Columbia Sportswear Becomes Outdoor Gear Sponsor of Classroom Connect's Latest Journey: AustraliaQuest; Portland, Oregon Area Classrooms Benefit.

Business Editors

PORTLAND, Ore.,--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2000

Columbia Sportswear Company(R) (Nasdaq:COLM), maker of high quality outdoor apparel and footwear, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Classroom Connect(TM) to become the official outdoor gear sponsor of the organization's latest adventure: AustraliaQuest. The AustraliaQuest journey begins today and ends November 3, 2000.

Classroom Connect (www.classroom.com), is a leading provider of Internet-based curriculum and professional development for the K-12 education community. One of its core programs, The Quest Channel, provides interactive learning expeditions around the world that give schoolchildren the opportunity to direct a team of experts to solve ancient and modern mysteries. Schools subscribe to the interactive curriculum to learn about history, science, biology, and culture via the Internet.

The latest expedition, AustraliaQuest, will focus on the topic of Aboriginal songlines and contemporary Aboriginal culture. Hundreds of thousands of children will follow an extensive curriculum created by a team of experts that covers the history, science, and culture of Australia and the Aboriginal Peoples. Columbia Sportswear, with its extensive line of footwear, outerwear, and sportswear, will attire the entire nine-member expedition team.

"This is a proud moment for Columbia Sportswear," said Gert Boyle, chairwoman of the board of Columbia Sportswear. "Columbia Sportswear was founded on the idea of quality and innovation. We are pleased to work with an organization that offers those same principles to schools."

As an expression of gratitude to Columbia Sportswear for its donation of Fall 2000 apparel to the Quest team, Classroom Connect offered complimentary AustraliaQuest subscriptions to classrooms of Columbia Sportswear's choice. These subscriptions will allow students at these schools to freely participate in this Quest. The following is a list of Portland area schools that Columbia Sportswear selected to receive free subscriptions:

-- Harvey Scott Middle School, Portland, OR

-- Wood Middle School, Wilsonville, OR

-- Sweetbriar Elementary School, Troutdale, OR

-- Findley Elementary School, Beaverton, OR

-- Gilkey Middle School, Portland, OR

-- Chief Joseph School, Portland, OR

-- Sellwood Middle School, Portland, OR

-- Harriet Tubman Middle School, Portland, OR

-- McBride School, St. Helens, OR

Classroom Connect, Inc. is a privately held Internet company that develops and markets original, Web-based curriculum products and teacher professional development programs for the K-12 education community. Its partners include some of the nation's most respected organizations, including the American Museum of Natural History, the Library of Congress and NASA. Classroom Connect has more than 150 employees in five offices nationwide, with headquarters in Brisbane, CA. For more information, visit Classroom Connect's Web site at www.classroom.com or call 650/351-5100.

Founded in 1938 in Portland, Ore., Columbia Sportswear Company(R) is a global leader in the design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of active outdoor apparel and footwear. As one of the largest outerwear manufacturers in the world and the leading seller of skiwear in the United States, the Company has developed an international reputation by expanding its product line, emphasizing quality, performance, functionality and value. To learn more about Columbia Sportswear, please visit the Company's Web site at www.columbia.com.