Winter 2002 X-Games

SKIING

Skier X
Reggie Crist Follows Brother Zach to Skier X Gold and keeps it in the family

When all was said and done, none of the competitors in the Men’s Skier X competition at the ESPN Winter X Games could wrestle the gold medal from the hands Crist family. Reggie Crist won the gold medal after holding off Peter Lind in a tight race. Crist’s younger brother, Zach, won the gold in the same event at last year’s Winter X Games. Enak Gavaggio rounded out the top-three, taking home the bronze medal.

For Crist, who calls Sun Valley, Idaho, home, this year’s race represented an opportunity to erase the disappointing memories of last year’s finals. After winning his first two heats, Crist crashed in the finals of the 2001 Skier X event while trying to pass Gavaggio. Crist finished sixth in the competition, as his brother sped to the gold.

The gold was Reggie Crist’s first Winter X Games medal. His previous best finish came in 2001, when he finished fourth in the Ultracross event.

Peter Lind claimed his second Winter X Games medal with his silver medal-winning performance. The Stockholm, Sweden, resident won the gold medal in last year’s Ultracross.

Bronze-medallist Enak Gavaggio is one of the most accomplished Skiier X racers in the history of the Winter X Games. Gavaggio won the gold medal in Skier X in 1999, and won the bronze in the event in 2001. The Frenchman was excited to compete at Winter X this year, as he has battled injuries in the past. He competed at last yearÆs Winter X Games with a sore hip, and several months later he strained his knee and ankle during a competition. In returning to the medal podium Gavaggio proved, once again, that he can fight through injuries and still compete at the highest level.

Men’s Skier X Final Results

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – QUALIFYING TIME
1 – 408 – Reggie Crist – Sun Valley, Idaho – 59.090
2 – 412 – Peter Lind – Stockholm, Sweden – 59.082
3 – 411 – Enak Gavaggio – Bourg St. Maurice, Savoie, France – 1:02.290
4 – 410 – Xavier Kuhn – Colmar, Alsace, France – 59.941
5 – 413 – Isidor Gruener – Soelden, Austria – 1:02.678
6 – 415 – Corley Howard – South Lake Tahoe, California – 1:04.116
7 – 407 – Eric Archer – Vail, Colorado – 1:01.739
8 – 425 – Hiroomi Takizawa – Tokyo, Japan – 1:00.604
9 – 432 – Jon Orarback – Salen, Sweden – – 1:02.956
10 – 424 – Niklas Sundquist – Bjursas, Sweden – 1:04.010
11 – 419 – Calvin Mitchell – Juneau, Alaska – 1:03.782
12 – 431 – Randolph Flood – Sun Valley, Idaho – 1:01.536
13 – 426 – Roman Torn – Burnaby, B.C., Canada – 59.837
14 – 423 – Sean Clark – Jackson, Wyoming – 1:01.342
15 – 420 – Daniel Moore – Sydney, Australia – 1:01.577
16 – 409 – Zach Crist – Ketchum, Idaho – 1:01.704
17 – 428 – Tyler Williams – Aspen, Colorado – 1:02.976
18 – 416 – Kaj Zackrisson – Rattvik, Sweden – 1:03.319
19 – 418 – Ryan McCullough – Lakewood, Colorado – 1:03.357
20 – 429 – Markus Wittner – Soell, Tirol, Austria – 1:03.700
21 – 444 – Thomas Rinfret – Lac Beauport, Quebec, Canada – 1:03.933
22 – 427 – Stephan Verdier – Huntington Beach, California – 1:04.064
3 – 405 – Eric Andersson – Nora, Sweden – 1:04.721
24 – 434 – Sverre Liliequist – Saltsjobaden, Sweden – 1:05.078
25 – 406 – Tomas Andersson – Nora, Sweden – 1:05.580
26 – 430 – Rob Wright – Crested Butte, Colorado – 1:06.826

Women’s Skier X – Cline and Jonsson Finish First and Second for Second Year in a Row

The feeling of deja-vu was palpable after the finals of the Women’s Skier X competition at Buttermilk Mountain. Aleisha Cline and Magdalena Jonsson each repeated as gold and silver medallist, respectively, at the ESPN Winter X Games VI. Patti Sherman-Kauf was the only American to earn a medal. The Alta, Wyoming, resident was barely defeated by Jonsson and won the bronze medal.

Cline, of Sun Peaks, B.C., Canada, cemented her place atop the ranks of the Women’s Skier X competitors with her gold medal-winning performance. The gold was Cline’s third in the last four years. She won the gold in 1999, placed sixth in 2000, then bounced back to win the gold again in 2001. Cline is the only competitor to win multiple gold medals in any Winter X skiing discipline.

When Magdalena Jonsson is not speeding down the slopes, the 32-year-old spends her time as a school-teacher in her native Sweden. When she is on the slopes, however, medals usually come her way. Jonsson hasn’t placed lower than fifth in any major competition since 1999.

Patti Sherman-Kauf, 38, was once the most feared competitor on the pro mogul tour. While her focus has shifted in recent years from the slopes to her family, she has not stopped winning competitions. The bronze medal is Sherman-Kauf’s third Winter X Games medal. She also won the bronze in 1999 and 2000.

