BEAVERTON, Oregon (June 9, 2005) – Yakima, designer and manufacturer of innovative vehicle racks for boats, bikes, wintersports gear, and a full line of cargo boxes, has been drawing enthusiastic crowds with its 2005 Road Warrior Tour, the brand’s first grassroots initiative. The tour, which began April 14 at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey California, will be making stops at over 20 outdoor industry events and at 80 retailers around the U.S. showcasing Yakima products and supporting Yakima dealers. The Road Warrior Tour features a 2005 Chevy Silverado Extended Cab gas-electric hybrid truck, outfitted with the new Yakima-LEER Sports Edition Truck Cap, a fiberglass LEER truck cap with Yakima rack hardware factory installed.

“The Road Warrior Tour has been generating a very positive response from consumers and retailers alike,” commented Mike Steck, Yakima’s marketing director. “Through this tour we’ve been able to not only promote our new products, but also to encourage outdoor enthusiasts to consider alternative vehicle technology that burns less fossil fuel. With the 2005 Chevy Silverado, we’re demonstrating the viability of a hybrid vehicle for consumers who love outdoor activities. In addition, we are introducing the Yakima-LEER Sports Edition package as a new option for outfitting a truck to carry bikes, boats, skis, boards, and gear without taking up space inside the cab. This national tour has opened up the potential for new customer bases for Yakima and LEER.”

Since April, the tour has seen nearly one million event attendees and visited nine events including: The Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, Calif., The Sixth Annual Firestone Walker, Los Olivios, Calif., Tour of the Unknown Coast, Ferndale, Calif., Reno Pro Invitational, Reno, Nev., NORBA, Snow Summit, Calif., Wachovia Cycling Classic, Lancaster, Pa., Wachovia Cycling Invitational, Trenton, N.J., and the Wachovia USPRO Road Championships, Philadelphia, Pa.

“In addition to introducing consumers and dealers to the Yakima-LEER package, the Yakima Road Warrior Tour serves as a mobile exhibition vehicle, conducting demonstrations of Yakima’s products, as well as providing valuable field related content back to the Yak mother ship,” continued Steck.

Future Road Warrior Tour Stops Include: June 12, San Jose, Calif., June 17-19, Deer Valley, Utah, June 26, Boston, Mass., July 2-3, Browns Island, Richmond, Va., July 17, Richmond, Va., July 23-24, Veterans Park, Milwaukee, Wis., August 7, Austin, Texas, August 11-14, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 21, Denver, Colo., August 25-28, Mount Snow, Vt., September 3-4, San Francisco, Calif., September 11, Chicago, Ill., September 16-18, Mammoth Mountain, Calif., September 26-30, Las Vegas, Nev., October 1-2, Incline Village, Nev., October 15-16, Moab, Utah, October 23, Los Angeles, Calif., October 27-30, Moab, Utah, November 4-6, San Francisco, Calif., and November 26-27, Seattle, Wash.

The Yakima Sports Edition truck cap is factory installed by LEER, the industry-leading manufacturer of fiberglass truck caps, and offered by LEER dealers across the U.S.

The Sports Edition package features a complete Yakima roof rack base system, including tracks, landing pads, control towers, locks and crossbars and the buyer’s choice of one Yakima accessory for carrying bikes, skis and snowboards, boats, or gear. The package also comes with other LEER cap additions, including an interior headliner, dual dome lights (12 volt and battery), special LEER/Yakima graphics, and a nylon gear net attached to the cap ceiling. The Yakima-LEER Sports Edition package manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) is $759.00.

About Yakima:
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.