RUNNY NOSES BEWARE! THE SNOT SPOT IS BORN
Vail Start-up Introduces the Latest Innovation in Winter Sports Accessories

Vail, Colorado – August 18, 2005 – Vail-based When I Grow Up, Inc., announced today the launch of its first product, the Snot Spot™, designed to tackle a problem that plagues every winter athlete, the runny nose. The Snot Spot is a washable, reusable fleece tissue worn over a winter glove to provide a soft, absorbent surface to wipe one’s nose.

The patent-pending Snot Spot is the brainchild of co-inventors Monica Martin, Susan Miskovsky, and Greg Queen, long-time ski and snowboard enthusiasts in Vail, Colorado. It fills a void in the snow sports equipment market, currently valued at $2.25 billion in the US, according to the Snowsports Industries of America, a national not-for-profit trade association representing the winter sports industry.

“Everyone who spends a lot of time outdoors in the winter knows that a runny nose is a nearly unavoidable part of the experience,” said Brennon Martin, Snot Spot division president. “The Snot Spot is the perfect solution to this very well known issue. After using the prototypes this past winter, I can’t imagine going on the mountain without one.”

The Snot Spot is superior to other solutions that have been introduced to address this problem. Disposable tissues in the lift line are a nice convenience, but they do add to landfill waste and over time will make your nose raw. Also, runny noses rarely wait until you’re at the bottom of the run to strike, and ski resorts are in no hurry to erect sniffle stations halfway down a run. Unlike the soft pieces of fabric sewn into some gloves, the Snot Spot provides a much larger and softer surface area to use. It is also much easier to wash and keep clean.

“I’ll take two!” said one enthusiastic test marketing subject heading up the chairlift in Vail last winter. “I have these gloves with a soft spot on one thumb and a little goggle squeegee on the other. You can’t imagine how painful it is to accidentally squeegee your nose – plus the soft spot on my glove is getting pretty gross. I’d rather have a Snot Spot for each hand.”

The Snot Spot was originally envisioned in the mid 1990s by Monica, Susan, and Greg. After creating an initial prototype and investigating the market viability of their invention, the team determined that the idea needed to be put on the shelf until it could be produced at a price that the market would bear. But the dream lived on…

In the winter of 2004, Monica resurrected the idea, redesigned the initial prototype for affordable mass manufacturing, and the Snot Spot was born (with co-inventors Susan and Greg as silent partners). At the same time, she founded When I Grow Up, Inc. with the ambitious goal of donating $1 million to charity by 2015.

“Let’s face it – many winter sports like skiing and snowboarding are the domain of people with both disposable income and tremendous enthusiasm for their sport,” said Monica, founder and CEO of When I Grow Up. “If When I Grow Up can provide an affordable solution to a common problem while at the same time channeling some of that enthusiasm and the revenue it generates into something to help the common good, we can do our small part to make the world a better place.”

The Snot Spot has a MSRP of $9.95 and is available in either black or alabaster micro fleece. It comes in two designs – one for gloves and one for mittens – and two sizes. “Large” fits adult winter gloves, and “small” fits adult spring gloves and kids.

Snot Spot is currently seeking retail outlets for the 2005-2006 winter season.

About When I Grow Up
Founded in 2005 by Monica Martin in Vail, Colorado, When I Grow Up was created as a means to market a variety of different environmentally friendly product ideas which could be used to generate revenue for donations to charitable organizations. For more information, visit www.snotspotvail.com.