JON S. CORZINE
Governor, Chair

VIRGINIA S. BAUER
Commerce CEO/Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Karen Wolfe
609.292.2523

Olympic Snowboard Grand Prix At MountainCreek
U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team to be Selected
Live Saturday Evening

Trenton, NJ (January 20, 2006) —Winter sports enthusiasts will prime their snowboards this weekend at the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix at Mountain Creek in Vernon.

“The Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix is one of the premier snowboarding series in the nation,” said Commerce Secretary Virginia Bauer. “It is a tremendous opportunity for New Jersey and more specifically, Mountain Creek to host this concluding stop in the three-part Grand Prix series.”

This exclusive snowboard tour features the top riders in America who are competing for $300,000 in cash prizes. The Grand Prix serves as the US Olympic team qualifying system. This year's competition will finish with the announcement of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team for the Winter Games in Torino, Italy live on Saturday January 21 at 8 pm at the Mountain Creek resort. The Grand Prix event normally attracts between 5,000-8,000 attendees

Media coverage will be aired on a one-hour NBC Sports Special the following day.

Mountain Creek received a $25,000 cooperative marketing sponsorship from the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism to help promote and market the 2006 US Snowboard Grand Prix.

Mountain Creek has emerged as a favorite ski and snowboarding destination for
thrill-seekers and families, providing excellent trails and accommodations. It is owned and operated by Intrawest, an internationally acclaimed resort developer. For more information about the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix call 973-827-2000 or www.mountaincreek.com

Brochures on New Jersey attractions and events are available free at all New Jersey Tourist information offices, or by calling the New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism at 1-800-VISITNJ or via the state’s tourism Web site at www.visitnj.org.