no one else was brave enough to try the gnarly course.But the XC and Super D were hard-fought battles! It was a blast--super muddy, rocky, roots, trees, steep climbs, fast corners, and lots of FUN!"

Congratulations to Maureen's podium filled season. Stay groovy! Always a Vanderkitten.




Sunday, July 22, 2007

Vanderkitten - Liz Hatch Blog

It's up! Follow Liz through the rest of the season!


Emily Phillips

Emily (from TX) has bee attacking the dirt this season......with some Vanderkitten style on her KX250f. Check out her custom VK graphics! Definitely someone to keep your eye on as she continues to excel with every ride.

Some of Emily's successes this season include: Racing Loretta Lynn's area qualifier and qualifying for the regional. In the regional she was doing extremely well but cased a triple and had a pretty nasty wreck, picked the bike up and finished 15th. That finish obviously did not get her to Lorettas although that was out of 280 riders to compete in her region! She raced Ponca City Qualifiers and placed 2nd and 5th where the top 12 qualified so, it's off to Oklahoma next. Last weekend she raced a Texas series called the Lone Star series and placed 2nd there also. Saturday Emily raced a night race in the Texas Night Track series, so hopefully all goes well! We'll be sure to post her results!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Congratulations to some Vanderkittens!!!

Cougar Mt Classic, July 7-8 2007, Sonoma California – Results

Maureen Kunz – 1st Expert Women’s MTB (Cross Country)



Liz Hatch – 1st Women’s NRC Road Criterium Race, 1st Women’s NRC Road Circuit Race

Friday, June 29, 2007

Street Bike Stunter


Shauna (Krazy8z) (www.myspace.com/krazy8z) from Renton WA loves motorcycles. Enough that she has a Honda CBR600rr Street and Stunt bike. Shauna, you can only ride one at a time! Whether out for a casual ride or pullin’ the front wheel off the ground for some circles, Shauna has proven that she is a huge proponent of female riders…...as is Vanderkitten. Along with full time work and full time play, she is also an officer to her local chapter of Chic Riders (http://www.chicriderswashington.com/). Check them out! Chic Riders is more than just a motorcycle club! They give back to their communities by organizing fund raisers/rides to benefit charities. Getting the community involved and making them aware of the "cycle world", having fun, they ride!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Vanderkitten Introduces 2007 Athletes and Products

For Immediate Release
Berkeley, CA
June 11, 2007

Vanderkitten, Clothing for Women Who Kick Ass, supports women’s creative and athletic endeavors in music, cycling, motorsports, and snowsports. Women can wear Vanderkitten clothing while on or off the bike and exude strength and style. The cycling-inspired clothing company, established in March 2005 by the husband-and-wife team of Dave Verrecchia and Jennie Vanderlaag, recently unveiled a new website complete with its 2007 product line.

Says Verrecchia, “Cycling is a way of life for many women, including the couriers and that inspired the cycling caps and Fixies T-shirt design. Women ride bikes everyday, in any number of ways, and we have a design for each of them.”

Unique graphics play a leading role in the 2007 product line. In addition to casual tops, hoodies, and hats, Vanderkitten offers technical cycling shorts and jerseys in bold, yet feminine prints. Ophelia, the sassy snaggletooth kitty of the Vanderkitten logo appears in only a few of the new designs. Ophelia, by the way, is alive and well-pampered in Berkeley, CA. Vanderkitten graphics adorn limited-edition Team Ahrens bike frames, as well as Emily Phillips’ 2007 KX250F dirt bike and the Les Schwab-outfitted Vanderkitten dune buggy. The full 2007 product line and specialty graphics can be viewed at Vanderkitten.com.

Vanderkitten is committed to helping women achieve their athletic and artistic goals. This spring, Vanderkitten helped skier Didi Lawrence fulfill her dream of skiing first descents in Nepal. The brand sponsors the Kona Velo Bella cycling team, and was the title sponsor of the 2006 Surf City Cyclocross series women’s races. For the fall of 2007, Vanderkitten is piloting its own women’s cyclocross team. Vanderkitten supports an ever-growing list of established and up-and-coming athletes and artists through its Very Important Pussycat (ViP) program. Women interested in joining the cyclocross team or becoming a ViP should send resumes to ViP@vanderkitten.com.

