Jan. 26, 2008 - Three women snowboarders in the world lead the pack in pipe, by a substantial margin. At this year’s Winter X Games, the three former Gold Medalists, Torah Bright, Kelly Clark, and Gretchen Bleiler, fed off each other and moved women’s snowboarding up a few rungs on the ladder of complexity.

In the end, the hometown hero, Gretchen Bleiler, a two-time gold medal winner of the event, was the one to deliver. Out came the 9, the backside air, crippler, frontside olley-oop, and back-to-back 7s. And with a 93.33, she slid to the top of the podium.

Bleiler fended off a late-game challenge by Aussie shredder Torah Bright to capture her third gold medal at the Winter X Games.

Full story

Filed under: Action, Snowboard, X Games by jane
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Jan. 26, 2008 -The Winter X Games is one of the most environmentally friendly action sports events ever. Teaming up with X Games Environmentally, Winter X 12 has reduced amazing amounts of waste and become more eco-friendly, including using alternative fuels.

The X Games General Manager hopes the new eco-friendly attitude will rub off on all the fans, especially the younger demographic. During Winter X they’ve instituted a fun and environmentally friendly game. If visitors “get caught” recycling, then they’ll be rewarded with a token. These tokens are redeemable for fun prizes at the TRASHed Recycling Store. Last year this method proved to be very effective, bringing in a total of 7,000 drink containers. This year they hope to beat this amount as well as the mind-blowing amount of event waste processed at special facilities, 70% to be exact.

In addition, the Games are using a new alternative fuel, biodiesel. This renewable nontoxic fuel will be used for event shuttle buses, snowcats, and heavy equipment. X Game Environmentally also plans to plant trees on behalf of all of the athletes competing in the Winter X Games.

The organizers of this event went all out, even printing event media guides on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper bound with a recycled plastic binding. Even the kitchen is green with cups, napkins, and plates made with renewable and compostable materials, like PLA plastic made from corn and Bagasse.

Filed under: Charity/Cause, X Games by maddy
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ASPEN, Colo. Jan. 25, 2008 - After today’s qualifying round, 12 women advance to the Skier X semi-finals. Leading the pack are Sasa Faric, Seraina Murk and Ophelie David.  Qualifiers.

The elimination round of Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle pushes 10 riders through to the finals. Cheryl Mass, Jamie Anderson and Claudia Fliri came out on top of this round.  Finalists.

In Snowboard X, Lindsey Jacobellis and Tanja Frieden are among the 12 riders moving on to the semis.

Filed under: News Bytes, Skiercross, Snowboard, X Games by admin
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Qualifying Results from Aspen/Snowmass on Thursday, January 24, 2008
(Top 6 advance to finals)

Name / Bib No. / Hometown / Score
1. Gretchen Bleiler / 303 / Aspen, Colo. / 92.66
2. Torah Bright / 326 / Cooma, Australia / 91.66
3. Kelly Clark / 307 / Mount Snow, Vt. / 90.00
4. Soko Yamaoka / 319 / Nagano, Japan / 80.66
5. Hannah Teter / 317 / Belmont, Vt. / 77.66
6. Lizzy Beerman / 301 / Weston, Vt. / 75.33
7. Ellery Hollingsworth / 310 / Darien, Conn. / 73.33
8. Kaitlyn Farrington / 308 / Bellevue, Idaho / 69.66
9. Manuela Pesko / 316 / Lenzerheide, Switzerland / 67.00
10. Mercedes Nicoll / 314 / Whistler, BC, Canada / 66.66
11. Clair Bidez / 302 / Minturn, Colo. / 66.66
12. Jamie Anderson / 315 / South Lake Tahoe, Calif. / 64.00
13. Molly Aguirre / 344 / Mammoth Lakes, Calif. / 57.00
14. Dominique Vallee / 318 / Montreal, QC, Canada / 44.00
15. Meg Pugh / 393 / Orcas Island, Wash. / 42.00
16. Kjersti Oestgaard Buass / 366 / Trondheim, Norway / 34.66
17. Tricia Byrnes / 306 / Aspen, Colo. / 31.00
18. Anne-Flore Marxer / 362 / Hossegor, France / 15.66

Women’s Superpipe Finals take place Fri. night and will be broadcast on ESPN HD at 9:30 p.m.

