Columbia Sportswear Debuts Spring 1999 Collection; New Products Offer Advanced Technologies, High Performance at Affordable Prices.

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 1999--Columbia Sportswear Company(R) (Nasdaq:COLM) today launched its expanded spring and summer 1999 apparel and footwear collections at its Flagship Retail Store in downtown Portland.

The new line is also available at Columbia dealers worldwide. The new collection includes spring and summer outerwear, sportswear, footwear and accessories for men, women and children.

Columbia's 1999 spring and summer apparel and footwear offerings include products for a variety of outdoor activities from hiking and trekking to summer skiing and backpacking. The Company designed the line to reinforce the Columbia brand, which represents a differentiated active, outdoor, authentic, value-oriented and distinctly American image. The products are broken down into five categories: outerwear, sportswear, footwear, hunting and fishing, and youth.

"We are extremely pleased with our spring '99 line," said Tim Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear Company. "In addition to providing consumers with great head-to-toe merchandise at unbeatable prices, our spring line provides retailers with a cohesive, year-round Columbia Sportswear collection."

Outerwear Line Includes Expanded Titanium Collection

The Titanium(tm) Training collection is a new, 8-piece line that offers cross-functional products designed for highly aerobic activities like running, biking, and trail running. The line features two of Columbia's proprietary fabrics - waterproof/breathable Omni-Tech Lite(tm) and weather-resistant Microtex Lite(tm). The new styles incorporate reflective trim for increased visibility, vented back for added mobility and ventilation, packability for versatility and convenience and a dropped tail for added protection from the elements, making them ideal for unpredictable spring weather.

Sportswear Line Continues Aggressive Growth

Columbia's spring '99 sportswear collection for men and women includes popular shirts and cargo-style shorts and pants in lightweight cotton blends, yarn-dyes, and knits that are perfect for summer travel. The collection also includes Columbia's all-purpose water trunks with functional designs including multiple security and cargo pockets, adjustable elastic belts and pocket drains. Ideal for water sports like swimming, canoeing and kayaking, the nine different trunks come in a variety of quick-dry fabrics including Perfecta Cloth(tm), Adventura Cloth(tm) and Perfecta Rip(tm). The spring '99 technical sportswear collection includes tops and bottoms in both active and performance fabrics. The Gear For Rugged Training (GRT) line is a 17-piece collection that provides outdoor enthusiasts with a versatile and practical layering system designed specifically for varied activities in variable weather conditions. Columbia's new Dura-Trek Canvas(tm) nylon fabric wicks moisture away and dries quickly, making it the ideal performance fabric for activities requiring rugged durability. Other GRT products include Omni-Dry(tm), an exclusive high-performance moisture management technology engineered to provide comfort and performance in a variety of conditions.

Columbia Sportswear Adds Several New Styles to Footwear Line

The footwear line, introduced in 1993, is divided into three performance categories: Performance Outdoor, Adventure Outdoor and Classic Columbia Comfort. In addition to the existing line of performance and adventure outdoor hikers, Columbia launched a variety of new styles this season. The Snake River Trainer(tm), a new addition to the Performance Outdoor line, is a quick-drying, breathable mesh multi-sport amphibious trainer that is ideal for hiking, water sports and cross training. The Slate Slide(tm), a "slide" with an athletic design, was added to the Adventure Outdoor category. The rugged Lava Sport Sandal(tm), introduced in the spring 1998 line, continues to be a strong seller. Both the Lava Sport and the Slate Slide are designed with nubuck leather uppers and sticky rubber outsoles for day-long comfort.

Spring Fishing Line Includes Gear for Women, New Line

of Gear for Men

The women's-specific fishing line, which debuted last spring, includes styles designed specifically for the female angler. The shirts and shorts have women's specific shoulder construction, pocket placement and sleeve length, allowing for maximum comfort and performance. This season, the line includes a performance vest that incorporates Columbia's neoprene Comfort System(tm), four shirts, two shorts and a pant. Fabrics include quick drying, nylon poplin with mesh venting and drapable rayon blends.

Columbia also introduced a new category of fishing gear this season to meet the demanding needs of bass fishermen. The Okeechobee(tm) shirt and short anchor the Bass Fishing Gear (BFG) line. The shirt includes an "action back" design that increases mobility for casting and the full-cut short provides comfort whether seated in a boat or kneeling to release a fish. In addition, the Company's best-selling travel/fishing shirt for men, the Bonehead Shirt(tm), is now available in eight different colors and a full range of sizes.

Youth Sportswear Reintroduced

Tagging onto the success of the adult sportswear line, Columbia re-launched the rugged outdoor sportswear line for youth this season. This cross-functional 25-piece line is perfect for school or weekend wear and offers an unbeatable price-value equation. The collection is comprised of multi-pocketed cargo shorts, pique polos, and camp shirts for boys, and shorts, short-all's, tees, camp sleeveless and a variety of knit shirts for girls.

Availability

In addition to selling the new line at its Flagship store in Portland, Ore., consumers can purchase Columbia products from one of the 10,000 retailers who carry the Columbia brand throughout the country. To find a dealer in a convenient location, customers can visit the Company's web site at www.columbia.com. Customers can also purchase product online by linking to online stores from Columbia's site.

Founded in 1938 in Portland, Oregon, Columbia Sportswear Company 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. Columbia is internationally known for its performance-oriented apparel as well as for its marketing campaign featuring Columbia's Chairwoman of the Board and official "Tough Mother," Gert Boyle. To learn more about Columbia Sportswear, please visit the Company's web site at www.columbia.com.