Vail, CO -- Eclipse Television & Sports Marketing announced today the 10th Anniversary Season of the Jeep King of the Mountain Series. The most widely recognized and most prestigious professional ski/snowboard series in the world, the Series boasts a new "Y² style race course and introduces women and snowboarding to the races. 24 world-champion athletes from six countries will compete for a total purse of over $450,000, two new Jeep Liberties, and Infinity Sound Systems. Also, the Jeep King of the Mountain Challenge heralds another new element where the general public is welcome to try and qualify to race against the champions. "This year's races should be the most exciting yet," said Eclipse President Henry Schneidman. "With so many new elements and an incredible race course, this season will really get our spectators and fans involved in the action."

The Main Event

Over its ten year downhill racing history, Eclipse Television & Sport Marketing has assembled the greatest names in the sport, including the past six Olympic Downhill Gold Medalists: Jean-Luc Cretier of France ('98 Nagano), Tommy Moe ('94 Lillehammer), Pirmin Zurbriggen ('88 Calgary), Bill Johnson ('84 Sarajevo'), Leonard Stock ('80, Lake Placid), and Franz Klammer ('76 Innsbruck).

With eight Olympic medals, six world championship titles, more than three dozen national titles, and more than 40 World Cup victories, this year's roster of athletes is the most electrifying yet. It includes the two top ranked snowboarders internationally, Mathieu Bozetto and Olympic Gold ('98) and Silver (Œ02) medalist Karine Ruby, both of France. Joining them are 2002 Olympians, Silver medalist Richard Richardsson f Sweden and Bronze Medalist Chris Klug. Olympic Champions Tommy Moe (USA), Josef Polig (IT), and Anders Wiggerud (SWE) join JKOM rookie skier Romuald Licinio (FR) and returning JKOM ski racers Martin Fiala (GER), David Pretot (FR) and Roman Torn (CAN). USA's Megan Gerety, World Champions Barbara Merlin (IT), Katharina Gutensohn (GER) and Lidia Trettel (IT) compete for the first women 's JKOM title.

Eclipse Television & Sports Marketing will unveil the new "Y" race course, uniquely designed to combine the technical skill of Parallel Giant Slalom with the cutting edge drama of Speedcross. Instead of a simple fast track, the new design begins with a side-by-side dual slalom course. Midway through the course, the two racers are forced together and must navigate a single set of gates ending with a table jump and an all out sprint to the finish. Unlike years past, this year's Jeep King of the Mountain races are not based on times, but who wins the head-to-head match up. Skiers and snowboarders compete against each other in a progressive race format where winners continue to the next of three rounds.

The races begin at the Fascination Course on Mammoth Mountain in California on November 22-23. CBS airs the event on December 1 and 14. Next, the athletes travel to Boyne Mountain, Michigan, Jeep's hometown mountain, for the second round January 17-8. The following weekend the races continue at Loon Mountain, New Hampshire January 24-25. These races will be aired by syndication across the United States in late January and February, 2003. On February 21-22 the JKOM Series returns to the site of its first race in 1994, beautiful Aspen, Colorado. The World Professional Championship finals will be aired on CBS March 1 and 8.

In addition to claiming the JKOM title for their country, athletes will compete for over $450,000 in prize money, two Jeep Liberties for each individual winner in each of skiing and snowboarding, and Infinity Sound Systems will go to the members of the winning team in each sport. Points are awarded at each event and are totaled at the end of the Series.

Jeep Pushes Marketing Efforts with JKOM Challenge

The 10th Anniversary Season of JKOM has also risen to the occasion in that it invites spectators and snowsport fans alike to participate in this year's races. Beginning December 15, 20 ski resorts across the United States will hold qualifying races that are open to any and all members of the community. Race formats will be similar to those actually used in the JKOM professional races, and winners will advance to the nearest of six regional races. Regional races are slated for late January and early February at Sugar Bowl, CA; Crystal Mountain, MI; Killington, VT; Waterville Valley, NH: and Snowshoe Mountain, WV. The Colorado regional race location and date will be determined at a later date. Winners at each of these regional events will win a free trip to Aspen, Colorado for the JKOM World Professional Championships, and a chance to qualify to race in the event.

Another element of the JKOM Challenge is that members of the community are also welcome to qualify to race in each of the other three events. Each of the races at Mammoth, Boyne and Loon Mountains will have their own qualifying races at which people can attempt to qualify to race in the official events on Saturday.

Jeep is the title sponsor for the 10th Anniversary Season of the Jeep King of the Mountain Series. Other partners include Mopar, Infinity, Charles Schwab, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Columbia Sportwear Company, Ski Press Magazine, American Airlines, Boeri, and Atomic. Site sponsors include Mammoth Mountain, Boyne Mountain, Loon Mountain, The Mill at Loon, and Aspen Mountain.

Eclipse Television & Sports Marketing, located in Vail, Colorado, has produced this professional race series for the past ten seasons. Eclipse is a full-service sport marketing and television production company that has produced a wide variety of events including the Ford Freeride, UnVailed, The King of Surf, The Sports Stars Golf Shootout, the Honda Del-Sol Celebrity Volleyball Challenge, and the Jeep King of the Mountain series. In addition to these events, Eclipse has been instrumental in unique television programming, including "The Year in Sports," "America's Passions," and "High-Tech Toys."

For more information about the Jeep King of the Mountain Series, visit www.jeepskiing.com. For more information about the Jeep King of the Mountain Challenge, visit our website or call (802) 226-8092.

— Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Gear Editor