Women’s Skier X Final Results January 18, 2002 Aspen, Colorado

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – QUALIFYING TIME
1 – 392 – Aleisha Cline – Sun Peaks, B.C., Canada – 1:02.688
2 – 395 – Magdalena Jonsson – Nora, Sweden – 1:09.127
3 – 400 – Patti Sherman-Kauf – Alta, Wyoming – 1:09.451
4 – 438 – Valentine Scuotto – Megeve, France – 1:09.062
5 – 398 – Vickie Bates – Spokane, Washington – 1:07.573
6 – 397 – Jennie Bergstrom – Alvsjo, Sweden – 1:10.069
7 – 399 – Katie Shackleford – Park City, Utah – 1:07.626
8 – 394 – Kim McNight – Whistler, B.C., Canada – 1:07.254
9 – 387 – Gwen Abbott – Aspen, Colorado – 1:09.392
10 – 435 – Amelie Simond – Val Thorens, Savoie, France – 1:11.592
11 – 389 – Giovanna Bonazzi – Verona, Italy – 1:10.556
12 – 393 – Anik Demers – Lac Beauport, Quebec, Canada – 1:08.865
13 – 388 – Noel Lyons – Boulder, Colorado – 1:12.088
14 – 296 – Candice Drouin – Banff, Alberta, Canada – 1:12.888
15 – 439 – Wendy Lumby – Calgary, Alberta, Canada – 1:13.646

SKIING – Slopestyle Hall Wins Gold for Second Straight Year by narrow margin

It took a tie-breaker to determine the winner of the Skiing Slopestyle event at Buttermilk Mountain. Tanner Hall and C.R. Johnson each earned scores of 70.00 points during the final round, tying them for the lead. Hall was awarded the gold medal on the merit of his second-best score, a 69.33. Johnson settled for the silver with a second-best score of 59.67, and Jon Olsson took the bronze with a 69.67.

The 18-year-old Hall now has two ESPN Winter X Games gold medals under his belt. The Kalispell, Mont. native won the gold in the 2001 Big Air competition at Mount Snow, Vt. Hall will attempt to add to his collection of Winter X medals when he competes in the SuperPipe event on Friday.

Johnson earned his score of 70.00 in his final attempt of the day, securing the silver medal. He finished with the bronze medal in last year’s Big Air competition. Johnson geared up for his final run after disappointing runs earlier in the final round. “I was feeling really good in practice. My first two runs were a little sketchy, but then I pulled it all together in the end. I couldn’t be anymore excited,” Johnson said after the event. Johnson, also 18-years-old, is from Truckee, Calif.

 

Bronze-medallist Jon Olsson is the elder statesman of the three medal-winners, at 19 years of age. Olsson, from Are, Sweden, is also the only non-American to earn a medal. In response to lackluster performances in his first two runs of the finals, Olsson, like Johnson, decided to go for broke in his final run. “I just changed everything up,” Olsson said. “I didn’t do a switch-rodeo for two months, and then I tried it and it worked.” The bronze marked the first-ever ESPN Winter X Games medal for Olsson, whose previous-best finish was eighth. “I didn’t have it until now,” Olsson admitted. “Everything went really bad, and finally I’m super stoked.”

Steele Spence gave the home-crowd something to cheer for as he earned himself a seventh-place finish. Spence, who hails from Aspen, narrowly missed-out on finishing sixth, losing the spot in a tie-breaker to Iannick Brouillette. Each competitor’s best run received a score of 63.00 points, but Brouillette’s second-best score was higher than Spence’s.

Skiing – Slopestyle Final Results

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – SCORE
1 – 362 – Tanner Hall – Kalispell, Montana – 70.00
2 – 363 – C.R. Johnson – Truckee, California – 70.00
3 – 367 – Jon Olsson – Are, Sweden – 69.67
4 – 361 – Boyd Easley – Flint, Michigan – 64.33
5 – 360 – Vincent Dorion – St. Jerome, Quebec, Canada – 64.00
6 – 381 – Iannick Brouillette – St-Georges, Canada – 63.00
7 – 378 – Steele Spence – Aspen, Colorado – 63.00
8 – 371 – Matt Sterbenz – Lake Geneva, Wisconsin – 62.00
9 – 373 – Candide Thovex – La Clusaz, France – 58.67
10 – 357 – Dave Crichton – Manotick, Ontario, Canada – 57.33
11 – 379 – Mike Schimke – Hathaway Pines, California – 57.00
12 – 377 – Eric Pollard – Welches, Oregon – 56.33
13 – 355 – Philippe Belanger – Lac Beauport, Quebec, Canada – 55.33
14 – 366 – Mike Nick – Guilderland, New York – 52.33
15 – 369 – Evan Raps – Northport, New York – 52.00
16 – 383 – Simon Dumont – Bethel, Maine – 46.67
17 – 356 – Marc-Andre Belliveau – Quebec, Canada – 46.00
18 – 365 – Nick Mercon – Copper Mountain, Colorado – 43.00
19 – 370 – Skogen Sprang – North Lake Tahoe, California – 42.00

Olsson Wins Inaugural Skiing SuperPipe Contest

Jon Olsson not only won his second medal of ESPN Winter X Games VI when he won the Skiing SuperPipe competition at Buttermilk Mountain, he also skied to victory in the first Skiing SuperPipe event in the history of the Winter X Games. Olsson won the gold medal with a final score of 86.00, narrowly defeating silver-medallist Philippe Larose. Larose scored 85.33, and Philippe Poirier score 78.33 in winning the bronze medal.

Olsson, who participated in the ESPN Winter X Games V but did not win a medal, also won the bronze medal in the Skiing Slopestyle competition. The 19-year-old from Are, Sweden, felt better with his runs the more he was able to hit the pipe. “At first I thought the pipe was really hard to ride, but then once I got used to it it felt really good,” said Olsson.

Olsson is one of the most respected young skiers in the world, and his performance at the Winter X Games only bolsters his burgeoning reputation.

Philippe Larose, the 21-year-old Canadian, was excited just to compete in the inaugural Skiier SuperPipe event. “I’m back at the X Games and I’m proud of it,” said Larose. “It’s a big contest for me, and the halfpipe is my favorite aspect of the sport.”

Larose was also happy with the huge pipe that was built for the event. “The pipe was really good,” said Larose. “It was really firm, so you really got to land on the top and keep your speed.”

Poirier, also a Quebec-native, won his first ESPN Winter X Games medal in winning the bronze. An avid skateboarder during the warmer months, Poirier gives some credit for his prowess in Skiing SuperPipe to his skateboarding experience. “The motion is pretty much the same (between skateboarding and skiing a halfpipe),” Poirier said. Poirier notes that the stance and tricks are different, making the discipline unique.

