PR: USSA Announces Schedule for 98-99 $370,000 Snowboard Grand Prix
(August 27, 1998)

PARK CITY, Utah (Aug. 27) - National network television coverage and $370,000 in total prize money highlight this season's U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix series announced Thursday (Aug. 27) by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. Mt. Bachelor, OR, Copper Mountain, CO, and Sunday River, ME will all play host to this year's three-event tour. The $370,000 will include, as always, the same first place prize money for both the men and women riders, giving this year's tour one of the largest prize packages of any snowboard series ever in the U.S.

Mt. Bachelor returns to host the Grand Prix this year with the first stop of the tour Dec. 17-19. The field should be highly competitive and filled with top international riders, as the Grand Prix will be run alongside a FIS Snowboard World Cup in Mt. Bachelor (Dec. 15-16). The tour then moves to Copper Mountain Jan. 7-10, where snowboardcross will make its debut in the Grand Prix. The series concludes in Sunday River, ME Feb. 24-28, as the top riders are crowned at the conclusion of the event.

NBC, CBS and ESPN will provide the television coverage of the tour, promising an excellent media package and a nationwide audience. NBC will broadcast the Mt. Bachelor event on Dec. 20, while CBS will pick up the Sunday River event on Apr. 3 and ESPN will broadcast the Copper Mountain Event on Feb. 4.

In its second season last year, the Grand Prix tour played an integral role in the selection of the first ever U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team which competed in Nagano, Japan last February. This season's series promises to be equally as exciting, with increased prize money, more disciplines, new exhibition events and an increased number of international competitors. Olympic halfpipe bronze medalists Ross Powers and Shannon Dunn, as well as U.S. Open halfpipe champion Rob Kingwill are expected to participate.

"The U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix has become one of the world's most prominent snowboard series' open to all riders," said Grand Prix tour manager Jeremy Forster. "This year USSA has stepped up to invest in network television and a big increase in the overall cash purse."

The U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix is open to all riders. Qualifying days have been eliminated from the schedule this season, with prioritization for entry given to top U.S. riders on the International Ski Federation (FIS), USSA or International Snowboard Federation 1997-98 season-ending point lists. For detailed entry information, contact USSA at 435.647.2626.

U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix Schedule
Mt. Bachelor, OR - Dec. 17-19
(NBC 12/20 3:30 pm)
Dec. 17 Giant Slalom
Dec. 18 Halfpipe
Exhibition Event - Quarterpipe
Dec. 19 Halfpipe Finals/Super Finals

Copper Mountain, CO - Jan. 7-10
(ESPN 2/4 Midnight)
Jan. 7 Snowboardcross Timed Trials
Jan. 8 Snowboardcross Finals
Exhibition Event - Big Air
Jan. 9 Halfpipe
Jan. 10 Halfpipe Finals/Super Finals

Sunday River, ME - Feb. 24-28
(CBS 4/3 1:00 pm)
Feb. 24 Giant Slalom
Feb. 25 Snowboardcross Timed Trials
Feb. 26 Snowboardcross Finals
Feb. 27 Halfpipe
Feb. 28 Halfpipe Finals/Super Finals

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Lord
435.647.2061