Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR National 2004 Championships to Take Place at Park City Mountain Resort.

Sports Editors/Skiing/Snowboarding Writers

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2003

World's Largest Recreational Ski and Snowboard Race Program

Returns to Venue for Third Consecutive Year

Jeep(R) King of the Mountain NASTAR, the world's largest recreational ski/snowboard race program, announced today that Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah, will be the official site for the 2004 Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR National Championships, March 25 - 28, 2004.

Hosted by four-time Olympian AJ Kitt, the Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR National Championships is the culminating event of a season-long competition at 120+ premier ski resorts nationwide. 2004 marks the third consecutive season for Park City Mountain Resort as host of this year-end celebration of ski racing. Last season a record-breaking 1,011 recreational ski/snowboard racers, ages two to 85 from 46 states, Canada and Europe, competed in their age and gender category for the chance to win a National Title. The event was recognized as the largest sanctioned ski race in the history of the United States.

"This is the third consecutive year Park City Mountain Resort will host the Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR National Championships," said Julie Hopkins, director of marketing and sales for Park City Mountain Resort. "The Resort takes high measures to ensure the best athletic experience for these hardworking athletes, representing the top 1 percent of approximately 100,000 NASTAR participants. The races will occur on the same run used for World Cup and Olympic races."

Kicking off in mid-November at approximately 120 resorts throughout the country, ski and snowboard enthusiasts racing Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR will have the opportunity to qualify for the national championships through season-long resort rankings. The two-day competition awards top ski and snowboard racers in each age and gender category with gold, silver and bronze medals. In addition, gold medal winners will be given the opportunity to compete in the Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR Race of Champions, a handicapped winner-take-all race, to determine the true Jeep King of the Mountain National Champion. The Race of Champions will be held in the lower Eagle Race Arena, a competition site of the XIX Olympic Winter Games.

Developed by SKI Magazine in 1968, NASTAR has undergone numerous improvements over the years, but its mission has remained the same - to provide a fun, competitive and easily accessible racing program that, through the development of a handicap system, allows racers of all ages and abilities a means to compare themselves with one another regardless of when and where they race. Last season marked one of the most successful seasons in the program's 35-year history as over 93,000 winter sports enthusiasts ran through the NASTAR gates at 121 resorts nationwide, highlighted by an incredible season-ending National Championships at Park City Mountain Resort that brought together 1,011 competitors in search of National Titles. Sponsors of Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR include Jeep(R), SKI Magazine, Accutron, Gerry, Canon, Atomic, Boeri, Bolle and Goode. For additional information on Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR and the 2004 Jeep King of the Mountain NASTAR National Championships please visit nastar.com.

NASTAR owned by Mountain Sports Media, publisher of SKI Magazine, is managed and operated by Octagon, a global marketing-led sports and event marketing company. Octagon is part of The Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), the world's largest advertising and marketing communications group. Park City Mountain Resort celebrates 40 years as the heart of American skiing during the 2003-04 season. With 3,300 acres of groomed runs, bumps, bowls, terrain parks, and Utah's famous powder our guests can Get it all Here. The Resort is consistently ranked among the top ten ski resorts in North America by SKI magazine and voted as one of the top four terrain parks by Snowboarder and Transworld Snowboarding magazines.