Aspen, Colorado, is abuzz with activity, as athletes from across the globe in a number of sports have gathered for the annual winter X Games, featuring snowmobiles, snowboards, skis and other fun and creative ways to traverse snow.
With the Fantasy Snowmobile Racing Challenge here on snowgoer.com looming, and plenty of TV exposure scheduled for the next four days, now is a great time to look at the snowmobiling athletes who made the big games.
Snowmobile SnoCross
Though the X Games continues to butcher the way snocross is spelled, it does provide great exposure for snowmobiling racing’s most high profile athletes. Tucker Hibbert goes in as the prohibitive favorite, given his undefeated run so far this year as well as his history at Winter X, but there are 23 other racers who are looking to write their name in history. For our money, we’d keep an eye on Kody Kamm, Tim Tremblay, Kyle Pallin or Ross Martin — each seems able to pounds if Hibbert slips at all. Levi LaVallee always seems to grab headlines at X Games, Cody Thomsen and Logan Christian both have talent and fast machines, there’s a big gang of Swedes as usual, and an interesting darkhorse could be Andrew Carlson, who has been dominating the Pro Lite class this year.
The Snowmobile SnoCross final will be held Sunday during the 2-6 p.m. eastern time window on ESPN. Here’s the field:
Mike Bauer (Arctic Cat)
Justin Broberg (Polaris)
Andrew Carlson (Polaris)
Logan Christian (Arctic Cat)
Willie Elam (Arctic Cat)
Iain Hayden (Polaris)
Tucker Hibbert (Arctic Cat)
David Joanis (Arctic Cat)
Kody Kamm (Polaris)
Levi LaVallee (Polaris)
Bobby LePage (Polaris)
Johan Lidman (Ski-Doo)
Andy Lieders (Polaris)
Ross Martin (Polaris)
Darrin Mees (Ski-Doo)
Mathieu Morin (Ski-Doo)
Petter Narsa (Ski-Doo)
Kyle Pallin (Polaris)
Zach Pattyn (Ski-Doo)
Adam Renheim (Ski-Doo)
Jake Scott (Polaris)
Cody Thomsen (Arctic Cat)
Tim Tremblay (Ski-Doo)
Adaptive Snocross
Seven drivers are schedule to compete in Adaptive Snocross this weekend at X Games Aspen, with a final schedule for GET THIS. Monster Mike Schulz goes in as the prohibitive favorite; Doug Henry returns as the most high profile race; but this is a talented field of racers who have all overcome difficulties to get to this point. It also fits into Sunday’s 2-6 p.m. Eastern Time window. Here’s the field:
Garrett Goodwin
Doug Henry
Chris Heppding
EJ Poplawski
Mike Schulz
Paul Thacker
Jim Wazny
Snowmobile Long Jump
Snowmobile Long Jump returns after a hiatus with six high profile competitors for the longest air at altitude. Levi LaVallee won the last time this event was held (then called “Knockout”) but this is a strong, even if small, field. Its final falls into the 4-6 p.m. eastern time time slot on Saturday.
Chris Burandt
Cory Davis
Heath Frisby
Levi LaVallee
Colten Moore
Joe Parsons
Snowmobile Freestyle
There’s only one freestyle-based event at X Games Aspen this year — no Best Trick, no Speed & Style — but there’s eight great drivers who will compete for medals. This final occurrs tonight on ESPN in the 9-11 p.m. eastern time time slot.
Cory Davis
Willie Elam
Heath Frisby
Kourtney Hungerford
Colten Moore
Joe Parsons
Sam Rogers
Jack Rowe
Are you playing the Snowmobile Racing Challenge game here on snowgoer.com? If so, get your picks in for the X Games and/or the Wausau 525 oval race. If not, why not? It’s easy, free and fun — just pick your “team” using our pull-down menus, then get points based upon how those racers actually finish in the event.
I remember well the decision to spell snocross without the “w”. Motocross or motorcross, snowcross or snocross? One of the most critical moments of the English language. And the decision was made and Snow Week’s coverage of the Quadna Snocross showcased the newly cemented name for all history!
Shame on ESPN!
Hey Rolfe, I don’t even mind the “snocross” vs. the “snowcross” discussion, it’s the strange capital letter that ESPN forces into the middle of the word that bugs me. SnoCross? What?