PARK CITY, Utah — Olympic Gold Medalist Seth Wescott will be the special guest at the American Skiing Company Pavilion at the Boston Ski and Snowboard Expo to kick off the 2006-07 winter season. Wescott, who brought home gold in the first-ever Olympic Snowboard Cross last February in Torino, Italy, will be on hand to meet fans and autograph posters on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 7-8 pm.

In addition to the Olympic champion, the ASC Pavilion will feature visits from SpongeBob SquarePants?„? and Dora the Explorer?„? costume characters, who will visit with kids and families during the four days of the Expo. The American Skiing Company family of resorts has teamed up with Nickelodeon?¤ to encourage active outdoor activities and introduce more families to winter sports.

Family Winter Festivals, presented by Nickelodeon, will take place at all seven ASC resorts this season and will be packed with activities and games for the whole family, including costume character appearances by SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, live bands that have appeared on NOGGIN’s hit series, Jack’s Big Music Show?В¤ and special Learn-to-Ski/Ride Programs from ASC’s award-winning Perfect Turn Ski and Snowboard Schools.

Skiing and snowboarding will be extra exciting for kids this season with exclusive Dora the Explorer skis, SpongeBob SquarePants skis and snowboards, plus helmets and winter accessories. Designed to make skiing and snowboarding more fun for kids who are just starting out, they are available exclusively at ASC resorts’ rental and retail shops.

Guests at the ASC Pavilion will find exclusive Expo-only savings on winter vacations at each ASC resort including Killington and Mount Snow in Vermont, Sugarloaf/USA and Sunday River in Maine, Attitash in New Hampshire, The Canyons in Utah, and Steamboat in Colorado. Guests who purchase vacation packages at the Expo will also have a chance to spin the ever-popular Wheel O’ Vacations where they can win discounts on their vacation, lift tickets, or a Ski America season pass.

Skiers and riders can also save on lift tickets by purchasing the all-new New England Value Card or mEtickets at the Expo. The New England Value Card offers savings of up to $14 per day when you purchase 4 or 5 days of skiing at ASC’s Eastern resorts, whereas the mETicket saves up to $23 per day for 6-12 days of skiing at any ASC resort including The Canyons and Steamboat.

The perfect gift for every skier and rider on your holiday shopping list is a Gift Card from an ASC resort. Gift Cards will be available at the Expo and can be used to purchase lift tickets, lodging, merchandise and food in resort-owned facilities.

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the third largest licensing business in the world and represents such properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The department handles the merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

Nickelodeon, in its 27th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for eleven consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B)

About American Skiing Company:

Headquartered in Park City, Utah, American Skiing Company is one of the largest operators of alpine ski, snowboard and golf resorts in the United States. Its resorts include Killington and Mount Snow in Vermont; Sunday River and Sugarloaf/USA in Maine; Attitash in New Hampshire; Steamboat in Colorado; and The Canyons in Utah. More information is available on the Company??в„ўs Web site, www.peaks.com.