ToRoxy

I rolled out of Salt Lake City Wednesday afternoon, headed to the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. After struggling through a snowstorm and too many close calls on the slippery roads, I had to play it safe and get a hotel in Grand Junction for the night. Thursday morning the skies and roads had cleared as I cruised into Aspen just in time to witness the best women’s skiing slopestyle event I’ve ever seen. Last year was the first time the X Games gave the skier girls a chance to compete in slopestyle (even though it’s their best event) but sadly the girls had to ride during a blizzard which kept them from really showing their stuff. This year both the women and the sun came out shining. The girls threw down powerful runs with loads of 540s, switch 720s, and 900s.

Roxy’s own Sarah Burke pushed X Games organizers for years to get a women’s skiing slopestyle event, in last years snowstorm-slopestyle she broke her back (literally) trying to prove the girls had a right to be there, and this year she pushed women’s skiing even farther, trying a 1260 on the Moneybooter (I’m pretty sure this is the highest rotation any woman in action sports has ever tried in competition!). Big props to Sarah and all the girls for such an impressive performance. And in case you missed the action, see it here at ESPN360.
Later in the day as the sun was setting the women’s snowboard superpipe qualifiers were just getting started. Roxy rider and reigning X Games superpipe champ, Torah Bright, opted out of this year’s competition due to an injury, but our Norwegian shredders, Lisa Wiik and Kjersti Buaas, threw down some strong runs. New this year are chips in competitor’s bibs that measure amplitude and speed (so futuristic!), so I can say for certain that the likes of Kjersti and Kelly Clark were consistently going more than 12 feet out. Unfortunately, both Kjersti and Lisa had some wobbles that kept them from advancing to finals. Good job to all the competitors- I was stoked to see so many grabbed stylish spins, technical flips, cab 9’s and huge airs!

Stay tuned for more as tonight Sarah must protect her X Games superpipe crown, and tomorrow Kjersti and Lisa get their chance in the slopestyle course.