December 7, 2006— Leaders in the action sports industry say timing on the IOC’s decision to add Skiercross to the 2010 Olympics couldn’t be better.

“Skiercross was created in the U.S. and now that the IOC has named it as a new Olympic event, interest in the States will soar,” said TST co-founder Kipp Nelson. “It’s a racing format that suits our culture. Simple and exciting, it puts four racers on the hill at once and first one to the finish wins. Since Skiercross is the racing format for the new Ski Tour, no longer will Olympic format ski racing only be held in Europe in January, February, and March. The world’s best will be competing in the U.S. during the heart of the winter.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the addition of Skiercross for the 2010 Winter Olympics, in a meeting in Kuwait City on Nov. 28. Skiercross, referred to by the IOC as Skicross and the Winter X Games as Skier X, has a strong following through the former U.S. Skiercross Series run by Mountain Sports International (MSI), the Winter X Games, the Salomon Crossmax Series and the highly anticipated Ski Tour which is set to debut in January 2007 in Sun Valley, ID.

“We are thrilled with the acceptance of Skiercross into the 2010 Olympics, especially with the timing of The Ski Tour,” said MSI President and CEO Adam Comey. “MSI has spent the past six years developing, producing and promoting Skiercross events in North America and we are pleased that both the sport and its athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the Olympic level.”

An exciting sport for participants and spectators, Skiercross features four to six skiers racing simultaneously down a technically demanding course which resembles a moto-cross track, with man-made and natural rollers, jumps, banked turns and tabletops. With a single elimination format, the fastest two skiers to cross the finish line first advance to the next round until the final heat determines the winner. “The snow skiing version of Motorcross is Skiercross,” said Olympian and former U.S. Ski Team Member Daron Rahlves. “To be featured in the 2010 Olympics shows how the sport has grown. I’m looking forward to competing on The Ski Tour for the 2007 season and am interested to see how it evolves with the USSA and IOC’s support. I’ve been to the Olympics three times in Alpine Skiing and it’s a huge deal. I’m excited to get involved with this sport and have some fun.”

Snowboard Cross made its first Olympic appearance at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino and drew big crowds and excellent television ratings. Skiercross has quickly become popular around the world and is gaining momentum. The Ski Tour will see an international field of the world’s best Skiercross skiers compete for a prize purse of over $250 000—the largest purse in skiing—while the BaseCamp Music Experience (a gigantic concert venue) will bring some of the nation’s biggest music acts to the heart of the mountains. Some of the Athletes confirmed for the tour include Olympians Daron Rahlves, Eric Schlopy, and Reggie Crist and X Games medalist Zach Crist.

The Ski Tour plays out at four of America’s top resorts—Sun Valley, Idaho; Breckenridge Colorado; Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado; and Squaw Valley, California. All four events will be nationally televised (in one-hour shows) on network television.

“Competitive skiing has evolved dramatically over the past 10 years, yet the X Games has been about the only place to see it. Now the Olympics and The Ski Tour will bring skiing’s revolution to the masses,” said Winter X Games Skiercross Gold Medalist Zach Crist.