Title	X Games
Last season	X Games XVI
Logo	X Games Logo.png
Pixels	175px
Sport	Extreme sports
Founded	1995
Website	XGames.com
Tv	ESPNESPN2ESPN3ESPN 3D

The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island.

The Winter X Games are held in January or February (usually in January) and the Summer X Games are usually held in August, both in the United States. Participants compete to win bronze, silver, and gold medals, and prize money. The competition often features new tricks such as Tony Hawk's 900 in skateboarding, Anthony Napolitan with the first double front flip on a bicycle, Travis Pastrana's double backflip in Freestyle Motocross, and Levi Lavallee's double backflip in Freestyle Snocross. Concurrent with competition is the "X Fest" sports and music festival, which offers live music, athlete autograph sessions and interactive elements. The location of the Winter X Games is in Aspen, Colorado through 2012, while the location for the Summer X Games is in Los Angeles through 2009. The X Games also has international competitions and demos around the world that are held at varying times throughout the year. The games are shown live on television. The Winter X Games is, as described by ESPN (2008), a competition compiled of the greatest winter action sport athletes from around the world competing on an annual basis. The competition contains day and evening events including skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. The first Winter X Games took place at Mountain Resort in Big Bear Lake, California, in 1997. The following two years, the Games were held at Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. The two years following that, the Games were held in Mount Snow, Vermont. And since 2002 the Winter X Games have been held at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, and according to ESPN they will continue to be held there through 2012.

Economics

The X Games gained media exposure due to their big name sponsors, top-tier athletes and consistent fan attendance. As the Journal of Sport Management (2006) explains, Generation X and Generation Y are the two most highly valued by marketers. This creates a broad approach on marketing towards that certain demographic, which is why the X Games marketing and economic outlook is so “out of the box.” According to EXPN (2008); The Winter X Games inaugural year, 1997, was televised to 198 countries and 38,000 spectators attended the four day event. In 1998, the attendance dropped to 25,000 spectators. But just two years later, a record attendance of 83,500 people attended the Winter X Games' East Coast debut. The X Games and Winter X Games continue to grow with the popularity of action sports and the athletes who compete in them.

The Interactive X Fest Village

The Interactive Village is described by ESPN (2008) as the designated X Games Sponsor Booth area. It is usually located by the main entrance of the event and it offers activities for attending fans. Activities include scheduled autograph signings, giveaways for spectators, athlete demos, climbing walls, video game experiences, and the chance to try new and upcoming products that are presented by sponsors. This area exists at both the X Games and Winter X Games.

Snowskate Park

The Snowskate Park is an actual layout provided by the Winter X Games sponsors in order to provide real-life interaction for all spectators. The Snowskate Park posts a schedule so that fans can enter the park in order to “play” around or show off their skills. The schedule usually includes: Open Park for the Public, Invitational Practices, Special Kids Events, Experienced Snowskate Sessions, and Competitive Sledding.

Musical performances

Throughout the Winter X Games live music line-ups are prepared in order to give fans the non-stop action that they came to see. Some performing music acts are up-and-coming bands/artists that are looking for serious exposure, but well-known talents perform at the Games as well. DJs are a fixed piece of the X Games, you can find them spinning the tracks during each athlete's run.

Environmental impact

X Games Environmentality (XGE), is an environmental green program that focuses on reducing waste through recycling and compositing greenhouse gas emissions through the use of alternative fuels. Disney (2008) explains that the X Games use biodiesel fuel, biofuel-powered RFTA shuttles, and 100% post-consumer recycled paper. In 2006, nearly 70% of event waste was diverted from Aspen-area landfills to be processed at specialized facilities. Each year improvements in waste reduction and recycling are met. Educational outreach for fans, staff and vendors are also conducted that will include opportunities to contribute to XGE’s efforts.

