December 2, 2003 – Select Design of Burlington, VT, a marketing services company specializing in the design, manufacturing and distribution of custom-branded merchandise, has been named private-label producer and distributor of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team T-shirts and sweats through the 2006 Winter Olympics, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding, announced.

USSA Vice President Marketing and Sales Ted Morris said the agreement provides the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding “a great opportunity to promote our brands with quality, compelling and fashionable merchandise. The Select Design team includes a number of experienced winter sports veterans who understand the business and our brands. These guys get it. They have a great knowledge of the sports and a good network for distribution of our [trade]marks. This is what we've been looking for in a licensee.”

 “U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding are strong brands that are far  from reaching their potential in the winter sports marketplace,” said Select Design co-owner Jeff Beer. “Select Design is excited to bring our innovative and fresh products to the market under these great marks. Our goal is to have branded U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding apparel in retail stores across America for holiday shopping. We have retained David J. Provost [former Dynastar executive vice president] to lead our licensing initiative and we are excited to have such a veteran working on this project.”

 Provost added, “These brands are lifestyle brands with huge potential in the retail market. They represent the only true logo wear that is winter sport-specific rather than supplier-specific. Every winter-sport enthusiast is a potential customer for this quality trendy active wear.”

USSA is the national governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee to develop and prepare U.S. athletes for national and international competition, including the Olympic Games. The vision of USSA is to make the USA the best in world in Olympic skiing and snowboarding by 2006, providing development and elite racing programs. U.S. Snowboarding, an arm of the national Olympic governing body, is dedicated to the progression of snowboarding by assisting in the development of American athletes through athletic programs and competitions coast-to-coast.