2007 Vanderkitten ViPs
Rachel Pearl: Singer, Songwriter: rachelpearl.bandsites.com
Divasonic- Lynda Arnold: Singer, Songwriter: divasonic.com
Velo Bella Kona Cycling Team: velobella.org
Cal Cycling Team, U.C. Berkeley: calcycling.org
Mandy Lozano: Road, Cyclocross
Liz Hatch: Road
Leigh Valetti: Road
Cara McCauley: Road
Jenny Willhite: Road
Mary Maroon: Road, Track
Maureen Kunz: XC Mountain
Emma Worldpeace: XC Mountain
Jackie Baker: DH Mountain
Didi Lawrence: Ski
Emily Phillips: Motocross
Shauna “Krazy8z” Young: Motorcycle Stunt

For media inquiries, contact Jackie Baker through Jackie@vanderkitten.com. For sales inquiries, contact Dave Verrecchia through sales@vanderkitten.com.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Two Wheels – With an Engine!

John Zamora, Associate Editor @ Super Street Bike has gotten his hands on some chic Vanderkitten apparel. Check out page 106 of the current issue (June 2007 – on sale now) for the full review!

“We’re not too sure what a cute kitty has to do with an action lifestyle, but Vanderkitten claims that its clothes are for girls who “kick ass.” So, if you’re a lady who kicks ass, you are entitled to sport an outfit from the Vanderkitten line……..”



Friday, June 01, 2007

Yaris! Yaris! Yaris!

This year, to help curb the depletion of fossil fuels, the staff at Vanderkitten has equipped themselves with some fuel efficient Toyota Yari (Yaris). With and EPA rating of 40mpg, we’ve more than halved our fuel consumption. Of course we did have to put some VK style into them (not currently offered by Toyota USA). Keep an eye out for the Yari! I feel a track day coming soon! Are you interested in joining us? Let us know!!!

2007 Toyota Yaris

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Vanderkitten Cycling

This season we are sponsoring a number of cyclists, competing across several disciplines, from professional to beginner! Being a "Vanderkitten" in not about being the best in the world, it's about being the best in your world. Finding your inner limits and pushing beyond them.


Liz "Roubaix Girl" Hatch- Elite Road

Maureen Kunz- Expert MTB
Emma Worldpeace (Lost Coast Brewery)- Expert MTB


Our latest racing program is Cyclocross! Our goal is to have the black jersey a top the podium across the country all Cross season long while putting the smack-down in Europe as well! If you are serious about developing you Cross skills, would love the opportunity to get your hands on a UCI level race machine at an incredible price, and have access to top UCI talent to mentor you, you need to email us!!

Our program includes:
Ahrens/Vanderkitten Team Frame/fork/headset at a special price.
Special pricing on cross components from top US companies.
The most talked about team kit in women's cycling.
Access to top UCI pros for mentoring .
Exclusive cross clinics in Northern California

Are you ready to achieve your dreams and beyond? Unleash your Vanderkitten TODAY!





Tuesday, April 17, 2007



AND WE'RE OFF!
Sea Otter Classic 2007 has ended, we're back in Berkeley resurrecting our blog after a quick website update and photoshoot last night! With 2 dozen new items for Spring and Summer, we've been VERY busy!! Our Vanderkitten riders kicked ass in Expert and Semi-Pro ranks, and helped make our weekend managable and a HUGE success!

A special thanks to Tsering, Emma and Temba for holding down the fort between races and deluges of water! Our gal-pal Liz Hatch is in town showing off the new team Road bike and kit. It looks AWESOME and will be available for sale to the general public late spring!! Maureen Kunz, the first member of the Vanderkitten MTB team kicked some big-time ass!!
Pictures and more coming tonight!!