Get Caught Recycling

Get Caught Recycling is a program created by the XGE in order to encourage recycling. Environmentality (2008) explains that the program works as follows: Fans who get caught recycling during the Games will be rewarded with tokens that they can redeem for valuable prizes at the TRASHed Recycling Store. The program produces solid results with voluntary recycling by fans in exchange for fun, environmentally-friendly prizes.

Growth

The Winter X Games are the leading winter action sports competition in the entire world and it has demonstrated extraordinary growth since it's beginning. ESPN has documented this growth since 2008 which includes ratings, attendance, and participation, since the early years.

In the Games’ first year, 1995, the actual attendance of the event was strong at 38,000 people. Just three years later in 1998 attendance dropped to 25,000 people (note these values are estimations) attributed to its move to Crested Butte. Crested Butte offered a unique ski environment where new sports events were introduced such as free skiing, SnoCross, and SkiBoarding. Women’s Free Skiing was introduced a year later and attendance showed an increase at its second stay at Crested Butte.

A year later, the Games moved 2000 miles east, to Mt. Snow, Vermont gaining a record attendance of 83,500. The Games added the Snowboard SuperPipe event. Once again, held in Vermont in 2001, the Games posted another great fan turnout along with the addition of the Moto X Big Air event.

Publication

Winter X Games VIII in 2004 marked the first time that an X Games event was televised live and also featured coverage by ESPN's flagship news program, SportsCenter. Viewership across the three networks that carried coverage of the event – ABC Sports, ESPN and ESPN2 – exceeded last year's household average by 30% according to Nielsen Media Research. The event also reached record highs in several demographic categories. To accommodate the first-time live coverage, nighttime competitions were added, resulting in record attendance for the Aspen/Snowmass venue.

Winter X Games 2002

The 2002 Winter X Games were a huge year for ESPN and the X Games. It was the first year that the games were held in Aspen Colorado at Buttermilk Mountain. The Games continued to add new events including the Ski Slopestyle event and the Ski SuperPipe event. The most memorable incident of the 2002 Games was when the entire 2002 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Snowboarding Team showed up to compete in the Winter X Snowboard SuperPipe event, just weeks prior to the Salt Lake City Olympics. Also in 2002, ESPN announced the establishment of the X Games Global Championship. The Global Championship featured two distinct venues hosting competitions in summer and winter action sports simultaneously. It consisted of six teams of the World’s top athletes, grouped together by their region of origin, to compete in the four day event. The winter sports were held in Whistler Blackcomb Resort in British Columbia, and the events included snowboarding and skiing.

History

Summarized from EXPN.com

Summer X Games

1995: Extreme Games – Newport, Rhode Island & Mount Snow, Vermont

*198,000 in Attendance

1996: X Games Two – Providence & Newport, Rhode Island

*200,000 in Attendance

1997: X Games Three – San Diego, California (June 20–28, 1997)

*221,200 in Attendance

1998: X Games Four – San Diego, California (June 1998)

*233,000 in Attendance

1999: X Games Five – Pier 30 & 32, San Francisco, California (June 25 – July 3, 1999)

*275,000 in Attendance

* First Professional sporting event (full event) broadcast live on the internet.

* After eleven failed attempts, skateboarder Tony Hawk finally lands a 900-degree spin (the 900).

* Travis Pastrana wins the first ever MotoX Freestyle event at the X-Games, after dislocating his spine last spring. He also scored the highest ever run of 99.00 points.

2000: X Games Six – Pier 30 & 32, San Francisco, California (August 17–22, 2000)

* Dave Mirra wins BMX Park, landing the first ever Double Backflip in competition.

* Tommy Clowers wins the first ever Moto-X Step Up event, at a record-breaking height of 35 feet.

Bucky Lasek scores a 98.50 in Skateboard Vert, the highest in X Games history.

2001: X Games Seven – First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (August 17–22, 2001)

*235,000 in Attendance

* Bob Burnquist nails an almost perfect skateboard vert run with a score of 98.00.

* Taïg Khris wins the Inline Vert event, with the first double backflip in X Games history.

* Danny Harf lands a 900-degree spin in wakeboarding.

