New York, Dec. 22--MTV Big Air champion and legendary extreme rider Morgan Lafonte has announced that she and a group of hand-picked coaches will teach Advanced Snowboard Clinics at various locations worldwide in the upcoming months.

Lafonte, who is best known for her extreme riding and winning competitions in a bra, said that the clinics "will focus on riding big in extreme and backcountry terrain, including steeps, couloirs, off-piste, and, for those who are ready for it, catching air."

"We'll also study correct technique to use on different snow-especially powder and crud," she added. "And since we're doing a lot of backcountry riding we'll also do some avalanche awareness work and learn how to read snow and mountain conditions."

Asked for the reasoning behind the clinics, Lafonte said "Most upper-level snowboard classes have just a freestyle focus. But more and more riders are looking for ways to open up the mountain and get off the groomed. We want to give them the tools to do that and to do it better than they ever thought possible."

She noted that the clinics were open to any snowboarder of advanced-intermediate level and above. "I'm still deciding who the other coaches will be," Lafonte said, "I'm a very picky girl. And I promise to leave my shirt on while teaching the clinics so as not to distract the students," Lafonte joked, referring to the time she won the MTV Big Air competition in a striped bra following a challenge from VJ Greta Gaines.

The clinics begin in various locations in early 1998. The first clinic is at The Canyons (formerly Wolf Mountain), Utah from Feb. 26-March 2, and the second clinic will be held in Chamonix, France, from March 28-April 4. An additional clinic for more advanced riders will be held in Valdez, Alaska from April 18-26. The clinic at The Canyons costs $949, the Chamonix clinic is $1,789, and the Valdez clinic costs $4,349. Prices include the clinic, accommodations, transfers, some meals, lift tickets at The Canyons, and helicopter services in Valdez.