North Castle Partners Invests in Cascade Helmet Holdings, Inc. Expanding Its Investments in the Fitness and Recreation Industries

GREENWICH, Conn. and NEW YORK, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- North Castle Partners, along with co-investors, announced the acquisition of a controlling interest in Cascade Helmet Holdings, Inc., ("Cascade"), a leading provider of premium protective athletic headgear. North Castle is a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in consumer-driven product and service businesses that benefit from "Healthy Living and Aging" trends. The terms of the investment were not disclosed.

Cascade is a leading provider of premium athletic protective headgear. Founded in 1986, the Company is the undisputed leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of helmets and eyewear for the sport of lacrosse, the fastest-growing team sport in America. In 2007, Cascade entered into the design, manufacture and marketing of ice hockey helmets. Cascade primarily distributes its products through the specialty retail channel.

"We are excited to add Cascade to our Fitness and Recreation portfolio, which includes the companies Octane Fitness and Performance Bicycle. Cascade is a leader in the lacrosse helmet market and is well known for its innovation. Its superior product development and R&D capabilities present many significant opportunities to extend into new markets such as field hockey and ice hockey," said Chip Baird, North Castle's Founder and Managing Partner.

"We look forward to a great partnership with North Castle," said Bill Brine, CEO and Founder. "Cascade was founded with the goal of revolutionizing the market for lacrosse protective headwear. By leveraging North Castle's expertise and resources in building businesses and brands, we believe we will be able to accelerate our growth into new markets by leveraging our brand recognition for introducing technologically superior products."

Mr. Brine has maintained a significant portion of his investment in the company, and he and other members of senior management will continue in their current positions.

In addition to the Cascade investment, in 2007 North Castle acquired a controlling interest in Atkins Nutritional Holdings, Inc., one of the most widely-known weight-management brands in the rapidly growing weight loss industry and Performance, Inc., the largest independent bicycle dealer and direct marketer of bicycles and cycling accessories in the United States. Additionally, North Castle recapitalized Octane Fitness (returning a dividend equal to 1.0x its 2005 investment) and sold three companies to strategic acquirers, including the sale of Avalon Organics(R) and Alba Botanica(R) natural and organic personal care brands to The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., the Naked Juice Company to PepsiCo, and HDS Cosmetics Lab, Inc., the manufacturer and marketer of Doctor's Dermatologic Formula (DDF) skin care, to The Procter & Gamble Company.

About North Castle Partners

North Castle Partners is a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in consumer-driven product and service businesses that benefit from "Healthy Living and Aging" trends. North Castle is a hands-on, value- added investor in high-growth, middle market companies in the (i) aesthetics and personal care, (ii) consumer health, (iii) fitness and recreation, (iv) home and leisure and (v) nutrition industries.

North Castle's current portfolio includes such well-known brands as Atkins Nutritionals, glominerals, Red Door Spas, Enzymatic Therapy, Performance Bicycle, and Octane Fitness. Prior portfolio company holdings include Equinox Fitness, EAS, CRC Health Group, Doctor's Dermatologic Formula, Naked Juice Company and Avalon Natural Products.

North Castle is led by a seasoned investment team including 12 proactive operating advisors who bring a wide range of operational and investment capabilities as well as an extensive knowledge base and network. The strength of the North Castle team, combined with our focus and network, provides significant competitive advantages in building world-class companies. North Castle is headquartered in Greenwich, CT. For more information, visit www.northcastlepartners.com.

About Cascade, Inc.

Cascade is the world's leading provider of lacrosse helmets. Founded in 1986, Cascade has supplied helmets to 11 consecutive national championship teams, is the official, exclusive supplier of helmets to Major League Lacrosse and is the helmet of choice for over 85 percent of high school and men's lacrosse teams worldwide. The company is also the top manufacturer of women's lacrosse eyemasks. Known for its numerous innovations in product and service, Cascade has delivered a number of firsts to the lacrosse industry including: inventing the modern lacrosse helmet, pioneering the single plastic shell, creating the first protective eyemask for women, delivering multi-colors, 24- to 48-hour custom delivery and making radical improvements to style, fit and performance. Learn more about Cascade at www.cascadelacrosse.com.

Contact: Todd Fogarty

               Kekst and Company
               212-521-4854