2002: X Games Eight – First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (August 15–19, 2002)

* Mat Hoffman lands the no handed 900-degree spin on a BMX.

* Mike Metzger landed the first back flip in Moto-X Freestyle X Games History over an 80 foot gap. He also pulled off two consecutive flips in a competition run for the Victory.

2003: X Games Nine – Staples Center & LA Coliseum, Los Angeles, California (August 14–17, 2003)

* Brian Deegan lands the first ever 360 in Freestyle Moto-X, earning him the bronze in FMX and gold in Big Air/Best Trick.

* Ryan Sheckler became the youngest X-Games gold medalist ever at the age of 13 in Skateboard Streetpark

2004: X Games 10 – Staples Center, Home Depot Center, Long Beach Marine Stadium, Los Angeles, California (August 5–8, 2004)

* Nate Adams becomes the first person to defeat Travis Pastrana in the Freestyle Moto-X event at the X Games.

* Danny Way wins the first ever Skateboard Big Air event.

* Jeremy McGrath debuts at the X Games, winning gold in Moto-X Step Up, and bronze in Supermoto.

* Chuck Carothers wins Moto-X Best Trick with the first Body Varial done at X-Games

2005: X Games 11 – Staples Center, Los Angeles, California (August 4–7, 2005)

*Removal of inline skating from competition.

* Shaun White failed to land the 1080 in skate best trick after 29 attempts.

* Jamie Bestwick pulled off the first ever double tailwhip flair in the BMX Vert Best Trick event.

* Travis Pastrana wins gold in Moto-X Freestyle again and becomes the most decorated athlete in Moto-X

* ESPN has signed a contract to keep the X Games in Los Angeles through 2009.

2006: X Games 12 – Staples Center, Home Depot Center & Long Beach Marine Stadium, Los Angeles, California (August 3–6, 2006)

* Travis Pastrana lands the world's first Double Backflip on a dirt bike, and wins Moto X Best Trick with a score of 98.60, the highest current score in Best Trick.

* Kevin Robinson lands the double flair for the first time.

* Travis Pastrana wins the inaugural X Games Rally beating former World Rally Champion, Colin McRae by .52 seconds after the latter rolls his car with 2 corners to go at the Home Depot Center.

* Chad Kagy lands the first flatwhip double tailwhip 540.

2007: X Games 13 – Staples Center, Home Depot Center & Long Beach Marine Stadium, Los Angeles, California (August 2–5, 2007)

* Jake Brown gets hurt after landing the first 720 in Big Air competition. He fell from 40'+ in the air and landed on his backside and back on the flat. The force of the fall knocked his shoes off. After 8 minutes laying motionless, he walks away with help. Suffered a fractured wrist, bruised lung and liver, whiplash, ruptured spleen, and a concussion.

* Ricky Carmichael wins the first ever MotoX Racing Circuit.

* Mat Hoffman returns to competition in BMX Big Air.

* Simon Tabron does an X Games first, doing back-to-back 900s in BMX Vert.

2008: X Games 14 – Los Angeles, California (July 31 – August 3, 2008 )

* Danny Way clips his shins on the lip of the quarterpipe after a 20+ foot freefall during the Big Air comp, which the commentators refer to as the "second worst fall ever at the X Games" (the first being Jake Brown's the year prior). After spending a few minutes with paramedics, Way limps back to the ramp and goes on to nail the trick he'd fallen on, coming in second place.

* Ryan Sheckler Won Gold in Street Skateboarding, making it his second Gold medal at the X games.

* Kyle Loza won his second gold medal in the Moto X Best Trick competition in two appearances by performing a never-before-seen move named "The Electric Doom."

* Skateboarder Andy Macdonald won his 15th X Games medal, surpassing Tony Hawk as the all-time leader in skateboarding medals.

* Rally racer Travis Pastrana reclaimed the gold medal by defeating Tanner Foust in the Rally X final.

* Jim DeChamp falls while attempting first ever Frontflip on Moto-X bike

* Tarah Gieger of Puerto Rico won the gold medal in the first-ever women's supercross race.

