01/20/03 New Gas-Assist Lift Systems Offer Fast and Easy Backboard Height Adjustment Huffy® Sports Company, the world's leading home basketball system manufacturer, introduces gas-assist technology into its extensive line of backboard height adjustment lift systems. The EZ Touchª and Ultra Moveª utilize a gas-pressurized piston to effortlessly raise and lower the height of a rim between seven and 10 feet on an in-ground basketball system and 7.5 and 10 feet on a portable. Gas-assist technology is an evolution of the extension spring, which is used in most of today's backboard height adjustment systems. The advantage of gas assist is its smooth operation. Once the system is activated, it counterbalances the weight of the backboard using pressurized gas. This results in a gliding motion, making it effortless for a consumer to raise and lower the backboard. Once the backboard is at a desired playing height, the gas strut locks in place for optimum safety. Huffy Sports has led the basketball system category in the development of lift system technology since the early 1990s. From the initial ratchet system, which is still used today, all the way through telescoping, extension spring and now gas assist, the drive for innovation has been fueled by consumer demand. Patrick Ehren, vice president of sales and marketing for Huffy Sports, explains, "Height adjustment is one of the most important features in the category today. Consumers want instant height adjustment that's fast and easy for everyone in the family to operate. With gas-assist technology, backboard height adjustment has never been easier." To operate the EZ Touch and Ultra Move lift systems, a consumer grabs hold of an ergonomic handle and gently squeezes the activation trigger. By gently pushing the handle upward or downward, the height of the rim can be easily adjusted. The gas strut is conveniently located behind the backboard, well out of playing area. EZ Touch The EZ Touch lift system is for use on portable basketball goals with angled poles. The lift system's ergonomic handle is attached to an angled connector arm, which is parallel to the angled pole. Because the connector arm and the angled pole are parallel, it makes it easier for a consumer to move the backboard up and down. Ultra Move The Ultra Move lift system is for use on in-ground basketball systems featuring backboards 52 inches and wider. Instead of a single strut, the Ultra Move uses dual struts to raise and lower the basketball backboard. The EZ Touch and Ultra Move gas-assist lift systems are currently available on a variety of Huffy Sports and Hydra-RIB branded products. For more information, call 1-800-558-5234. Huffy Sports Company is the world's leading manufacturer of home and institutional basketball systems. The company also offers a complete line of inflatable sports balls for sporting goods dealers and mass-market retailers. A division of Huffy Corporation (NYSE-HUF), the company manufactures and distributes three brands of basketball products: Huffy Sports, Sure Shot and Hydra-RIB. Each brand varies by price point and is marketed to a variety of end users. Huffy Sports Company products are available at mass-market retailers, sporting goods dealers and specialty stores throughout the world. For interview requests and/or product photography, please call Brian Meehan at (262) 789-7630, ext. 133, or e-mail to brianm@celticinc.com.