PORTLAND, OR ??” The Salomon Oasis tour is gearing up for its sixth annual tour, with its second stop at Killington Mountain, December 18th – 19th. The weekend-long celebration features free equipment and apparel demos, giveaways, contests and a variety of entertainment options.

This year marks the first year that Killington Mountain has hosted a Salomon Oasis event. “Salomon Oasis is a cool event concept,” said Josh Arneson, Killington Events Manager. “The event is not only a blast, but it’s an excellent opportunity for people to check out the latest products from Salomon and Oasis partners.”

The Salomon Oasis tour takes place in a village near Killington’s K-1 Lodge. Inside, village visitors can check out the latest technology from Salomon and Oasis partners, enter contests to win free gear and test ride the latest skis and snowboards from Salomon as well as apparel from Salomon, Bonfire and Arc’Teryx – all with GORE-TEX?В® fabric.

The entertainment is diverse and packed with activities like Saturday’s rail jam, which takes place at 11 a.m. Skiers and snowboarders can session the rails with Salomon’s top regional riders and Salomon will be awarding over $3,000 in equipment and apparel including a pair of Salomon skis or snowboard of his/her choice to one lucky participant.

Salomon Oasis has teamed-up with cutting-edge partners Salomon, Saab, W.L. GORE & Associates, FUEL, DIRECTV and others that cater to snowriders worldwide.

Salomon started the Oasis tour in 1999 and has been the title sponsor throughout its history. Oasis has expanded for 2005 and will hit 13 winter resorts this season with stops across the U.S. and three in Canada. “The Oasis tour has been a huge success for us”, said Bo Johnson, marketing director of Salomon North America. “The tour gives consumers the opportunity to try our new products on-hill and see why Salomon is the premier manufacturer of equipment and apparel.” Salomon will have over 200 pairs of skis and 80 snowboards available for FREE demos as well as outerwear from its Salomon, Bonfire and Arc’Teryx brands.

Saab has been involved with Oasis for two years. “We’re excited to be a part of Oasis again this year,” says Tammy Capone, promotions manager, Saab Cars USA. “The Oasis concept is a perfect complement to the Saab brand character and it is very effective in reaching our target customers. This year we will feature the 9-3, the 9-5 and the all-new, all-wheel-drive 9-2X.”

Visitors can stay warm, dry and comfortable when testing the latest GORE-TEX?В® fabric technology found in Salomon, Bonfire and Arc’Teryx apparel. “Oasis is an awesome event,” said Doug Graham, Gore snow category leader. “It’s a great way for riders to personally experience the performance of our unique technology on the mountain.”

The DIRECTV display will feature a virtual living room, where skiers and snowboarders can kick back and check out the evolution of satellite television. Visitors will be able to experience the new DIRECTV?В® HD DVR with TiVo, which allows customers to record and play back DIRECTV high-definition programming, as well as the standard DIRECTV DVR with TiVo. Visitors will also get a program sampling of the 24/7 action sports net FUEL.

“DIRECTV is excited to be a part of Oasis this year and to demonstrate to visitors the latest in DIRECTV technology,” said Neal Tiles, executive vice president, Marketing, DIRECTV, Inc. “DIRECTV pioneered the satellite television industry and will continue to provide the best in multichannel television technology available. ”

FUEL and DIRECTV will also offer the first 500 customers that sign up for DIRECTV’s TOTAL CHOICE?В® Plus package and purchase a DIRECTV DVR with TiVo a free Salomon snowboard branded with a FUEL die-cut sticker. If you haven’t checked out FUEL, you’re missing out on the hottest action sports channel on the air. FUEL is 24/7 action sports television, featuring surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, motocross and wakeboarding.