Winter X Games 14: Bring it on

As temperatures drop, the excitement heats up in Aspen, which is hosting the Winter X Games for the ninth 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 WX14 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. The only woman to win WX SuperPipe 3 times, Gretchen also has silver from WX ‘07, silver from the 2006 Torino Olympics Halfpipe and an ESPY as 2008’s Best Female Action Sports Athlete.

In boardercross, 24-year-old Lindsey Jacobellis is considered royalty and ranked #1 in the FIS World Cup for 2009. She is an Olympic silver medalist from 2006 and five-time WX Games gold medalist.

Two years ago , Jamie Anderson became the youngest X Game gold winner when she won the women’s snowboard slopestyle. The Two-time WX Slopestyle gold medalist Anderson fractured her hip two weeks before WX ‘09. At the U.S. Open two months later, she ruptured her spleen, bringing a cruel end to the roughest season of her young career. But she kicked off the 2009/10 season right: winning the Billabong BroDown in Aug., Burton New Zealand Open in Nov. and Dew Tour Breck last month.

Also not to be overlooked is Kelly Clark, 26, who is competing in her tenth Winter X Games. One of the most decorated women in competitive snowboarding; Kelly has collected 6 WX SuperPipe medals, Olympic gold from the ‘02 Games, an ESPY for 2002 Action Sport Athlete of the Year and has won the Grand Prix Halfpipe title each of the past three years.

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.

Get ready to be X-cited for X-cellent performances. Some of the weekend’s highlights include:

Sat. Jan. 30: 2:00 – 3:30 pm Snowboard Snowboarder X  Women’s Final
Sat. Jan. 30: 7:30 – 8:30 pm Snowboard SuperPipe Women’s Final
Sun. Jan. 31: 10:00 – 12:15 pm Skiier X Women’s Final
Sun. Jan. 31: 12:00 – 1:00 pm Snowboard Slopestyle Women’s Final

Winter X Games 14 is on in Aspen, Colo., from Thursday, Jan. 28 to Sunday, Jan. 31. Much of the event will air live on ESPN and ESPN2.

Pretty Tough Trivia: “Superman” is not the man of steel; it’s when a rider lays flat in the air, both hands reach under the board to grab the toe side and or the shin of each boot, both legs are bent and the board is pulled up behind the rider.

Tweens, teens, plastic and action sports

Looking for a way to keep track of your finances and connect to favorite artists and athletes?  MYplash (from Plastic Cash Int’l) is a teen branded prepaid caid that targets sports and music enthusiasts looking for something other than a Walmart-branded debit card in their wallet.

The reloadable Visa Prepaid Card program features celeb images along with links to deals on related merchandise. What’s even better is that they include some great female athletes including snowboarders Torah Bright and Ellery Hollingsworth, skier Sarah Burke as well as surfers Coco Ho and Kassia Meador.

On the music front – there’s not a lot of girl power but Danity Kane does grace one of the cards (trivia fact: the group takes its name from a female anime superhero conceived by one of its members). 

MYPLASH just announced a deal with EMI Music, one of the world’s largest music companies, so hopefully more of our fave female artists will show up on cards soon.

Oh, and if you need budgeting tips, you can find them on the MYplash website along with info on all their featured cards.

First wave of athletes announced for Winter X Games 13

December 11, 2008 – The 13th annual winter action sports competition will feature more than 160 men and women from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in the following sports: Skiing, Snowboard and Snowmobile.

For the complete, updated list of Winter X Games 13 athletes, log on to www.expn.com.

*NOTE: The invited athlete list is constantly being updated and is subject to change.

Among the first wave of invited athletes:

•       Gretchen Bleiler: Three-time Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe gold medalist and 2006 Winter Olympic silver medalist
•       Lindsey Jacobellis: Four-time Winter X Games Snowboarder X gold medalist and 2006 Winter Olympic silver medalist
•       Sarah Burke: Two-time Winter X Games and defending Skiing SuperPipe gold medalist

All athletes receiving invitations to compete at Winter X Games 13 are chosen by a sport-specific selection committee. Criteria and timing of invitations varies by sport and discipline as it is based on the state and event schedules of that particular sport. The only exception is each gold medalist from Winter X Games 12 (2008) receives an automatic invitation to compete.

ESPN’s Winter X Games 13 will be held for its eighth consecutive year at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., January 22-25, 2009.

WX12: Sarah Burke wins Ski SuperPipe

Jan. 25 – 2008 - No surprise that freeskier Sarah Burke is the first gal to win gold at this winter’s X Games. She landed on top of the podium for the Women’s Ski Superpipe after a 92.00 run.  Mirjam Jaeger and Jen Hudak joined her with silver and bronze medals respectively.  2006 medalist Grete Eliassen came in sixth.

Results

Winter X Games – Bring it on

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.

Roxy Labor of Love premieres at Boulder Theatre

Roxy rolls out the red carpet for the women’s snow team!
Roxy, the only brand with an all-women’s unified snow team of freeskiers and snowboarders, is pleased to announce the first-ever all-women’s ski and snowboard team film “Labor of Love.” Roxy will host a special premiere of the feature action sports film at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th Street, Boulder, Colorado next Thursday, November 29, 2007, at 8:00 p.m. Read more