News-Jeep King of the Mountain

Jeep 'King of the Mountain' Takes Downhill Racing to New Extremes Sports marketing firm Eclipse adds twists and turns for 10th Anniversary World Pro Skiing Championship

Vail, Colo., September 17, 2002 -- The world's greatest alpine skiers are once again waxing up for what has become the fastest show on snow. For the tenth straight year, Olympic, World Cup and World Championship medallists will compete in a series of racing events, but only one individual and one team will be crowned "King of the Mountain." Action begins late November and runs through February. To stir up even more excitement, this year's Jeep King of the Mountain series will offer a new dimension as skiers and snowboarders share the slopes for the first time. And with an edgier, more radical course layout, getting to the base of the mountain first will take much more than pure speed.

This winter, series originator and producer Eclipse Television & Sports Marketing will unveil a unique "Y" Challenge racecourse that delivers high-speed excitement in a format that combines the technical skill of Giant Slalom with the speed of Super G and the cutting edge drama of Speedcross, into one exciting event. Instead of a simple fast track, the new design begins with a side-by-side dual slalom course that includes a nasty pro jump. Midway through the course the two racers are forced together and must navigate a single set of gates ending with an all-out-sprint to the finish.

Jeep King of the Mountain expands its exclusive team format to feature six international teams for both the skiing and snowboarding competitions. As in past years, top racers from the United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Italy and now Germany will compete for team and individual titles. But unlike years past, the 2002-2003 season will feature the radical new "Y" course design and teams will include a female racer. In addition, teams are now competing for more than $500,000 in prize money and a new Jeep Liberty goes to the winning individual champions in both skiing and snowboarding.

According to Jeff Bell, Vice President of Jeep Marketing/Daimler Chrysler Corporation, Jeep is all about extreme capability on-road, off-road and on the slopes.

"There's a world of downhill enthusiasts who have been waiting for an even more challenging course and Eclipse has done just that for this year's Jeep King of the Mountain," says Bell. "The dramatic innovations in this season's Jeep King of the Mountain program will capture the imagination and interest of spectators and television viewers throughout the entire winter. More than just the ability to go fast, the Jeep King of the Mountain Champions in both skiing and snowboarding will now also have to posses the technical skill to excel through tight turns, handle a wide range of terrain, maneuver quickly and beat the best in head-to-head competition. And what better prize for the overall winners than to drive away in a Jeep Liberty."

Four Weekends of the Ultimate Competition

Starting late November, 12 top skiers and snowboarders from around the world will 'strap 'em on' for the first of six Jeep King of the Mountain events during the 2002-2003 season. On each weekend both ski and snowboard winners will be crowned with the overall World Champions determined by accumulated points on the final weekend in late February. While each event will feature both an individual and team competition, the Series will consist of two pure ski events, two pure snowboard events and two combined events making the Jeep King of the Mountain the first integrated racing program in North America.

"It's definitely going to be a battle out there," says 1994 Olympic Downhill Gold Medalist and 2002 Jeep King of the Mountain Champion Tommy Moe. "There's nothing like the speed and excitement of racing in the Jeep King of the Mountain series. As a professional skier, you look forward to race against the best and with the new course layout next season, it will take everything I have to defend my crown."

Jeep King of the Mountain Adds 'Open' Qualifier and Grass Roots Championship Components

To bring even more excitement to this tenth anniversary Jeep King of the Mountain World Championship, the series is introducing an 'open' qualifying element designed to spark interest throughout the ski and snowboard world and at ski resorts in the area of the pro events. Based on a new qualifying format, two teams of skiers and snowboarders will have the opportunity to compete in head-to-head racing against top international racers in the Jeep King of the Mountain series events. Like never before, qualifiers will have a chance to go against the likes of Tommy Moe and other skiing greats from around the world.

According to Bell, the new open qualifier brings additional interest to each pro series race. "The local community is what really makes the Jeep King of the Mountain a success. It's this new program element that will enable almost anyone, not just Olympic Champions, to become the next Jeep King of the Mountain."

In addition to the open qualifier, the Jeep King of the Mountain series is debuting a national grass roots program, beginning December 15. The "Jeep Challenge" enables local ski resorts across the country to stage Jeep Challenge events using the new "Y" format in an effort to determine which ski and snowboard team representatives from their resort will compete for a national crown.

After local ski resorts have determined their contenders, the Jeep Challenge will take place at six regional championships with sites from New England to California. At the six events, teams will compete in a head-to-head progressive racing format, similar to the professional events. The six winners of both the skiing and snowboarding competitions will win a trip to compete in the Jeep King of the Mountain World Championship finals.

At the Championship, each of the six regional winners will be coached by one of the Jeep King of the Mountain professional teams. From strategy to riding tips, all grass roots competitors will have the opportunity to learn from the world's greatest racers. They will then compete against the nation's best amateurs for the ultimate ski and snowboarding title of Jeep King of the Mountain.

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