WHISTLER, B.C. (April 25, 2006) – More than 250 revelers composing a “Who’s Who” in the ski industry joined the world’s top 11 skiers at Garibaldi Lift Company in Whistler, B.C., on April 20 to celebrate the completion of the first annual K2 Back 9 Mini Golf competition and to divvy up a $90,000 prize purse between the winners.

The K2 Back 9 event, envisioned by K2’s Mike Gutt and pro ski legend Shane Szocs, is a first-ever backcountry skiing tournament, film and photo shoot that combines park-style riding on diverse backcountry lines that showcases the progression of the sport. The competition, filmed on location in Whistler in March, featured nine different backcountry lines and terrain features from cornices, to cliffs, step-downs, pillow drops and entire mountain faces. The invitational featured the best of the best including Mark Abma, Marc-Andre Belliveau, Chris Benchetler, Anthony Boronowski, Rory Bushfield, Sammy Carlson, Mike Douglas, Eric Hjorleifson, Andy Mahre, Ryan Oakden and Eric Pollard. Each athlete skied every line then personally reviewed and judged the films of each competitor and voted on the winners.

Skiing was king at the awards ceremony but big money further energized the high octane evening. A $4,000 prize was awarded to the winner of each line or “hole” and an additional $45,000 was handed out between the first, second and third place finishers. Veteran huckster Mike Douglas took home a golden sports coat emblazoned with the Back 9 crest and a $20,000 check. Belliveau landed another 15,000 greenbacks and Andy Mahre left with an additional $10,000 in his wallet. The $4,000 hole-by-hole payouts went to:

• Hole 1: Eric Hjorleifson
• Hole 2: Mike Douglas
• Hole 3: Eric Pollard
• Hole 4: Andy Mahre
• Hole 5: Eric Hjorleifson
• Hole 6: Andy Mahre
• Hole 7: Rory Bushfield
• Hole 8: Eric Pollard
• Hole 9: Marc-Andre Belliveau

Hjorleifson scored an extra $4Gs for “Best Crash” when a house-size pillow cracked off the face of the mountain and landed on top of him.

“The Back 9 Mini Golf Invitational turned out better than we ever imagined with perfect conditions and the participation of the absolute drivers behind the sport from the athletes to the video crews and photographers,” Gutt said. “The sport has dramatically changed over the past decade and skiers are taking huge tricks to the backcountry. The Back 9 packaged the movement in a fun and innovative format that inspired the athletes and is thrilling for anyone who loves skiing to watch.”

About the K2 Back 9 Mini Golf Invitational

The visionaries of skiing, the athletes, have been combining two distinct approaches to skiing over the past decade. Merging technical park tricks with traditional big mountain skiing has given rise to an entirely new breed of skiers. Each year these multi-dimensional athletes challenge what can be accomplished on skis and ultimately the limitations of the sport. The term "Mini Golf" has come to define short, technical lines usually consisting of natural and constructed features. In K2 Back 9 competition, the holes featured cornices, cliff faces, entire mountain lines, pillows and step downs giving the skiers multiple options to pick a unique line and express their own style. The video format provided a means for athletes to judge the competition and to expose the new style of skiing to the skiing community and the masses who are rediscovering the sport. Poor Boyz Productions and Theory 3 Media captured the competition on video, and images were taken by photographers Nate Abbott, Damian Cromwell, Bryn Hughes and Blake Jorgensen. The event was made possible through the support of sponsors Smith Optics, Helly Hansen, Powder Magazine, Spyder, Oakley, The North Face, Whistler Blackcomb, Poor Boyz Productions, High North Ski Camp. For results and images visit www.k2minigolf.com.