Skiing – Superpipe Final Results

January 20, 2002 – Aspen, Colorado

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – SCORE
1 – 349 – Jon Olsson – Are, Sweden – 86.00
2 – 364 – Philippe Larose – Lac-Beauport, Quebec, Canada – 85.33
3 – 368 – Philippe Poirier – Mt. Tremblant, Quebec, Canada – 78.33
4 – 350 – Candide Thovex – La Clusaz, France – 77.33
5 – 374 – Andrew Woods – Georgia, Vermont – 76.00
6 – 355 – Philippe Belanger – Lac Beauport, Quebec, Canada – 73.00
7 – 369 – Evan Raps – Northport, New York – 68.00
8 – 359 – Mickael Deschenaux – Morgins, Switzerland – 58.33
9 – 372 – Greg Tuffelmire – Allegan, Michigan – 50.00
10 – 362 – Tanner Hall – Kalispell, Montana – 48.00
11 – 348 – Boyd Easley – Flint, Michigan – 46.00 –
12 – 376 – Woodie Bouma – Austinmer Beach, Australia – 40.67

SNOWBOARDING

Rice Wins Slopestyle Gold

Shaun White Takes Second Silver Medal of ESPN Winter X Games VI

Travis Rice, who exploded onto the snowboarding scene in 2001, won the gold medal in the Men’s Snowboarding Slopestyle event at Buttermilk Mountain. Rice held off Shaun White in a tight competition for the gold. Todd Richards finished just behind White to earn the bronze medal. The event played out in front of a huge crowd and closed out ESPN’s Winter X Games VI.

Rice, a 19-year-old from Jackson Hole, Wyo., was competing in his first Winter X Games. Rice locked up the top spot with his first run of the final round, which garnered a score of 90.67. The gold medal-winning run featured a switch backside rodeo. “I tried to turn it up at the bottom of the course and do something burly for the judges,” said Rice. The judges certainly took notice of Rice’s acrobatics. “The judges just gave me a lot of love,” said Rice.

White waited until his last run of the finals to earn his highest score and secure the silver medal. He fluctuated through the first two runs between second and fifth places, but rode a nearly flawless final run. During his last run, White nailed a cab 900 as well as both a frontside and a backside 720. The backside 720 was important to the 15-year-old resident of Carlsbad, Calif. “I am so stoked about the backside 720,” said White. “I just kept looking at it and I just thought, whatever, I have to go for it. I’d always been scared to do it. I tried it when I was younger and hurt myself.”

White won two medals at ESPN Winter X Games VI. He also won the silver medal in the Snowboarding SuperPipe contest.

Bronze-medallist Richards, of Encinitas, Calif., is more than twice White’s age. At 32, Richards has now won seven ESPN Winter X Games medals. He has competed in the Winter X Games every year since their inception in 1997.
RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – SCORE
1 – 257 – Travis Rice – Jackson Hole, Wyoming – 90.67
2 – 269 – Shaun White – Carlsbad, California – 89.67
3 – 254 – Todd Richards – Encinitas, California – 89.00
4 – 233 – Kevin Jones – Truckee, California – 85.33
5 – 218 – Chris Engelsman – Sandy, Utah – 82.67
6 – 271 – Travis Williams – Whistler, B.C., Canada – 80.67
7 – 347 – Jussi Oksanen – Kirkkonummi, Finland – 79.67
8 – 216 – Nico Droz – Avoriaz, France – 75.67
9 – 200 – Jeff Anderson – Mammoth Lakes, California – 71.67
10 – 202 – Aaron Bishop – Mammoth Lakes, California – 71.33
11 – 260 – Dave Downing – Encinitas, California – 62.33
12 – 386 – Travis Parker – Jonestown, Texas – 60.00
13 – 238 – Rahm Klampert – Mammoth Lakes, California – 58.00
14 – 272 – Ryan Lougee – Aspen, Colorado – – 58.00
15 – 270 – Tom Gilles – North Lake Tahoe, California – 56.33
16 – 224 – Marc Frank Montoya Denver, Colorado – 55.33
17 – 267 – Kurt Wastell – Salt Lake City, Utah – 50.00
18 – 232 – Jeremy Jones – Salt Lake City, Utah – 48.33
19 – 204 – Jason Borgstede – Eagle River, Alaska – 47.67
20 – 240 – Bjorn Leines – Salt Lake City, Utah – 45.33
21 – 266 – J.P. Walker – Salt Lake City, Utah – 40.33
22 – 241 – Peter Line – Seattle, Washington – 34.67
23 – 214 – Josh Dirksen – Bend, Oregon – – 33.67

 

Dakides Claims Fifth Winter X Gold

Tara Dakides, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., added another medal to her collection by winning the Women’s Snowboarding Slopestyle event at ESPN Winter X Games VI. Janna Meyen and Barrett Christy took home the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in front of a packed crowd at Buttermilk Mountain.

The gold medal is Dakides’s fifth Winter X gold, and her sixth overall Winter X medal. Dakides has been competing in the Winter X Games since 1998. With the win, Dakides successfully regained the Slopestyle title she lost last year. Dakides also won the Slopestyle gold in 1999 and 2000.

Dakides expressed relief the event was over due to the strain it puts on the athletes’ bodies. “You go out every day and break yourself for this sport,” said Dakides. “I was pretty burned out at the end of the year, but I wanted to come out and start out the season strong.”

The course gave some of the riders problems during the competition, but Dakides enjoyed riding it. “I was really happy that I got a really good run in,” she said. “The course was really fun. There was some trouble with some flat sports, but the jumps and rails were fun.”

Janna Meyen had a strong final run, but fell just short of Dakides’s score. Dakides finished with a score of 90.00, just better than Meyen’s 84.67.

Meyen, of Big Bear Lake, Calif., was happy with her runs. “I usually hate contests and never go, but this one was fun,” said Meyen. “I’m stoked to be here. I’m just trying to have fun here and doing my thing.”

Barrett Christy gained her first medal of ESPN Winter X Games VI by winning the bronze. She placed fourth earlier in the Women’s SuperPipe event. Christy now has 10 Winter X medals, and one X Games medal, to her name.