* Jeremy Lusk Wins a Gold Medal in the Freestyle MotoCross (FMX) event.

2009: X Games 15 – Los Angeles, California (July 30 – August 2, 2009)

* Skateboarder Jake Brown wins his first gold medal in the Big Air competition.

* Danny Way wins the inagurial Big Air Rail Jam, a contest which he created.

* Paul Rodriguez wins the skateboard street

* Kyle Loza becomes the first person to three-peat gold Moto X Best Trick in controversial fashion by using the same trick he used to win in 2008, The Electric Doom, especially after the judges stating "innovation" will win the gold this year.

* Ricky Carmichael falls and hurts himself on Moto X Step Up. Due to the circumstances, dual gold medals were awarded to Carmichael and to Ronnie Renner.

* Anthony Napolitan lands the first ever double front flip on a bicycle.

* Travis Pastrana falls whilst attempting a Rodeo 720, or as he called it "The Toilet Paper Roll" in Moto X Best Trick.

* Blake Williams becomes the first non-American rider to win FMX Gold

* Jamie Bestwick 3-peats with win in BMX Vert.

* Pierre-Luc Gagnon wins gold in Skate Vert for the second consecutive year.

*Ashley Fiolek, 18, wins the women's Moto X Super X, becoming the Games' first deaf medalist.

2010: X Games 16 – Staples Center, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum & L.A. Live, Los Angeles, California (July 29 – August 1, 2010)

* Travis Pastrana competes in 4 events after pulling out of Best Trick at the last minute. He comes back to Freestyle after a 3 year hiatus, and takes gold, pulling yet another Double Backflip, the first one done in X Games Freestyle competition. He has troubles in Rally, costing him gold in Rally Racing and the chance to compete in Super Rally, but comes back on the bike and wins his first gold in Moto X Speed & Style, beating Nate Adams

* Ashley Fiolek wins the women's Moto X Super X for the second year in a row, becoming the only rider to do so.

* Matt Buyten wins gold in Moto X Step Up, beating former champion, Ronnie Renner.

* Jamie Bestwick becomes the first person to 4-peats with a win in BMX Vert.

* Pierre-Luc Gagnon becomes the first athlete to 3-peat in Skateboard Vert, beating silver medalist, Shaun White.

* Garrett Reynolds becomes the first athlete to 3-peat in BMX Street.

* Cam Sinclair did what some call the greatest comeback in action sports history, winning his first X Games gold medal in Best Trick by pulling a Double Backlfip, the trick that bit him hard in Red Bull X Fighters only 8 months ago, leaving him in a coma for 7 days, and having him retrain his body, learning how to walk and, eventually, to ride again.

* Ryan Sheckler wins the X games gold medal in Skateboarding Street seeking redemption after his X Games XV mishap.

Winter X Games

1997: Winter X Games 1, Big Bear Lake, California (January 30 – February 2, 1997)

* 29,800 in Attendance

1998: Winter X Games 2, Crested Butte, Colorado

* 25,000 in Attendance

1999: Winter X Games 3, Crested Butte, Colorado

* 30,000+ in Attendance

2000: Winter X Games 4, Mount Snow, Vermont (February 3–6, 2000)

* 83,500 in Attendance

2001: Winter X Games 5, Mount Snow, Vermont

* 85,100 in Attendance

2002: Winter X Games 6, Aspen, Colorado (February 1–5, 2002)

*C.R. Johnson wins gold in ski big air

2003: Winter X Games 7, Aspen, Colorado (January 30 – February 5, 2003)

*C.R. Johnson wins bronze in ski superpipe

2004: Winter X Games 8, Aspen, Colorado (January 22–25, 2004)

2005: Winter X Games 9, Aspen, Colorado (January 29 – February 1, 2005)

2006: Winter X Games 10, Aspen, Colorado (January 28–31, 2006)

*Jeaux Hall lands the 1080 in half-pipe contest after 17 attempts

*ESPN has signed a contract with the Aspen Skiing Company to keep the Winter X Games in Colorado through 2012

2007: Winter X Games 11, Aspen, Colorado (January 25–28, 2007)

*Peter Olenick lands first double-flip (The Whiskey Flip) in halfpipe competition history, starting a revolution and setting a new standard in superpipe tricks.