Filed under: News Bytes, Snowboard, X Games by admin
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ASPEN, Colo. Jan. 24, 2008 - As temperatures drop, the excitement heats up in Aspen, which is hosting the Winter X Games for the seventh consecutive year. Most of the action will take place over the next four days - and the invited rider list reads like a who’s who of winter sports. This year’s Games should prove to be a showcase for the progress female action sports athletes have made in the genre.

Highlights of WX12 will include snowboarder Torah Bright and freeskier Sarah Burke who are both returning to Aspen  in a bid to reclaim gold. You’ll also see a lot of halfpipe queen Gretchen Bleiler, Winter X gold medal winner in 2003 and 2005 and a silver medalist on the 2006 Olympic pipe. 

In boardercross, 22-year-old Lindsey Jacobellis is considered royalty with three Winter X boardercross gold medals, two World Championship titles and an Olympic silver medal in her trophy case.

Last year, Jamie Anderson became the youngest X Game gold winner when she won the women’s snowboard slopestyle, while older sister Joanie took first place in snocross so keep an eye on the Anderson girls once again.

Also not to be overlooked is Kelly Clark, 24, who is competing in her eighth Winter X Games. She’s earned four medals - two gold, two silver - all in the superpipe. Her last gold finish was in 2006.

As one of the most x-treme winter sports events in the world, Winter X attracts an international array of gravity-defying athletes. Money (record purses this year), medals and worldwide fame are all up for grabs as athletes compete in skiing, snowboard and snocross so catch all the action today through Sunday.

Watch Winter X Games 12, January 24-27 Live on ESPN and ABC.

Filed under: Action, Ski, Snowboard, X Games by jane
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The X Games have found a longtime home in Southern California. ESPN announced that a five-year agreement was reached to keep the action sports competition in Los Angeles through 2009. Southern California is the birthplace of many X Games events, and many of the top athletes live in the region.  Website

Filed under: Action, News Bytes, X Games by admin
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Nov 21 2007 / Los Angeles, CA/ Winter X Games 12 – to be held January 24-27, 2008 in Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., and aired live on ESPN and ABC– will feature new events, a new stage and enhanced coverage across ESPN platforms. Three new disciplines will make their debut – Snowmobile Speed & Style, Skiing Big Air, and Snowboard Big Air. Fifteen hours of live programming on ESPN and ABC will be offered as well as Winter X Games 12 coverage on ESPN International, EXPN.com, ESPN360, SportsCenter and ESPN2’s X Center. (more…)

Filed under: Action, Events, Ski, Snowboard, X Games by jane
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For skateboarders, even when you’re good, you’re still bad. Even when you’re a professional, you’re still bad. In women’s professional skateboarding, Elissa Steamer is the best, but she’s still a skateboarder, and so that makes her bad.

“People in suits and nice clothes, they see me and they’re like, ‘oh, scum bag kid,’ or whatever,” said Steamer, who most recently won gold at the X Games and who is the only female skater in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game. “They don’t know that I’m 30-years-old and well off, you know what I mean.” (more…)

Filed under: Action, Profiles, Skateboard, X Games by admin
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LOS ANGELES, CA, August 7 2007 - The Summer X Games 13 are over. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins took 1st in Skate Vert | Marissa Del Santo won gold in Skateboard Street and the USA ladies beat the World Team in surf. Check out the skateboarding results:

Skate Vert

1. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins
2. Mimi Knoop
3. Cara-Beth Burnside
4. Karen Jones
5. Holly Lyons
6. Apryl Woodcock
7. Jodi McDonald

Skate Street

1. Marisa Dal Santo
2. Elissa Steamer
3. Amy Caron
4. Lacey Baker
5. Evelien Bouilliart
6. Vanessa Torres
7. Lauren Perkins
8. Leticia Bufoni

Filed under: Action, Events, News Bytes, Skateboard, Surfing, X Games by admin
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July 4 2007 - On the fourth of July, Team USA was too much for Team World at Zicatela Beach, Puerto Escondido in the inaugural Women’s Surfing X-Games. Led by O’Neill Team riders Rochelle Ballard and MVP Melanie Bartels, Team USA won one of the tightest games in X-Games history-55 to 52. (more…)

Filed under: Events, News Bytes, Surfing, X Games by admin
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