Yakima Expands Road Warrior Tour For 2006

BEAVERTON, Ore. (March 28, 2006) – Reinforcing its commitment to support the outdoor community and the retailers who serve it, Yakima, a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative vehicle racks, today announced the launch of its 2006 Road Warrior field marketing program. The tour, presented by Subaru, kicks off this month at the Santa Cruz Surf Kayak Festival in Santa Cruz, California and continues through December, making stops at more than 200 retail venues and 100 outdoor events, over triple the number of stops in 2005. Three Yakima Road Warriors will each drive a Yakima-branded 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca to targeted sites across the country, offering retailer training and consumer product demonstrations.

At each of the 100 outdoor events, outdoor enthusiasts will demo new Yakima racks and cargo boxes, while interacting with Yakima’s product experts. Additionally, the 2006 program includes retailer training clinics with customized product training designed to meet the specific needs of each individual retail location. The mobile retailer training clinics will be offered throughout the entire Road Warrior tour.

“Yakima is committed to providing outstanding support for its retailers,” said Erika Brakken, field marketing manager for Yakima Products. “The Road Warrior tour enables us to give retailers across the country a chance to check out our newest products and receive customized product training relevant to their own business. With our outstanding partner Subaru, we look forward to a great tour in 2006.”

“The relationship between Yakima and Subaru is a natural fit,” said Rick Crosson, vice president, marketing, Subaru of America, Inc. “Both companies enthusiastically embrace, support and enable the outdoor community.”

Manning the Road Warrior vehicles throughout the tour are outdoor enthusiasts and industry veterans Matt Gaudette, Jason Giguere and Levi Olsen. Gaudette, an avid kayaker and guide and previously head tech for Teva, will cover the Western U.S. Covering the Rocky Mountain territory, Giguere will utilize his event management experience as the former director of the Five College Outdoor Festival to educate attendees about Yakima products. Olsen, covering the Eastern and Midwestern regions, will use his extensive cycling experience as the head coach of the nation’s two best cycling programs at Cumberland University and Lees-McRae College.

In conjunction with the tour, Yakima and Subaru are presenting the Road Warrior Tour Sweepstakes. Consumers can enter by filling out an entry form with the Road Warrior crew at events nationwide. Prize packages include Yakima racks and accessories, Dagger kayaks and Gary Fisher Bicycles. The grand prize winner receives a Western Spirit Cycling Adventures mountain bike tour, including an expert guide and 5-star service during a multi-day trip.

For more information and tour updates please visit www.yakima.com/roadwarrior

About Yakima Products
Yakima is a world leader in the design and manufacture of destination hardware for a wide range of vehicles. Yakima’s products include vehicle racks for bikes, boats, ski equipment and gear, plus a line of cargo boxes for a variety of needs. Yakima Products is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. For more information, visit www.yakima.com.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru makes the best-selling All-Wheel Drive car sold in America based on R.L. Polk & Co. new vehicle retail registration statistics calendar year-end 2004. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

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