2008: Winter X Games 12, Aspen, Colorado ''(January 24–27, 2008)'

2009: Winter X Games 13, Aspen, Colorado (January 22–25, 2009)

*Levi LaVallee attempts the first double backflip on a snowmobile

*Shaun White wins first back to back golds in Snowboard superpipe

2010: Winter X Games 14, Aspen, Colorado (January 28–31, 2010)

*Eero Ettala won the gold medal. He reached the finals with a staggering 93.33 points. Runner up Eric Willet reached only 86.33 points.

2011: Winter X Games 15, Aspen, Colorado (January 27 – 30, 2011)

X Games Asia

X Games Asia debuted in 1998

Phuket, Thailand hosted the Games in 1998, 1999, 2000 & 2001.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia hosted the Games in 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2006.

Seoul, South Korea hosted the Games in 2005.

Shanghai, China hosted the Games in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011.

Winter X Games Europe

2010: Winter X Games Europe I, Tignes, France (March 10–12, 2010)

2011: Winter X Games Europe II, Tignes, France (March 16–18, 2011)

X Games Global Championships

From May 16 up until May 18, 2003, the X Games held a special event called the Global Championships, where 5 continents (2 countries in North America) competed in 11 disciplines. The event was held in two locations, the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (where 7 of the events, including In-line skating, Skateboarding, BMX and Freestyle Motocross, were held), as well as in Whistler, British Columbia (where the Superpipe events for Snowboarding and skiing took place).

The final team results were:

It was also here at the Global Championships where Jamie Bestwick performed the first ever Tailwhip Flair in the BMX Vert event.

See also

AST Dew Tour

Extremity Games

Velocity Games

Gravity Games

*

References

1.) http://expn.go.com/expn/feature?id=3190295

2.) http://disney.go.com/environmentality/xgames/winterxgames12/

3.) http://expn.go.com/xgames/wxg/2001/s/history.html

4.) http://skateboard.about.com/cs/events/a/XGamesHistory.htm

5.) http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC030417/html/xgameshistory.html

6.) http://expn.go.com/teasma/2002/s/skierte.html

7.) http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_735.htm

8.) http://www.shaunwhite.com/

9.) http://www.espneventmedia.com/pdf/SpectatorInformation.pdf?eventmedia_session=b5e3ba113

10.) http://www.aspensnowmass.com/travelinfo/events/detail.cfm?&eventID;=9

11.) Beal, Becky. "Disqualifying the Official: an Exploration of Social Resistance Through the Subculture of Skateboarding." Sociology of Sport Journal (1995): 252–267. Sport Discus. 26 February 2008.

12.) "Media Preferences of Generation X and Y." Journal of Sport Management 20 (2006): 573. Sport Discus. 2 March 2008.

13.) http://www.planetaexpn.com.br

External links

X Games official site

X Games Asia official site

Planet X – X Games Australia

The Official X Games Community

Category:Recurring events established in 1995 Category:Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)

