Williston, VT - As part of its athlete based, international marketing campaign, Dynastar has announced the signing of top Freeride athletes David Crichton of Manotick, Ontario and Philippe Bellanger, Philippe Larose, and Philippe Dion of Le Relais, Quebec to ski on Dynastar skis, Lange ski boots, and Look bindings. The agreements follow a Dynastar athlete-signing rampage this spring, in which the French company inked deals with some of the world's leading alpine racers, including Norway's Lasse Kjuss and Erik Schlopy and Dane Spencer of the US Ski Team.

Belanger, Larose and Dion, also known as The Three Phils, are long-time Dynastar skiers and are among the world's best-known Freeriders. They have been on the cutting edge of new school riding ever since they burst on to the scene as teenagers five years ago. They have been featured in countless films including those from Poor Boyz Productions, Teton Gravity Research, Level 1 Productions, and Eric Iberg. Philippe Larose, a silver medallist at the 2002 Winter X Games, is considered to be one of the world's leading halfpipe riders, while Belanger is a consistent top 5 finisher in both slopestyle and halfpipe. Dion's trademark is a polished style and charismatic personality that serve him well as the promotional leader of the trio. Dynastar is building a complete marketing program for the Three Phils, including the possibility of a Three Phils Pro Model to be released in 2004.

At age 18, David Crichton is considered to be one of the hottest young Freeride talents in the world. Last year, as a high school senior, Crichton finshed first in the World Ski Invitational Big Hit contest, first in the Ericsson Big Air, and first in the overall Molson Snow Jam standings. At the US Freeskiing Open he was the top overall performer with a 3rd in both the Halfpipe and Big Air events. Crichton is the product of the Canadian and Ontario Development Freestyle and Mogul Teams and a former Canadian National Champion in Big Air. For Dynastar, joining forces with Crichton, the rider most likely to move to the forefront of skiing's revolution, represents an opportunity to help develop the future of the Freeride movement.

Dynastar is widely known for the role its athletes play in the company's marketing program. "In building our reputation as the leading ski equipment specialist, it is vital for us to tie our brands to the athletes that guide our product development and prove our technology through outstanding performances and competition," says Dynastar's Charlie Adams. "Our goal is to excel in every aspect of high-performance skiing, and our results, won across so many disciplines, confirm that our technology is delivering the best performance available."

— Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Gear Editor