SUBARU U.S. EXTREME FREESKIING CHAMPIONSHIPS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESUBARU U.S. EXTREME FREESKIING CHAMPIONSHIPS, THE LONGEST RUNNING BIG MOUNTAIN FREESKIING EVENT, RETURNS TO CRESTED BUTTE, CO, FEBRUARY 19-23$23,400, the biggest cash purse on the 2008 Subaru US Freeskiing Series roster is up for grabs next weekend at Crested Butte, CO.The newly redesigned USfreeskiing.com website has hit the web with new features, navigation and design, making it easier and more fun to access the world's best freeskiing videos, photos, profiles, and stories Crested Butte, CO, February 14, 2008—For the 17th consecutive year, competitive freeskiing’s elite will gather at the Subaru US Extreme Freeskiing Championships, February 19-23. And with record snow levels burying Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), spectators, media and athletes prepare to witness history in the making. The first resort in the United States to initiate an extreme freeskiing contest, CBMR has the longest running event of this kind and hosts male, female, junior, and master’s competitors. With the largest cash purse on the Subaru US Freeskiing Series (USFS) $23,400 – being awarded to top finishers and prizes from a litany of sponsors, the “Extremes,” as it is known in freeskiing circles, is one of the most prestigious events on the 2008 USFS. The Extremes is also the first stop on the 2008 Freeskiing World Tour. Event management company Mountain Sports International (MSI) is proud to partner with CBMR as this is the company’s former home.  “For MSI, having a Crested Butte stop on the calendar is just perfect,” said MSI president and former Crested Butte resident Adam Comey. “The mountain itself is a great venue for showcasing what freeskiing is all about, and to work with our friends at CBMR is always great. I’m really looking forward to seeing what these athletes will be throwing down—it’s amazing to see how far this sport has come since the Extremes’ inception 17 years ago.” MSI will be posting comprehensive same-day video webcasts of the final rounds on the newly redesigned and recently launched http://www.usfreeskiing.com, which features state of the art video and photo player technology. The daily uploads of video, photos, news and results of each day’s competition action will be available after each day concludes. With the Extremes, athletes are heading into the third stop on the 2008 USFS, charging on terrain most skiers consider untouchable. It is every competitor’s goal to ski away with this crown jewel of championship titles. Some of the best known freeskiers in the world -- people like Kim Reichhelm, Kristin Ulmer, Dave "Swany" Swanwick, Seth Morrison, Brant Moles, Shane McConkey, Noel Lyons, Alison Gannett, Wendy Fisher and Aaron Estrada - all entered past competitions as unknowns or up-and-comers and distinguished themselves by taking top honors in the U.S. Extremes.  “To win the US Extreme Freeskiing Champs is huge,” said Griffin Post, men’s champion of the Subaru Telluride Freeskiing Open, “I’ve had my eye on that one for a long time, and I feel like I’m skiing better than ever. If I can keep the momentum going, this might be the year for me at the Extremes!” The four days of competition will take skiers to the natural hazards and solitude of the Extreme Limits where a field of 160 competitors will charge down super-technical steeps with pitches from 39-45 degrees, ultimately determining the 2008 Subaru U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Champion. Notably, junior freeskiers will be granted a rare opportunity to compete alongside their ski heroes, as the competition includes a category for athletes age 14-17. Crested Butte Academy will also be running a junior freeskiing skills camp leading into the competition. More information for this may be found at http://www.crestedbutteacademy.com  2008 Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Series & Freeskiing World Tour Schedule • Subaru Telluride Freeskiing Open, Telluride CO, February 7-10 • Subaru Squaw Valley Freeskiing Open, Squaw Valley, CA, February 13-16 • Subaru U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships, Crested Butte, CO, February 19-23 (World Tour #1) • Subaru Jackson Hole Freeskiing Open, Jackson Hole, WY, March 13-16 • Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Nationals, Snowbird, UT, March 18-23 (World Tour #2) • Subaru Freeskiing World Championships and Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Series Finals, Alyeska, AK, April 9-13 (World Tour #3)  Special thanks to our sponsors:Subaru of AmericaThe North FaceCoronaNordicaCoca-ColaPowder MagazineEmergen-CSki Press MagazineMt. Olympus waterLynden TransportSports InsuranceScott USAGrabberSkull CandyYakimaIFSA Special thanks to our Resort partners:Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort Jackson Hole Mountain ResortTelluride Ski ResortSquaw Valley USACrested Butte Mountain ResortAlyeska Resort  For more information log onto http://www.usfreeskiing.com   MEDIA INQUIRES AND FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACTNicole PelletierCommunications & Media Relations Mgr.Mountain Sports Internationaloffice: 801.349.4606nicolep@mtsports.comCara WilliamsPR & Communications CoordinatorMountain Sports Internationaloffice: 801.349.4608cara@mtsports.comREGISTRATION INFORMATION AND ATHLETE INQUIRIES CONTACTSara PinsoneaultMountain Sports InternationalAthlete Communicationsoffice: 801.349.4650sarap@mtsports.com