Christy, the 30-year-old from Vail, Colo., landed her signature move, the “Barrett Roll,” on her second run. She was happy to land the maneuver, since she hadn’t done it in competition in a while. Christy crashed on the landing of her signature move during her third run, but had already wrapped up the bronze medal with her first run score of 75.67.

 

Snowboarding Slopestyle – Women’s Final Results

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – SCORE
1 – 294 – Tara Dakides – Mammoth Lakes, California – 90.00
2 – 345 – Janna Meyen – Big Bear Lake, California – 84.67
3 – 290 – Barrett Christy – Vail, Colorado – 75.67
4 – 318 – Line Oestvold – Oslo, Norway – 75.00
5 – 288 – Hana Beaman – Big Bear, California – 68.67
6 – 337 – Marni Yamada – Seattle, Washington – 66.67
7 – 333 – Emily Thomas – Cremorne, Australia – 65.00
8 – 303 – Dresden Howell – Salt Lake City, Utah – 54.67
9 – 346 – Megan Pischke – Vail, Colorado – 53.00
10 – 286 – Ming Kao – Vancouver, B.C., Canada – 49.33
11 – 342 – Juanita Platz – Portland, Oregon – 48.33
12 – 310 – Jaime MacLeod – Stowe, Vermont – 47.67
13 – 285 – Annie Boulanger – Whitler, B.C., Canada – 40.33
14 – 315 – Sara Osterberg – Littleton, Colorado – 39.00
15 – 336 – Katrina Voutilainen Portland, Oregon – 38.67

Twin-Attack in Men’s Snowboarder X Finals

Phillipe Conte wins gold, Nicolas Conte places fifth

Men’s Snowboarder X finals was a heated race until the end when Philippe Conte pulled in front to take home the gold medal. Seth Westcott placed second after keeping a tight space between he and Conte, while Berti Denervaud finished third for the bronze medal.

Conte, a native of Annecy, France, now calls La Rippe, Switzerland home. His identical twin brother, Nicolas, placed fifth in the event. ESPN Winter X Games VI marks the first appearance by the Conte brothers at an X Games event.

Wescott, the lone American to earn a medal in the event, resides in Kingfield, Maine. The 25-year-old, unlike the Conte brothers, has been competing in the ESPN Winter X Games since 1998, when he won the bronze medal in the Snowboarder X competition. Wescott also earned the bronze medal in Snowboarder X last year in Mount Snow, Vt.

After the race Wescott was enthusiastic about his performance. “The course was a lot of fun and better than most we get to race on,” said Wescott. “I had no idea what was going on with the rest of the group, but then I looked back and didn’t see anyone there. All I can say is that Aspen has been great so far.”

Finishing behind Wescott was Bertrand “Berti” Denervaud, of Fribourg, Switzerland. Denervaud, at 31 years of age, is one of the elder statesmen of the X Games.

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – TIME
1 – 219 – Phillippe Conte – La Rippe, France – 58.649
2 – 268 – Seth Wescott – Kingfield, Maine – 58.445
3 – 212 – Bertrand Denervaud – Fribourg, Switzerland – 59.249
4 – 242 – Cristoph Maierhofer – Graz, Styria, Austria – 59.561
5 – 208 – Nicolas Conte – Annecy, France – 59.255
6 – 249 – Shaun Palmer – South Lake Tahoe, California – 57.458
7 – 211 – Xavier Delerue – Saint Lary, France – 57.652
8 – 246 – Drew Neilson – North Vancouver, B.C., Canada – 58.710
9 – 225 – Scott Gaffney – Calgary, Alberta, Canada – 57.193
10 – 256 – Mark Schulz – Portland, Oregon – 59.641
11 – 244 – Mathieu Morency – Charlesbourg, Canada – 59.747
12 – 221 – Rob Fagan – Cranbrook, B.C., Canada – 58.668
13 – 252 – Harald Putz – Innsbrouck, Tirol, Austria – 58.683
14 – 231 – Marco Huser – Glarus, Switzerland – 58.978
15 – 275 – Terje Haakonsen – Oslo, Norway – 59.118
16 – 234 – Xavier Jordan – Martingy, Switzerland – 59.707
17 – 230 – Nate Holland – Sandpoint, Idaho – 59.897
18 – 253 – Gernot Raitmar – Braz, Vlbg., Austria – 1:00.015
19 – 236 – Lucas Dehmlow – Chicago, Illinois – 1:00.032
20 – 222 – Jason Smith – Basalt, Colorado – 1:00.040
21 – 261 – Brandon Steig – Marin County, California – 59.921
22 – 258 – Matt Shrive – Tahoe City, California 1:00.170
23 – 206 – Tor Bruserud – Jessheim, Norway – 1:00.736
24 – 203 – Fabrizio Bonacina – Milano, Italy – 1:01.093
25 – 228 – David Henzen – Wiler, Wallis, Switzerland – 1:03.082
26 – 276 – Terry Plum – Rangeley, Maine – 1:03.647
27 – 265 – Craig Tucker – Rossland, B.C., Canada – 1:09.875
28 – 215 – Dave Dowd – Boulder, Colorado – 1:13.149
29 – 227 – Cooper Hall – Aspen, Colorado – 1:15.775

Women’s Snowboarder X — Poetzl goes home with gold

The Women’s Snowboarder X Finals were a tight race, but Ine Poetzl was able to hold on to the edge and capture the gold medal. Aspen native Erin Simmons finished with silver and Tanja Frieden rounded out the top three by winning bronze.

Poetzl took home the gold medal in her first ever ESPN Winter X Games appearance. The 25-year-old Austrian has consistently placed in the top-ten and won numerous medals over the past few years. Her fiancé, Christoph Maierhofer, finished fourth in the Men’s Snowboarder X event. Poetzl sped out to the lead in her final race, but soon heard the proverbial footsteps of her competitors right behind her.

“The race was so crazy but very fun,” said Poetzl. “I didn’t realize anyone was that close, but on the last jump, I saw the shadows of them coming up behind me.”

Erin Simmons, 25, also won the silver medal at last year’s installment of the ESPN Winter X Games. The local-girl earned raucous cheers from the partisan crowd. The second-place finish this time around was satisfying yet bittersweet.

