Winter X Games 12 Snowmobile Speed & Style Finals

Levi LaVallee blasted into ESPN Winter X Games history tonight with a gold medal finish in the first ever Snowmobile Speed & Style Final.

Speed & Style combines the high-flying spectacle of Freestyle with the speed junkie thrills of SnoCross, as two racers complete two laps each – side by side. One lap is a racing course, and the other is outfitted with steel freestyle kickers.

The result had SnoCross champs trying their hand at brand-new tricks while Freestyle vets gunned for time, and LaVallee came out on top.

The Longvile, Minn. native, who won took silver in the SnoCross at the 2006 Winter X Games, bested Winter X rookie Sam Rogers in the final heat 91.00 to 82.07.

“I think [the new Speed & Style Competition] went over really well,” LaVallee said afterwards. “I think you’ll see more Freestyle guys doing SnoCross, and hopefully more SnoCross [riders] trying tricks.”

He went on, “It’s such a cool thing, combining sports like this. It’s just super cool to win the first one.”

SNOWMOBILE SPEED & STYLE FINAL RESULTS 
From Aspen/Snowmass on Thursday, January 24, 2008

Name / Bib No. / Hometown
1. Levi LaVallee / 108 / Longville, Minn.
2. Sam Rogers / 922 / Billings, Mont.
3. Joe Parsons / 700 / Yakima, Wash.
4. Heath Frisby / 270 / Caldwill, Idaho
5. Paul Thacker / 11 / Anchorage, Alaska
6. Steve Martin / 12 / Evanston, Wyo.
7. Chris Burandt / 211 / Kremmling, Colo.
8. Cory Davis / 160 / Soldotna, Ark.

-Press Release