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MONSTER ENERGY’S X GAMES PREVIEW:MONSTER CREW SET TO UNLOAD ON ASPENOnly one winter happening is significant enough to warrant the convergence of Monster’s entire winter sports ensemble—and that, friends, is Winter X Games.
From January 22-25 the affluent ski town of Aspen, Colorado transforms into a winter sports war-zone. With an Aspen mansion presently filling with world-class athletes, the Monster army has arrived in force. The Winter X Games is well known as a fixed point of progression—this is where the stakes are raised, and new ground is broken.
Morale’s at an all time high around the Monster camp—lets take a quick glance at who’s on deck, who’s riding the dark horse, and which athletes have “gold” written all over them.
SNOWBOARD BIG AIR:
Torstein Horgmo
Last year it was the upset of the event as Torstein toppled big-air legend Travis Rice with a massive switch backside 1260 for gold. Competition will be stiff with Kevin Pierce on a competitive tear, and Travis Rice and Andreas Wiig in the mix, but no one can best Horgmo’s dizzying rotations over a tabletop this season. Providing he stays on his feet, anticipate another gold medal.
SNOWBOARD SLOPESTYLE
Torstein Horgmo
Torstein just beat Shaun White as well as slope technician and countrymen Andreas Wiig at the Winter Dew—he could surely do it again here at X Games. DC Teammate Chas Guldemond is also in the cut, and the two feed off their “friendly” albeit fierce competition.
Raewyn Reid
Calgary’s Raewyn Reid may be a newcomer to the world of winter X, but she’s a rail specialist who's adept in every facet of slope. Following in the footsteps of Calgary native and Monster athlete Leanne Pelosi, Raewyn might be unknown, but she’s also über talented.
Kjersti Oestgaard-Buaas
New Monster recruit Kjersti is a halfpipe specialist by trade, but she’s got some serious chops on the slopestyle course as well. A two time Olympian, Kjersti is the consummate professional and a serious threat in any discipline.
Leanne Pelosi
Girl’s superstar Leanne Pelosi has been focused on filming with Standard Films this season, but she surely has the skill and experience to upset any slopestyle competition, X Games included—if her head and heart is in it.
SKIING SLOPESTYLE:
Jossi Wells
The Southern Hemi’s great hope took a silver medal in slopestyle his first year out. With a ton of technical tricks and well-rounded skills both in park and transition, Jossi is peaking, and with lil’ brother Byron on his heel at winter X this year—there’s little chance he’ll slow.
Colby James West
With a huge bag of switch maneuvers and tons of style showcased through token tricks like his switch seven double nose grabs, Colby James is a serious contender—particularly since he’s stolen the bronze before in slopestyle at winter X.
Peter Olenick
He has three X Games medals and a penchant for going all in—make it or break it style. In short, Peter has all the ingredients for a groundbreaking run and could be reaping the rewards that go along with it.
TJ Schiller
Freeskier phenom TJ Schiller broke out into superstar status at Winter X Games 2006, wrapping up gold in an impromptu “Best Trick” event with a switch 1080 nose grab. Schiller suffered a season ending knee explosion just days before the X Games last year—now he’s back and hungrier than ever.
Sarah Burke
The most prolific and progressive women skier of all time throws huge grabbed 900’s on the slope course as well as in the halfpipe. If she shows up, and throws down, Sarah medals—the girl is that good.
Kristi Leskinen
An X Games medalist and pioneer of groundbreaking moves like the rodeo 720, Kristi has an ultra smooth style and serious skills.
SKIING SUPERPIPE:
Jossi Wells
Jossi has been blowing up literally—he crashed out at the winter Dew Your in Vermont. If he can stay on his ski's, the kid carries major amplitude down the ’pipe with many technical tricks in his armament.
Colby James West
A switch master with an X Games medal on the mantle, Colby has had some disappointing results early season—leaving him hungry for a win mentally, and still in good health physically.
Peter Olenick
Aspen’s hometown hero’s Whiskey Flip is a sick trick. If he can stomp his double flip huge on the first hit, with a seamless run, he could be in the hunt.
Sarah Burke
Burke has owned winter X Games Superpipe with gold and silver annually—if she stays on her skiis, she medals. If she throws that 900 with the height and authority she’s known for, and peppers in some more tech, she slides away with another gold.
SNOWBOARD X
Shaun Palmer
The title of most prolific X Games competitor of all time still remains with Shaun Palmer, not White. With a record six X Games gold medals, more astoundingly he’s has gold in four different sports. After a freak accident that tore his Achilles tendon literally held him out of Snowboard cross for the 2006 Olympics, Shaun has mounted another comeback with a second place finish in an FIS World Cup SBX event in ’08. Look out youngsters—The Palm is back!
Nate Holland
Olympian Nate Holland realized his dream in Snowboard Cross at X Games last year by beating out Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott and “threepeating”—achieving three consecutive gold medals in snowboard X. Can he break Palmers record and make it four?
SNOWBOARD SUPERPIPE
Andy Finch
Andy has been notably quiet since injuring his elbow in Breckenridge in December. If he’s on the mend, he could surely play the role of dark horse, overwhelming Superpipe kids with his massive amplitude and underestimated tech.
Danny Kass
Danny smashed his shoulder up in Vermont after spilling in the pipe a couple weeks ago—not the best trun of events before winter X. But with seven X Games medals, and two consecutive silvers in the Olympics, plus record-setting US Open Superpipe wins—hurt or not, Danbo is always in contention. And historically, X Games medals are his for the taking.
Louie Vito
Louie skipped the last pipe contest with a minor sprained ankle to be healthy for X Games. And this comp means the world to him, literally—this is where an amazing Superpipe run in (?) got his career going. More technical than the entire field and carrying more amplitude than in years past, Louie has all the tools for medal contention.
Kjersti Oestgaard-Buaas
A seasoned competitor with an Olympic bronze medal to her credit from Torino in ’06, she relies on impeccable style and massive amplitude. Kjersti just finished third in pipe at the Burton European Open and has years of pipe experience to draw upon.
Elena Hight
Young and talented with tight, technical rotations and a wealth of experience, Elena has had the 900 on lock for years—can she pull the first 1080 in Women’s competition? She has some momentum with a third place finish at the first winter Dew Tour in Breckenridge.
So there you have it: Monster’s amassed the baddest skiers and snowboarders and quite simply—we’re here to take it!
ESPN's SportsCenter will include LIVE coverage from Winter X Games 13. ESPN's X Center will follow on Thursday and Friday at 2 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 a.m. on ESPN 2.
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