Sporting Goods Industry Veteran Joins Groundbreaking Creative Brand After More Than Two Decades at Under Armour
Sporting goods industry veteran Kevin Culley has been named Chief Operating Officer of Absolutely Ridiculous (ARiA), the groundbreaking creative endeavor that aims to inspire self-expression in sports through art and collaboration.
In his role, Culley will be responsible for scaling the business and will oversee the majority of the burgeoning brand’s operations and overall strategy. Culley’s addition comes as Absolutely Ridiculous continues to grow its core baseball and softball product lines and is developing new concepts and designs for its expansion into basketball, golf and other sports, while also building out its team and readying for the launch of the “Studio X” creative space at its headquarters in Nashville, TN later this summer.
Culley joins Absolutely Ridiculous after 23 years at Under Armour, where he rose through the ranks and most recently served as Vice President of Strategic Innovation Partnerships. He cut his teeth in the formative days of the company, introducing its products to baseball players and forging innovative deals with Major League Baseball, USA Baseball, collegiate baseball teams and many of the most influential players during the 2000’s.
Culley was instrumental in planting the Under Armour flag in many countries and regions around the world, building partnerships by authenticating products with the best athletes in each location and helping open Under Armour’s European headquarters in Amsterdam in 2006. He also stood up and expanded the company’s licensing division and boosted categories and revenue to record levels. Culley spent the last several years of his tenure at Under Armour in the innovation space, spearheading challenging and multi-faceted projects aimed at bringing new products to life, developing innovative partnerships and enhancing the retail experience for Under Armour customers.
Prior to joining Under Armour, Culley worked briefly for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Western Maryland College (now known as McDaniel College), where he was a pitcher on the baseball team. Culley has been on the Board of Directors for Cleveland-based laundry solutions provider Renegade Brands since 2015.
Absolutely Ridiculous was founded in 2021 by the award-winning artist known as “X” and first gained notoriety with his concept of a baseball glove designed to look like a melting ice cream cone that proceeded to sell out online in only seconds. That inaugural design became the cornerstone of a novel, boutique-style brand that challenges cultural norms in sports and breaks the mold of traditional sporting goods by re-imagining baseball and softball gloves, sliding mitts and other equipment as functional pieces of art through innovative designs blending elements of art, fashion, luxury, music, pop culture and sports. With its focus on originality and commitment to quality – along with a drop model that creates nearly-unparalleled excitement around new product releases – Absolutely Ridiculous has quickly built an enthusiastic following, ranging from Major League Baseball players Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Luke Weaver to current and former athletes of all ages to collectors, pop culture enthusiasts and fans of art and fashion.
“I could not be more excited to join the Absolutely Ridiculous team. The opportunity we have to bring self expression and art to sporting goods aligns with what today’s athlete is looking for, and we can deliver on that promise,” said Culley. “For me, the chance to help the brand, business and team grow while bringing fun to the sporting goods space was too good to pass up!”
“Kevin helped build one of the most successful and disruptive brands in sports from its infancy to a multi-billion-dollar brand. We needed that experience with how fast we’re scaling, but what makes him even more special is that he’s willing to roll his sleeves up and humbly do it all over again from the bottom floor,” said X. “Kevin has a distinct combination of experience, knowledge, intuition and leadership that will be vital in helping Absolutely Ridiculous evolve. We are very lucky to have him.”
Founded in 2021 by former athlete and award-winning artist “X,” Nashville-based Absolutely Ridiculous Innovation for Athletes (ARiA) is a creative endeavor that reimagines sporting goods as functional art, collaborating with influential brands and individuals on innovative designs that break the mold of traditional sporting goods by blending elements of art, fashion, luxury, music, pop culture and sports. The inaugural Absolutely Ridiculous concept was a baseball glove designed to look like a melting ice cream cone, which sold out online in mere seconds. The company’s product line has since grown to include an array of unique, game-ready baseball and softball gloves – all meticulously crafted using professional grade Kip leather – as well as sliding mitts, headwear and leather care products, with new concepts released through a “sneaker culture” drop model that creates both a buzz and demand nearly unmatched in the industry.The novelty, creativity, quality and emphasis on self-expression that are at the heart of the Absolutely Ridiculous brand resonates with everyone from current and former athletes to collectors to art and fashion enthusiasts, and have helped quickly elevate the company’s profile at some of the highest levels of the sports world. Miami Marlins All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. – one of the first big leaguers to use an Absolutely Ridiculous glove – is a partner in the company and also serves as its Director of Culture, and Absolutely Ridiculous became one of the youngest brands ever to be featured in “MLB The Show” with the inclusion of several of its gloves and other items in the 2023 edition of the popular video game. While continuing to expand its baseball and softball offerings, Absolutely Ridiculous is also widening its focus with the development of new concepts that will bring its groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind designs for basketball, golf and numerous other sports. Learn more and stay up to date on product launches and other news at AbsolutelyRidiculous.com.