“I really wanted to win gold, because I am in front of my home crowd,” said Simmons. “I was pretty happy though, Ine has always been an idol of mine and being able to place with her was great.”

Switzerland’s Tanja Frieden, also 25 years of age, demonstrated her toughness in winning the bronze medal. “I had been battling with illness all week,” said Frieden. “My legs were trembling during the run and while I would have liked the gold, the bronze is not bad considering.”

Women’s Snowboarder X Final Results

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – QUALIFYING TIME –
1 – 324 – Ine Poetzl – Graz, Styria, Austria – 1:03.155
2 – 331 – Erin Simmons – Aspen, Colorado – 1:06.459
3 – 298 – Tanja Frieden – Thun, Switzerland – 1:07.657
4 – 306 – Kathrin Kellenberger – Scuol, Germany – 1:07.936
5 – 302 – Rene Hollis – Mount Maunganui, New Zealand – 1:11.960
6 – 291 – Alison Clark – Whistler, B.C., Canada – 1:06.163
7 – 318 – Line Oestvold – Oslo, Norway – 1:05.299
8 – 322 – Marguerite Cossettini – Khancoban, Australia – 1:10.359
9 – 319 – Leslee Olson – Bend, Oregon – 1:11.857
10 – 296 – Candice Drouin – Banff, Alberta, Canada – 1:10.489
11 – 312 – Dena Melinn – Copper Mountain, Colorado – 1:11.102
12 – 337 – Marni Yamada – Seattle, Washington – 1:06.761
13 – 293 – Karleen Jeffery – Mammoth Lakes, California – 1:06.534
14 – 300 – Claudia Haeusermann – Zurich, Switzerland – 1:08.949
15 – 333 – Emily Thomas – Chermorne, Australia – 1:09.317
16 – 316 – Yvonne Mueller – Zurich, Switzerland – 1:09.800
17 – 320 – Snow Peterson – Plymouth, Minnesota – 1:10.881
18 – 299 – Mayumi Fukuda – Vancouver, B.C., Canada – 1:11.703
19 – 327 – Gwen Foster – Wayzata, Minnesota – 1:12.453
20 – 309 – Julie Lhuissier – Morgins, Valais, Switzerland – 1:11.168
21 – 304 – Lindsey Jacobellis – Stratton, Vermont – 1:11.184
22 – 307 – Rosemarie Dittfach – South Lake Tahoe, California – 1:11.350
23 – 315 – Sara Osterberg – Littleton, Colorado – 1:12.320
24 – 305 – Amy Johnson – Rochester, New York – 1:14.825
25 – 321 – Wendy Chan – Calgary, Alberta, Canada – 1:15.518
26 – 301 – Kate Moriarty – Vail, Colorado – 1:18.094
27 – 339 – Nathalie Zenklusen – Bex, Vaud, Switzerland – 1:18.271

Americans Sweep

Medals in Men’s SuperPipe

Colorado’s J.J. Thomas Wins Gold

J.J. Thomas, of Golden, Colo., won the gold medal in the Men’s SuperPipe in front of a huge home crowd at ESPN Winter X Games VI. Fellow Americans Shaun White and Keir Dillon took home the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Thomas’s victory represented a breakthrough for the 20-year-old snowboarder. His previous-best finish was tenth place in last year’s Slopestyle event. His best finish in the SuperPipe, before this year, was eleventh place.

Thomas won on the merits of his first run of the finals. During his first run he pulled off impressive inverted spins, a couple of backside 540s, and a McTwist 540. Thomas seemed to relax a little on his second run, but had to turn it on again for his third run after silver medallist Shaun White earned a score of 93.00 on his
second run. Thomas won with his first round score of 93.33.

Thomas was excited to win the event in his home-state. “It feels good to be here in Aspen,” said Thomas. “I did my best for the crowd. I’ve had nothing but fun here.”

White locked himself into second place with his second run, as he nailed a backside rodeo 900. White got so high off his first jump of his final run that he had to slow down a little the rest of the way down the pipe. White is a resident of Carlsbad, Calif.

Keir Dillon, of Penn., won the bronze medal with a score of 86.33 on his first run. Dillon actually did not realize that he had won the bronze until he was notified in the aftermath of the competition. Norwegian Daniel Franck landed a succession of nice tricks on his final run, and Dillon thought he had taken over third place.

Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Final Results

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – – SCORE
1 – 263 – J.J. Thomas – Golden, Colorado – 93.33
2 – 269 – Shaun White – Carlsbad, California – 93.00
3 – 213 – Keir Dillon – Shawnee on the Delaware, Pennsylvania – 86.33
4 – 223 – Daniel Franck – Oslo, Norway – 84.67
5 – 235 – Dan Kass – Mammoth Lakes, California – 84.33
6 – 210 – Tommy Czeschin – Mammoth Lakes, California – 82.33
7 – 274 – Andy Finch – Fresno, California – 81.67
8 – 251 – Ross Powers – S. Londonderry, Vermont – 81.67
9 – 201 – Luke Wynen – Reading, Pennsylvania – 81.00
10 – 209 – Dani Costandache Klosters, Switzerland – 79.67
11 – 237 – Rob Kingwill – Jackson, Wyoming – 79.00
12 – 207 – Kim Christiansen – Drammen, Norway – 78.33
13 – 243 – Mike Michalchuk – Pemberton, B.C., Canada – 76.33
14 – 239 – Giacomo Kratter – Sappada, Italy – 76.00
15 – 229 – Xaver Hoffman – Murnau, Bavaria, Germany – 75.67
16 – 245 – Guillaume Morisset Stoneham, Quebec, Canada – 75.33
17 – 275 – Terje Haakonsen – Oslo, Norway – 74.67
18 – 273 – Christopher Nelson Mammoth Lakes, California – 72.33
19 – 259 – Gian Simmen – Arosa, Switzerland – 67.67
20 – 217 – Erik Leines – Sandy, Utah – 64.33
21 – 262 – Abe Teter – South Lake Tahoe, California – 55.67
22 – 226 – Marko Grilc – Ljubljana, Slovenia – 52.00
23 – 205 – Therry Brunner – Davos, Graubunden, Switzerland – 51.00

Clark Dominates in Women’s SuperPipe

Youth prevailed at Buttermilk Mountain in the Women’s Snowboarding SuperPipe competition. Kelly Clark, the 18-year-old of Mount Snow, Vermont, won the competition in convincing fashion. She turned in three runs in the final round, each of which would have earned her the gold medal. Stine Brun Kjeldaas broke a tie with her final run of the event, earning her the silver medal and Natasza Zurek the bronze.

