Jeep(R) King of the Mountain World Professional Ski and Snowboard Championship Finals at Aspen Mountain

    *  Top scoring skier and snowboarder will each win a new Jeep Liberty
    *  Jeep King of the Mountain title awarded to the top male and female
skier and snowboarder
    *  More than $150,000 in prize money will be up for grabs

    ASPEN, Colo., Feb. 20 -- The Jeep(R) King of the
Mountain Series will conclude its 10th Anniversary Season by returning to the
site of its very first race in 1994, beautiful Aspen Mountain, as part of the
World Professional Ski and Snowboard Championship Finals, Feb. 21-22, 2003.
Set to air on CBS March 1 and 8, the series is the most widely recognized and
most prestigious professional combined ski/snowboard series in the world and
has attracted 24 of the most elite racers from six countries to participate
this year.
    "The series and its athletes fit the Jeep brand.  They both have a go-
anywhere, do-anything attitude," said Jeff Bell, Vice President, Jeep,
DaimlerChrysler Corporation.  "Jeep King of the Mountain (JKOM) is a
competitive event in which each racer must challenge convention.  As the first
word in 4x4's, Jeep has been in the business of helping people to expand their
boundaries and enjoy nature's challenges for more than 60 years."
    Twenty-four of the world's most elite ski and snowboard racers will
compete head-to-head for the more than $150,000 in prize money and the Jeep
King of the Mountain title.  Athletes include Olympic and World Champions
Tommy Moe and Chris Klug, Mathieu Bozetto of France, 1997 Jeep King of the
Mountain individual champion Martin Fiala, and Sweden's 2002 Olympic Silver
Medalist Richard Richardsson.  Women who will be joining the series in Aspen
include Olympic medalists Karine Ruby of France, Lidia Trettel of Italy, and
U.S. Olympic team member Rosey Fletcher.
    The coveted Jeep King of the Mountain title will be awarded to the overall
individual male and female skiers and snowboarders, and overall team champions
in each sport.  The top scorers in skiing and snowboarding will be awarded a
Jeep Liberty, and overall team champions will receive Infinity stereo systems
and $10,000 from John Paul Mitchell Systems.  The awards ceremony will be held
immediately following the final race, and will feature fireworks and VH-1's
new Artist to Watch, Franky Perez, in concert.
    The races begin on the Little Nell race course on Aspen Mountain, Friday,
Feb. 21 with training runs for the athletes at 9:30 a.m., the National Open
Qualifier at 10:30 a.m., and the final Jeep King of the Mountain Challenge
race at 2 p.m.  The professional races are held Saturday, Feb. 22, with the
first round of 16 at 11:30 a.m., and the semi-finals and finals at 6 p.m.
    Currently, Team France's snowboarders and Team Sweden's skiers are in the
lead at the Aspen races.  Individual leaders going into the Finals are current
World Cup leader for PGS, Bozetto, for men's snowboarding by a mere five
points, and his teammate Karine Ruby for women's snowboarding.  On the ski
side, Germany's Katharina Gutensohn leads women's skiing over USA's Megan
Gerety and Open qualifier Zach Crist leads men's skiing by only 10 points over
France's Romuald Licinio.
    For more information about the Jeep King of the Mountain Series, visit
http://www.jeepskiing.com or http://www.jeepsnowboarding.com .
    Jeep(R) is the title sponsor for the 10th Anniversary Season of the Jeep
King of the Mountain Series.  Other partners include John Paul Mitchell
Systems, Columbia Sportswear Company, Mopar, Infinity, Charles Schwab, Ski
Press Magazine, American Airlines, Boeri, AT&T Wireless, and Atomic.  Site
sponsors include Mammoth Mountain, Boyne Mountain, Loon Mountain, The Mill at
Loon, and Aspen Mountain.