Jeep 48Straight Announces Expanded "Jeep King of the Mountain" 2008 Summer Tour

After a very exciting winter of world-class snow sports, musical performances and other cultural, social and environmental initiatives, Ketchum, Idaho-based Jeep 48STRAIGHT (www.48Straight.com) has now announced plans for a follow-up summer tour surrounding the Jeep King of the Mountain Series. Taking place from August through October and spanning from East Coast to West Coast, Jeep 48STRAIGHT will be headlined by the Jeep King of the Mountain Competition, the sport's most prestigious and highest paying North American tour. The 2008 season for the first time will incorporate a dual slalom format, headlined by athletes such as World Champions Greg Minnaar, Brian Lopes and Eric Carter; U.S. National Champions Rich Houseman and Melissa Buhl; World Cup Champion Steve Peat; and Beijing Olympic Games athletes Michal Prokop and Jill Kintner, among others. The action on the dirt will be complemented by a weekend-long Jeep 48STRAIGHT Festival, featuring dozens of live concerts from some of the top acts in the industry. Though the slate of musicians has not been finalized, the recent winter series attracted 45 diverse and attention grabbing headliners such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, Swollen Members, Ky-Mani Marley, Slightly Stoopid, Mickey Avalon, Salem and Dirtie Blonde, to name a few. Additional highlights during the weekend include other cross-cultural initiatives celebrating the unique cultural flavor of each host site. The summer tour stops include: -August 22-24 at Diablo Freeride Park at Mountain Creek Resort, Vernon, N.J. -September 19-21 at The Canyons Resort, Park City, Utah -October 23-25 at The Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, Calif. Each event of the Jeep 48STRAIGHT summer season will receive national broadcast coverage on CBS Sports, representing the most visibility of any mountain biking event in the sport. Full event information, including dates, times, locations and ticket information for 48STRAIGHT concerts, street parties, fashion shows, film festivals and environmental expos for each venue will be announced in the coming months, and will be available online at www.48Straight.com.