May 17, 2002

Mervin is pleased to announce growth in pre-season sales for 2002/2003 Gnu Snowboards for North America. This is measured against pre-season orders for snowboards in 2001/2002.

�This is really great news, considering the dismal snow year and the overall economic climate,� says Greg Hughes, Mervin Mfg. Sales Manager. �We have a lot of things going our way right now that would contribute to growth for Gnu. Danny Kass has done an incredible job in making our brand more recognizable to the general public. We also see a lot of shops and consumers feeling good about buying boards �Made in the US by Snowboarders�. This is a message that Mervin will continue to push for both Gnu and Lib Tech in the future.�

Danny Kass with his pro model after placing second at the Breckenridge Grand Prix. Photo: Stouffer

The snowboards that contributed the most growth were from the Carbon High Beam line. The boards retail for around $300 and are the least expensive boards on the market still made in the United States. The Barret Christy and Danny Kass signature series boards did well and show that pro models are still important parts to the retail mix.

�Our largest territory for growth turned out to be the mid-Atlantic/New England regions,� said Hughes. �We added a new rep and increased our level of dealer service in those areas and it really paid off. We�ll continue our efforts in service across North America and increase our quality as we look ahead to a bright future here at Mervin.� Mervin Mfg. would like to thank all of its loyal dealers and many new ones for supporting the Mervin brands.

Mervin Manufacturing is a leading designer and manufacturer of snowboarding and skateboarding products BUILT IN THE USA by people who ride them. For more information on Mervin Manufacturing, Lib Technologies, Gnu Snowboards, Supernatural Snowboards, Libskates or Bent Metal Binders, please call 206-270-9792 or visit http://www.mervin.com/