Vinson Massif Climb -- 1999 WORLD'S FIRST AND ONLY SKI AND SNOWBOARD DESCENT OFF THE HIGHEST PEAK IN ANTARCTICA A SUCCESS -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 12/09/99 -- The US Extreme Sports Team, a team of world-renowned athletes, made the first-ever ski and snowboard descent off the highest peak in Antarctica, the 16,000 foot mountain called Vinson Massif, today. Limited to one dispatch daily in order to conserve battery power, contact with the team was brief. The dispatch is recorded, transcribed and posted along with new digital images live on the internet at the end of each climbing day to be posted on www.mountainzone.com where this daily testament to human endurance, strength and determination is witnessed by millions worldwide via continuously updated coverage. "It makes it very difficult to keep up with the fast moving team who seem to have hit the ice running since they landed at the base camp in Patriot Hills earlier this week. Climbing at record speed, the team reached the summit in only a few days, " says Lisa Faragallah, US Extreme Team spokesperson. Less than five hundred people have stood atop Vinson's pyramid. Documented on film, this expedition was the first ever to film a ski and snowboard descent in Antarctica. "We weren't sure if we were going to be able to summit because of what seemed to be the storm of the century. There was a blanket of clouds that covered the entire sky. But Newcomb (Mark) forged a new route, an alternate route, through the thick clouds and after a couple of hours of climbing, the clouds broke and it was gorgeous, breathless, absolutely breathtaking!" exclaims Stephen Koch, US Extreme Sports team member and a world extreme snowboarding champion. Mt. Vinson Massif marks #5 of Koch's Seven Summits Quest. Seconds before they began the descent, the team's only thought was the hope that every member of the team would make it down the mountain safely. What's next? After Vinson Massif, the team will continue to explore many unnamed, never before skied and snowboarded peaks in the Ellsworth range. The plan is to keep going until they run out of food (which will run out before their energy and enthusiasm does). As far as the team's concerned, -20 degree temperatures or 100 mile per hour winds won't get in their way. They are on the last great adventure of the 20th century and nothing is going to stop them. The six member team consisting of Doug Coombs (two time winner World Extreme Ski Champion), Dirk Collins (Cinematographer/Extreme skier, produced four feature length ski films "The Continuum," "The Harvest," "Uprising," and "The Realm"), Stephen Koch (World Extreme Snowboarding Champion), Wade McKoy (World Renowned ski/mountaineering Photojournalist), Mark Newcomb (Avalanche Forecaster/ Extreme Skier) and Doug Stoup (Expedition Leader/Expert Rigger, Mountaineer and Extreme Snowboarder) and Mark Sicola (Team Technical Supervisor) their descent featured four members on skis and two on snowboards. --Irene Cho On Monday, 12/13/99, actor and extreme sports enthusiast, Chris O'Donnell interviewed the US Extreme Sports Team on Yahoo! Chat from the set of his latest project for Sony, "The Vertical Limit" in New Zealand. The Team communicated from their base camp in Patriot Hills in Antarctica on a satellite system phone.