Clark, a member of the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Snowboard Team, had never finished higher than fifth place in previous ESPN Winter X Games. Her final run, which received a score of 94.00, secured her a twelve point victory over her closest competitor. Clark’s first two runs of the finals received scores of 84.33 and 88.33, respectively, each better than Brun Kjeldaas’s 82.00 points.

Clark wowed the crowd by pulling off multiple 540s and a McTwist in her final run. She felt that her strong performances in her first two runs gave her an opportunity to go for broke in her last run. “In the final I just wanted to step it up a little bit and maybe pull out a few new tricks,” said Clark. “Being locked in for the final gave me the freedom to try new stuff.”

Natasza Zurek’s second run of the finals placed her in a tie with Stine Brun Kjeldaas for second place. Brun Kjeldaas saved her best for last, and earned the silver medal on the merits of her final run. Brun Kjeldaas was happy to take home the silver. “I was really happy with my runs,” she said. “I didn’t make mistakes, and I had smooth rides.”

Brun Kjeldaas, of Kongsberg, Norway, earned her second Winter X Games medal after taking the gold in the SuperPipe in 2000. Zurek’s bronze Winter X Games VI medal was her third. Zurek won the bronze in 2000 and the silver in the 2001 in the SuperPipe competition.

Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Final Results

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – SCORE

1 – 292 – Kelly Clark – Mount Snow, Vermont – 94.00
2 – 287 – Stine Brun KjeldaasKongsberg, Norway – 82.00
3 – 340 – Natasza Zurek – Vancouver, B.C., Canada – 77.33
4 – 290 – Barrett Christy – Vail, Colorado – – 77.00
5 – 297 – Shannon Dunn – Tahoe Vista, California – 76.33
6 – 325 – Fabienne Reuteler – Zurich, Switzerland – 74.33
7 – 326 – Pauline Richon – Verbier, Switzerland – 74.00
8 – 283 – Gretchen Bleiler – Snowmass Village, Colorado – 73.67
9 – 289 – Tricia Byrnes – New Canaan, Connecticut – 73.00
10 – 313 – Tara Zwink – Government Camp, Oregon – 69.67
11 – 314 – Anne Molin Kongsgaard – Kongsberg, Norway – 67.67
12 – 343 – Autumn Rose – North Lake Tahoe, California – 65.33
13 – 317 – Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas – Trondheim, Norway – 63.67
14 – 329 – Daniela Roth – Winterthur, Switzerland – 63.67
15 – 341 – Manuela Pesko – Lenzerheide, Switzerland – 63.33
16 – 330 – Michele Taggart – Truckee, California – 59.33
17 – 335 – Jana Manfredi – Santa Fe, New Mexico – 56.67
18 – 344 – Alisa Mokler – Mammoth Lakes, California – 55.00
19 – 334 – Christel Thoresen – Oslo, Norway – 53.33
20 – 319 – Leslee Olson – Bend, Oregon – 36.33

Lind, Wescott Team-Up for UltraCross Victory

Peter Lind and Seth Wescott were each able to avenge earlier second-place finishes by winning gold medals in the ESPN Winter X Games VI UltraCross competition. Lind won the silver medal in the Skier X event, while Wescott placed second in the Snowboarder X event. The team of Scott Gaffney and Eric Archer won the silver medal, and Rob Fagan and Enak Gavaggio took the bronze.

The UltraCross event includes the top 16 skiers and the top 16 snowboarders, as determined by the final results of the Skier X and Snowboarder X competitions. The athletes are paired, by random draw, into 16 two-person teams. The competition is run in bracket-format, with teams assigned to a four-team bracket. Each bracket is
essentially a relay race, with each team comprised of a snowboarder and a skier.

Enak Gavaggio also became a multiple medal-winner in taking the UltraCross bronze. Gavaggio once again proved that the injuries that have marred his career in recent years are behind him. He now has four Winter X medals in his collection, including the bronze in this year’s Skier X event.

Silver medallist Gaffney and bronze medallist Gavaggio teamed-up to place fifth in last year’s event. The fourth team in the championship bracket consisted of snowboarder Mathieu Morency and skier Roman Torn, both of Canada.

UltraCross Final Results

January 19, 2002 – Aspen, Colorado

RANK – DISCIPLINE – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN
1. Snowboarder – 268 Seth Wescott – Kingfield, Maine
Skier – 412 – Peter Lind – Stockholm, Sweden
–
2. Snowboarder – 279 – Scott Gaffney – Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Skier – 407 Eric Archer – Vail, Colorado

3. Snowboarder – 221 – Rob Fagan – Cranbrook, B.C., Canada
Skier – 281 – Enak Gavaggio – Bourg St. Maurice, Savoie, France

4. Snowboarder – 244 – Mathieu Morency – Charlesbourg, Canada
Skier – 426 – Roman Torn – Burnaby, B.C., Canada

5. Snowboarder – 256 – Mark Schulz – Portland, Oregon
Skier – 423 Sean Clark – Jackson, Wyoming

6. Snowboarder – 258 – Matt Shrive – Tahoe City, California
Skier – 436 Xavier Kuhn – Colmar, Alsace, France

7. Snowboarder – 230 – Nate Holland – Sandpoint, Idaho
Skier – 424 Niklas Sundquist – Bjursas, Sweden

8. Snowboarder – 282 – Dave Dowd – Boulder, Colorado
Skier – 425 – Hiroomi Takizawa – Tokyo, Japan

9. Snowboarder – 246 – Drew Neilson – North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Skier – 408 – Reggie Crist – Sun Valley, Idaho

