The 11 Greatest Winter X Moments
Jan 26 2007 / Los Angeles, CA Can you believe it's been 11 years since the debut of the Winter X Games? It isn't just another reminder of how fast time flies, but perhaps more-so a symbol of how far extreme winter sports have come.
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Skiing made it's mark in the early years as well, paving the way for the likes of Tanner Hall, TJ Schiller and Sarah Burke as skiing continues to make its resurgent comeback among the ranks of coolness on the slopes.
And while some of the events of the early era like Ice Climbing, Super Modified Shovel Racing, Skiboarding, and Biker X didn't quite make the grade, without them the true identity of the Winter X Games wouldn't exist. And we wouldn't be sitting here right now, taking a look back at the past 11 years of the Winter X Games, and wondering what moments, athletes, and events await us in the future.
A look back to 11 years, as we capture the 11 greatest moments in Winter X Games history.
Winter X Games 11: Torah Bright: always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Not anymore, Torah Bright is one of those athletes everyone loves, but never seems to get the recognition she deserves. Well she beat out the best and took gold in the Women's Superpipe.
Winter X Games 10: Shaun White's Clean Sweep of 2006 Winter X. White became just the second athlete in Winter X Games history to complete the “four-peat”, as he won his 4th Slopestyle gold medal (with an amazing run of three 1080's and a 900). White also won his first Superpipe gold medal since injuring his knee in 2004, and carried the momentum of his Winter X success into Turin, Italy, where he won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
Winter X Games 10: Blair Morgan's Complete Dominance of SnoCross. The dude straight OWNS SnoCross. You would think Blair Morgan was born on a snowmobile. Morgan won his his fifth gold medal at the 2006 Winter X Games. It would have been his sixth gold medal, had it not been for the shocking upset by 15 year-old Tucker Hibbert at Winter X Games 4 in 2000 (see below).
Winter X Games 9: The Crist Brothers Share the Podium at 2005 Skier X. The Crist brothers are already close, their houses just a quarter-mile apart on the outskirts of their hometown of Ketchem, Idaho. Yet on this day, Reggie and Zach Crist couldn't be any closer. Reggie Crist easily had the race won from the start, but brother Zach came through in exciting fashion at the end to with the bronze, thus allowing the Crist brothers to enjoy the winner's podium together.
Winter X Games 8: Hannah Teter Stamps Her Place in Women's Snowboarding. Prior to 2004, people were more familiar with Hannah's older brothers Amen, Abe and Elijah, but little sister Hannah made a name for herself at Winter X Games 8. At the young age of 17, Hannah came into her own, winning a gold medal in the Superpipe competition. She cemented the victory with a frontside 900, and two years later won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Winter X Games 8: Brian Deegan's Crash-Landing. While attempting a 360 in the 2004 Winter X MotoX Preliminaries, Deegan was forced to bail off his bike after realizing he wouldn't complete the rotation of his turn. Deegan falls 45 feet, breaking his femur (considered to be the most painful of bones to break) and both wrists. Showing how tough he really is, Deegan returned to competition in just six months, and would rebound to win a MotoX gold medal the following year, in 2005's Winter X Games 9. (See a trailer of "Disposable Hero: The Brian Deegan Story")
Winter X Games 8: Tanner Hall Wins His Third-Straight Slopestyle Gold. Hall had actually won a gold medal at the 2001 Winter X Games in the now-defunct Big Air competition. However, it was the 2004 Winter X Games where Tanner Hall further cemented his place amongst skiing's greats by winning his third-straight gold medal in the Slopestyle competition.
Winter X Games 4: 15 year-old Tucker Hibbert Shocks Everyone with a 2000 Winter X SnoCross Gold Medal. With most people expecting Blair Morgan to win the gold (and beginning his epic dynasty of a run), 15 year-old Tucker Hibbert shocked both Morgan (who won silver) and the crowd with a stunning victory. It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise though. His proud father, legendary SnoCross racer Kirk Hibbert, took 5th place in the same race.
Winter X Games 3: Shaun Palmer Competes in Four Events. Reminding everyone why he's considered one of the greatest action-sports athletes ever, Shaun Palmer competes in four events at the 1999 Winter X Games. Palmer entered the Winter X Games 3 event (held at Crested Butte, Colorado) with three Winter X medals to his name. At 1999's event, Palmer won the gold medal in Boarder X, but finished 14th in Biker X, sixth in Skier (yes, Skier) X, and last in the Snocross competition.
Winter X Games 1: John Strader's Insane Wipeout. The name John Strader probably isn't too familiar to the average reader. It's mainly because he competed in one of the most bizarre events in Winter X history: Super Modified Shovel Racing. In 1997, during one of the shovel races (which looks similar to a drag race), Strader's “shovel” completely wipes out, wrecking his shovel and his body. Strader's injuries were severe; Broken back, internal bleeding, and all because of a shovel race.
Winter X Games 1: The First Medal. Appropriately enough, the very first Winter X Games medal awarded went to the man who personified winter action sports: None other than Shaun Palmer himself. The first Winter X Games, staged at Snow Summit Mountain Resort in Big Bear Lake, California from January 30th through February 2nd, 1997, awarded Palmer the first gold medal, in Snow Mountain Biking Dual Downhill.
-Cyrus Saatsaz