PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Rick Baraff
Tel: +1-415-359-0730
EM: rbaraff@o2sm.com
www.norbanationals.com

2006 National Mountain Bike Series Finals Streak into Snowmass Village

Big Bear Lake (CALIFORNIA) -- The 2006 National Mountain Bike Series culminates a year of big ups and screaming descents August 10-13 in the beautiful alpine mecca of Snowmass Village, Colorado.

Coming off a weekend of similar high-altitude racing in Brian Head, Utah, the world's top mountain bike racers will again compete in Cross-Country, Short Track, Downhill, Super D, and Dual Slalom with Mountain Cross replacing the Marathon event to round out the six competitive disciplines.

"Snowmass Village welcomes the National Mountain Bike Series, participants, fans, and spectators for the third year. Between the village staff and the crews building the courses, it's been a real team effort to support and enhance this world-class event," says Susan Hamley of Snowmass Village.

"There's something for everyone in the family this weekend -- from story-telling and sing-a-longs for kids, to mountain bike races and classes for youths, to the Anderson Ranch Arts Workshop art sale," adds Hamley.

The Village features a number of restaurants and shops and will host a free concert on Thursday night with New Orleans jazz great John Cleary and his band as well as a free screening of the film "Quicksilver" on Friday night.

The Village provides plenty of housing options and everything is within walking distance to the mountain bike races.

As for the racing action, look for Colorado-based husband and wife pair (and Subaru/Gary Fisher teammates) Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger to be the favorites for the top podium spots in the men's and women's Cross-Country races on the 12-mile loop course that advertises 2300 feet of climbing -- per lap.

Horgan-Kobelski (current men's series point leader) and Irmiger (currently with the second most points among women) took top XC honors in the thin air of Brian Head, Utah.

"The Fox Racing Shox Banzai DH is full-throttle wide-open rough ski run madness dropping over 2500 feet in 2.6 miles of Rocky Mountain nastiness," reads the Snowmass National website regarding the gnarly downhill course.

The DH description also touts that another 500 feet of vertical have been added along with some new features "just for fun".

Lining up four riders at a time, the Fanny Hill Fourcross (a.k.a. Mountain Cross) will see riders duke it out elbow to elbow down a "re-thunk, reworked, and re-buttered" course along bermed turns and over huge jumps through a series of elimination rounds.

'Fast and furious' will be the theme for most of the events, not the least of which will be the conclusion to the always-exciting Short Track series in which riders attack and counter attack around a one-mile course at a lung-busting pace right in the middle of the Snowmass venue.

To top it off there will be the NMBS tech expo, clinics by top riders, and the extreme technical showdown of the Observed Trials National Championship at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 12.

"It's going to be an exciting weekend and The Village has some new projects in the works so we look forward to having things even better for next year," concludes Hamley.

Registration info for the NMBS can be found at: www.sportsbaseonline.com.