10. Snowboarder – 261 – Brandon Steig – Marin County, California
Skier – 420 – Daniel Moore – Sydney, Australia

11. Snowboarder – 278 – Harald Putz – Innsbrouck, Tirol, Austria
Skier – 428 Tyler Williams – Aspen, Colorado

12. Snowboarder – 222 – Jason Smith – Basalt, Colorado
Skier – 432 Jon Orarback – Salen, Sweden

13. Snowboarder – 277 – Gernot Raitmar – Braz, Vlbg., Austria
Skier – 419 – Calvin Mitchell – Juneau, Alaska

14. Snowboarder – 236 – Lucas Dehmlow – Chicago, Illinois
Skier – 415 – Corley Howard – South Lake Tahoe, California

15. Snowboarder – 276 – Terry Plum – Rangeley, Maine
Skier – 409 – Zach Crist – Ketchum, Idaho

16. Snowboarder – 280 – Cooper Hall – Aspen, Colorado
Skier – 413 – Isidor Gruener – Soelden, Austria

Carl Kuster Repeats In HillCross

Carl Kuster successfully defended his HillCross crown at ESPN Winter X Games VI. Kuster led for much of the race, followed closely by a pack of competitors. Steve Martin, who was in sixth place as late as halfway through the final race, sped to the top of the hill to win the silver medal and Rick Ward held off the rest of the pack to take the bronze medal.

Kuster, of Westlock, Alberta, Canada, is the only racer to ever claim Winter X gold in the HillCross event. He won the inaugural race last year at Mount Snow, Vt. Kuster’s previous-best finish at the Winter X games came when he placed 25th in the SnoCross in 1999.

Kuster was happy with his progression through the day, and especially with his performance in the final race. “I was able to visualize the lines very well, and I had a good start position,” said Kuster. “I was really able to get out fast.”

Kuster’s victory made it a clean-sweep of the snowmobiling events for the fledgling Blair Morgan Racing Ski-Doo Team. Kuster’s teammate, Blair Morgan, won the SnoCross event. Vinny Clark, another member of the Morgan Team, raced in the HillCross final but failed to place in the top three.

Steve Martin, of Evanston, Wyo., is nine years Kuster’s junior. The seventeen-year-old is a high school junior when he is not competing in snowmobile competitions.

Martin’s father is his mechanic, and Martin was quick to give his father some of the credit after his silver medal-winning performance. “I was very happy with how my sled performed,” said Martin. “My father did a some great work on it.”

Martin was also enthusiastic about the course and the Winter X Games in general. “The course was awesome,” said Martin. “The Winter X Games are definitely bringing in more fans and exposure to the sport.”

Joining Kuster and Martin on the medal podium was Rick Ward, 39, of Sugar City, Id. Ward earned the bronze medal in his first HillCross event. While he is a newcomer to HillCross, Ward has been competing in snowmobe races for years. “I grew more comfortable with every round,” said Ward.

Hillcross Final Results

January 20, 2002 – Aspen, Colorado

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – QUALIFYING POINTS
1 – 47C – Carl Kuster – Westlock, Alberta, Canada – 5
2 – 112 – Steve Martin – Evanston, Wyoming – 5
3 – 7X – Rick Ward – Sugar City, Idaho – 6
4 – 5 – David Brown – Pocatello, Idaho – 4
5 – 25 – D.J. Eckstrom – Duluth, Minnesota – 5
6 – 156 – Vinny Clark – Valemount, B.C., Canada – 8
7 – 19 – Matt Boron – Leverett, Massachusetts – 9
8 – 35 – Keith Dierkes – Rice, Minnesota – – 10
9 – 28 – Justin Tate – Forest Lake, Minnesota – 5
10 – 166 – Matt Luczynski – Buckland, Massachusetts – 9
11 – 211 – Chris Burandt – Thonrton, Colorado – 9
12 – 288 – Ty Carson – Elko, Nevada – 7
13 – 3R – Rich Sawyer – Adams, Massachusetts – 10
14 – 47X – Garth Kaufman – Driggs, Idaho – 11
15 – 163 – Kevin Mintz – Kamloops, B.C., Canada – 12
16 – 61 – Brent Herrmann – Manchester, Vermont – 14
17 – 31 – Nick Hutchinson – Duluth, Minnesota – 14
18 – 39 – Justin Moeller – Swan Valley, Idaho -15
19 – 15 – Dan Illies – Aurora, Minnesota – 15
20 – 24 – Jason Glace – Central Square, New York – 16
21 – 454 – Kris Dubiel – Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin – 17
22 – 52 – Nathan Zollinger – Logan, Utah – 24
23 – 327 – Ryan Duncan – Milaca, Minnesota – 25
24 – 161 – Mike Wickles – Hatfield, Massachusetts – 25

Morgan Continues SnoCross Dominance

 

Tucker Hibbert Lone American Medallist

Blair Morgan, of Prince Albert, Canada, improved upon his ESPN Winter X Games finishes in the SnoCross event every year that he competed until he finally won the gold in 2001 at Mount Snow, Vt. This year Morgan successfully defended his
gold medal, coming from behind to defeat silver medallist Tucker Hibbert. Tomi Ahmasalo joined Morgan and Hibbert on the winner’s podium, garnering the bronze medal.

Morgan’s Winter X odyssey began in 1998, when finished eighth in the SnoCross. He came back the next year to win the silver medal, and repeated this feat in 2000. The 2001 Winter X Games saw Morgan break through and win the gold. Morgan is one of the most decorated SnoCross competitor in the history of the sport. He has won more
Winter X medals than any other rider, and has placed either first or second in every major competition he has entered since the 2000 season.

It took a rally for Morgan to overtake Tucker Hibbert. Morgan earned his nickname of “Superman,” using his huge jumps to gain ground on the competition and hold of his rivals.