Headercolor	white
Name	Travis Pastrana
Caption	Travis at a public appearance before racing his open class '09 Subaru WRX STI at the 2009 Lake Superior Performance Rally
Fullname	Travis Alan Pastrana
Nationality	American
Birth date	October 08, 1983
Birth place	Annapolis, Maryland
Sport	Rally, Motocross, Supercross, Freestyle Motocross, Base Jumping, NASCAR, monster truck freestyle
Event	X Games, Red Bull X-Fighters, Dew Tour, Rally America, nascar
Current	Suzuki, Red Bull, KICKER Audio, Smith Optics, Thor Motocross, Activision, Alpinestars, Nixon, OGIO, DC Shoes, Michelin, Parts Unlimited
Supercross	125cc AMA Supercross Championship (2001)
Bgcolor	"#FFFFFF"| Sno*DriftDNP
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Oregon Trail2
Bgcolor	"#DFFFDF"| Susquehannock Trail14
Bgcolor	"#DFFFDF"| Pikes Peak6
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Maine ForestDNF
Bgcolor	"#FFDF9F"| Ojibwe Forests3
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Colorado CogDNF
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| LSPR2
| align	"center" bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 5th
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Sno*Drift2
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Rally in the 100 Acre WoodDNF
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Oregon Trail2
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Susquehannock Trail2
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Maine Forest2
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Ojibwe Forests1
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Colorado Cog1
Bgcolor	"#FFDF9F"| LSPR3
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Wild West Rally1
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Sno*Drift1
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Rally in the 100 Acre Wood2
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Oregon TrailDNF
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Olympus RallyDNF
Bgcolor	"#FFDF9F"| Susquehannock Trail3
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| New England Forest Rally1
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Ojibwe Forests1
Bgcolor	"#FFDF9F"| Rally Colorado3
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| LSPR1
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Sno*DriftDNF
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Rally in the 100 Acre Wood2
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Olympus Rally2
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Oregon Trail1
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Susquehannock TrailDNF
Bgcolor	"#FFDF9F"| New England Forest Rally3
Bgcolor	"#FFDF9F"| Ojibwe Forests3
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Rally Colorado1
Bgcolor	"#FFDF9F"| LSPR3
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Sno*Drift1
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Rally in the 100 Acre WoodDNF
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Olympus Rally1
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Oregon Trail1
Bgcolor	"#DFDFDF"| Susquehannock Trail2
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| New England Forest Rally1
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Ojibwe Forests1
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Rally ColoradoDNF
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| LSPR1
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Sno*Drift1
Bgcolor	"#EFCFFF"| Rally in the 100 Acre WoodDNF
Bgcolor	"#FFFFBF"| Olympus Rally1
Bgcolor	"#FFFFFF"| Oregon TrailDNP
Bgcolor	"#FFFFFF"| Susquehannock TrailDNP
Bgcolor	"#FFFFFF"| New England Forest RallyDNP
| align	"center" bgcolor="FFFFFF"| 3
Name	Pastrana,Travis
Date of birth	October 8, 1983
Place of birth	Annapolis, Maryland

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:American motorcycle racers Category:American rally drivers Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:People from Annapolis, Maryland Category:Motocross riders Category:AMA National Motocross Champions Category:X-Games athletes Category:Puerto Rican people of Colombian descent Category:Freestyle Motocross riders Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni Category:World record holders

Name	Shaun White
Headercolor	#99bdcc
Caption	White in 2008
Fullname	Shaun Roger White
Birthdate	September 03, 1986
Birthplace	San Diego, California, U.S.
Sport	Snowboarding, Skateboarding
Country
Height
Weight

}}

Shaun Roger White (born September 3, 1986) is an American professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He rides regular stance, twelve and negative three degrees on his board.

Personal life

White was born with a Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect for which he endured two open-heart operations before the age of one. He stands 5'8" (1.73 m) tall. He spent his formative years riding Okemo Mountain and Bear Mountain, small ski resorts found in Ludlow, Vermont, and the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.

Addressing his perception of the nickname "The Flying Tomato", Rolling Stone wrote, "he used to embrace it, even wearing headbands with a flying-tomato logo, but he has grown tired of it." He has also been nicknamed as "animal", a reference to a character from the satirical puppet show The Muppet Show.

In February 2009, Red Bull built White a halfpipe completely out of natural snow in the back country of Colorado on the backside of Silverton Mountain, coordinates (37.838801,-107.710299).

Snowboarding career

White's skateboard career took place during the same time he was rising through the snowboard ranks. White quickly drew the eyes of many in the skateboarder scene including professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. At this point Hawk befriended the nine-year-old White at a local skatepark and mentored him, helping him turn pro in skateboarding at the age of 17. White has gone on to win many titles on his skateboard, most notably winning the overall title of Action Sports Tour Champion, as well as being the first person to compete in and win both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports. Following in his older brother's footsteps, White switched from skiing to snowboarding at age six, and by age seven he received his first sponsorship. White has participated in two Winter Olympics in his career. At both the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, White won gold in the snowboard halfpipe event. White has also participated in the Winter X Games, where he has won a medal every year since 2002. Including all winter X Games competitions through 2009, his medal count stands at 15 (10 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), including the first four-peat winner by a male athlete in one discipline, the snowboard slopestyle. White's streak was snapped in 2007 when he lost to Andreas Wiig and Teddy Flandreau, with White taking the bronze. He won the Air & Style Contest in 2003 and 2004.

2006 Winter Olympics

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, White won gold in the half-pipe. After his first run in qualifications, White was almost out of competition, scoring only 37.7. On his second run, he recorded a score of 45.3. In the finals, White recorded a score of 46.8 (50 is the highest possible score) to win. Fellow American Danny Kass won the silver with a points total of 44.0.

2008

Executing a near-flawless second run, White captured his third consecutive snowboard halfpipe title at the 2008 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships to go along with his third US Open slopestyle competition. This followed White's win at the 25th (2007) Burton US Open, where he placed third in slopestlyle and first in the halfpipe. At the 2007 Open, White was also crowned the first "Burton Global Open Champion". His take for the event was $100,000 (Global Open Champ), $20,000 (1st Place Halfpipe), $90,000 (3rd Place Slopestyle), and a new Corvette.

On November 16, 2008 White Released his first videogame "Shaun White Snowboarding" in North America (November 14, 2008 in Europe). Shaun White:Snowboarding was the 20th best-selling game of December 2008 in the United States.

2009

in 2009]] There was a lot of controversy over who won the 2009 SuperPipe at Winter X Games XIII. Kevin Pearce had 5 hits in the pipe, and all were the same tricks White did in his final run. White, on the other hand, had 6 hits and he started off his run with a big backside rodeo 540 where Pearce started his run off with a big grab. Although Pearce went bigger, he only had 5 hits, and his first hit wasn't as technical as White's first hit. Judges came to the conclusion that White deserved the better score because he started off with a more technical trick and he had 1 more hit than Pearce. With the win, White became the second competitor, after Tanner Hall, to win a gold medal in the superpipe in consecutive years at the Winter X Games. He also won a gold medal in Slopestyle, finally winning gold after 2 straight years of bronze.

On February 14, 2009, White won the FIS World Cup Men's Halfpipe event at Vancouver's Cypress Mountain. Out of the gate in his first qualifying run, he qualified immediately with the day's best score of 45.5. With a thumb sprained on an over-rotated backside 1080 in the second qualifying run, he clinched the event with the first of his two runs in the finals. His first finals run was awarded the highest score ever in FIS halfpipe, a 47.3.

2010 Winter Olympics

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, White again won gold in the halfpipe. In the finals, White recorded a score of 46.8 on his first run, which proved a high enough score to secure the gold medal without a second run. He performed his second run anyway, as a victory lap, ending his run with a well-anticipated Double McTwist 1260 which he named The Tomahawk. This second run resulted in a record score of 48.4 (50 is the highest possible score) enlarging his margin of victory. His nearest competitor won the silver with a points total of 45.0, 3.4 behind White.

Athletic achievements

In 2003 White was the first to compete and medal in both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports.

White is the first snowboarder ever to land back to back double corks, at the Red Bull superpipe.

He remains the only skater to land the frontside heelflip 540 body varial. (The Armadillo).

He was the first to land a Cab 7 Melon Grab in vert skateboarding.

He is the first snowboarder to win back-to-back gold medals in the Winter X-Games Superpipe.

He is the first (and only) person to win both a Summer and Winter Dew Cup.