Hibbert, of Goodridge, Minn., was the only American rider to place in the top three this year, but he is no stranger to the medallists’ podium. Hibbert won the gold medal in the Winter X SnoCross in 2000, then placed a disappointing tenth in last year’s event. He found it difficult to ride the course this year, as snow showered
down on the competitors all day in Aspen. “It was a rough course with bad vision, which made it harder to see the lines,” Hibbert said.

Bronze medallist Tomi Ahmasalo hails from Rovaniemi, Finland. Ahmasalo agreed with Hibbert’s assessment of the course’s conditions, and said he had prepared for the weather. “I tuned my sled in altitude two weeks ago,” Ahmasalo said. “I was very
happy with its performance.” He echoed the excitement all the riders displayed for the course, even though the weather made things more difficult. “Vision was hurting overall, but I liked all the big jumps on the course.”

Snocross – Final Results

RANK – BIB # – NAME – HOMETOWN – QUALIFYING POINTS
1 – 7C – Blair Morgan – Prince Albert, Canada – 6
2 – 68 – Tucker Hibbert – Goodridge, Minnesota – 7
3 – 37 – Tomi Ahmasalo – Rovaniemi, Finland – 6
4 – 999 – Shaun Crapo – St. Anthony, Idaho – 13
5 – 96 – Carl Schubitzke – Saginaw, Minnesota – 6
6 – 85 – Trevor John – Crosslake, Minnesota – 7
7 – 17 – Todd Wolff – Annandale, Minnesota – 8
8 – 180 – Curt Peterson – Chisago City, Minnesota – 10
9 – 25 – D.J. Eckstrom – Duluth, Minnesota – 6
10 – 44 – T.J. Gulla – South Hero, Vermont – 4
11 – 47C – Carl Kuster – Westlock, Alberta, Canada – 6
12 – 28 – Justin Tate – Forest Lake, Minnesota – 10
13 – 100 – Earl Reimer – Vermillion Bay, Ontario, Canada – 10
14 – 22 – Dennis Durmas – Whitewater, Colorado – 12
15 – 31 – Nick Hutchinson – Duluth, Minnesota – 14
16 – 2 – Nathan Titus – Meridian, Indiana – 14
17 – 37 – Noel Kohanski – Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada – 14
18 – 36 – Yuji Nakazawa – Nagano, Japan – 15
19 – 06 – Toni Haikonen – Wausau, Wisconsin – 15
20 – 98 – Michael Island – Barrie, Ontario, Canada – 16
21 – 9 – Kurtis Crapo – St. Anthony, Idaho – 17
22 – 90 – Brad Pitlik – Eagle River, Wisconsin – 17
23 – 58 – Matt Judnick – Duluth, Minnesota – 18
24 – 280 – Johnny Mold – Pine City, Minnesota – 18
25 – 144 – Aaron Scheele – North Branch, Minnesota – 18
26 – 99 – Jesse Strege – Lancaster, Minnesota – 19
27 – 46 – Chris Vincent – Colchester, Vermont – 19
28 – 55 – Lexi Karason – Akureyri, Iceland – 20
29 – 11 – Jim Beck Jr. – Elk River, Minnesota – 20
30 – 465 – Mike Schultz – Fort Ripley, Minnesota – 21
31 – 321 – Jayme Cheney – West Fargo, North Dakota – 22

MOTO X

Jones Takes Silver, Clowers Gets Bronze in Close Competition

Although he had been competing in ESPN’s X Games and Winter X Games since 1999, X Games gold proved to be an elusive prize for Moto X rider Brian Deegan. Deegan claimed a gold medal in the Moto X Big Air event at the ESPN Winter X Games VI at Buttermilk Mountain.

Deegan’s previous best X Games finish was third, as he won the bronze medal in numerous events over his X Games career. He took home the bronze medal in the Big Air competition at the ESPN X Games in Philadelphia last August. “I’m stoked, it’s been a lot of years for me,” the Temecula, Calif., resident said after the event.

Deegan is the mastermind of the Metal Mulisha, a band of Moto X riders whose mantra is “death, destruction, and world domination.” He spends most of his time working on sales, marketing, design and managing about ten Mulisha riders, including Jeremy Stenberg and Colin Morrison.

Deegan completed a new trick to cement his gold medal-winning performance. He credits his ability to pull out the Big Air victory to his old-school ways. “That’s what separates us old-school guys from the new kids,” said Deegan. “Us old-school guys have it in us to pull it out when it gets gnarly. It’s inside us.”

The Metal Mulisha leader’s victory was threatened during the final round of the event, when “Mad” Mike Jones scored 94.00 points with his final jump. This left Deegan with a slim, 0.33 point margin of victory.

“Mad” Mike, of Export, Penn., earned his second career X Games medal with his silver medal-winning performance. Jones won the gold medal in last year’s Winter X Big Air event in Mount Snow, Vt.

Tommy “Tom Cat” Clowers was coming off of a victory in the 2001 Summer X Games Step Up Event. Clowers has watched the sport evolve during his successful career. “I’ve innovated enough in this sport,” said Clowers. “Now the tricks are to let go of
everything. I don’t want to innovate those, but if someone pulls them out, I’ll do them.”

MOTO X – BIG AIR Final Results
January 19, 2002 – Aspen, Colorado

RANK – NAME – HOMETOWN – SCORE
1. Brian Deegan – Temecula, California – 94.33
2. Mike Jones – Export, Pennsylvania – 94.00
3. Tommy Clowers – Ramona, California – 93.33
4. Nate Adams – Glendale, Arizona – 93.00
5.Clifford Adoptante – Riverside, California – 92.33
6. Kenny Bartram – Stillwater, Oklahoma – 91.67
7. Doug Parsons – Colton, California – 91.00
8. Justin Homan – Seattle, Washington – 90.33
9. Jeff Kargola – San Clemente, California – 90.00
10. Trevor Vines – Riverside, California – 85.67

ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports together will televise 15 original hours of programming from the Winter X Games VI, held at the new venue of Aspen, Colorado. The signature winter action sports competition will premiere on ESPN, Friday, Feb. 1 from 3-5 p.m. ET and continue with at least one show per day through Tuesday, Feb. 5. ESPN’s Selema Masekela will host coverage.

Ian Fehler
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