White was the first to "three-peat" in SuperPipe at the Winter X Games.

Shaun White holds the record for the highest score in the men's halfpipe at the Winter Olympics. In 2006, his 46.8 points bested Ross Powers' previous record of 46.1 from 2002. In 2010, during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he improved his own record with 48.4 points in his final run.

Non-competition awards and accolades

White was named the "Chairman of the Board" on the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards on June 13, 2007 and again on June 19, 2010. In the March 2009 issue of Snowboarder Magazine, he was named the ninth-best snowboarder in the World.

He won the Revolver Golden Gods Award for "Most Metal Athlete".

White has been named Transworld Snowboarding's Rider Of The Year twice.

Endorsements

White has had a sponsor since he was seven years old. White signed CAA Sports for representation after working with IMG for eight years. Corporate endorsement deals include or have included Burton Snowboards, Oakley, Inc., Birdhouse Skateboards, Park City Mountain Resort, Target Corporation, Red Bull, Ubisoft, Adio and Hewlett-Packard. White also has his own character on the game Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder as well as the video game Shaun White Snowboarding and the upcoming video game Shaun White Skateboarding. In 2009, Forbes magazine estimated that he had earned $9 million from his endorsements in 2008.

Media appearances

He had his first published interview in TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine in 2003.

White starred in the 2005 snowboarding documentary First Descent.

In 2007, White appeared on the E! reality TV show "The Girls Next Door" as a snowboarding teacher for Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. White was one of the few pro snowboarders to be a guest editor of Snowboarder Magazine (February 2008 issue).

The 2008 video game Shaun White Snowboarding is named after him, and the game was personally played and demonstrated by him at Nintendo's E3 2008 Press Conference.

A film, Don't Look Down has been released on DVD and ESPN. The film tracks his journey through the year following his Olympic success.

White was on the cover for The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. White appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, March 2, 2010, recounting the story of how his mother had his first Olympic gold medal dry cleaned.

References

External links

Official Site of Shaun White

Red Bull's Secret Halfpipe — New Tricks

TTR World Snowboard Tour Rider Profile (current standings in the world ranking with contest results)

TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine — coverage of White from age 14 on

Snowboardermag.com — interviews and videos

Shaun White's U.S. Olympic Team bio

AP Winter Games Athlete Profile: Shaun White

AP: White's showstopper caps second Olympic gold

AP: Inside the Rings: Shaun White blazes trails

Shaun White Interview: Pop Magazine

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:People from San Diego, California Category:American snowboarders Category:American skateboarders Category:Sportspeople from California Category:Snowboarders at the 2006 Winter Olympics Category:Snowboarders at the 2010 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic snowboarders of the United States Category:Winter Olympics medalists Category:Sportspeople of multiple sports Category:X-Games athletes Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States

Name	Ryan Sheckler
Headercolor	#99bdcc
Caption	Sheckler in 2008
Fullname	Ryan Allen Sheckler
Birthdate	December 30, 1989
Birthplace	San Clemente, California, U.S.
Sport	Skateboarding
Country
Height
Weight
Medaltemplates

}} Ryan Allen Sheckler (born December 30, 1989) is an American professional skateboarder and the star of the MTV reality show, Life of Ryan.

Early life

Sheckler was born in San Clemente, California, the son of Gretchen ( Walsh), who manages his career, and Randall Sheckler, a mechanical engineer.

Recent activities

Sheckler is currently on tour making a few appearance nationwide for Journey's Backyard Barbecue (2009). In May 2009, Sheckler launched his new clothing line, RS, that is sold at J.C. Penney stores nationwide. In 2008, the Sheckler Foundation was created to help the less fortunate, and also to donate to injured and recovering athletes.

Film and television career

Sheckler has appeared in the movies Grind, Dishdogz, and . He also starred in his own MTV reality show "Life of Ryan", from 2007-2009.

Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |-style="background:#B0C4DE;" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2001 || || Neil Nellis || |- | 2003 || Grind || Challenger at Skate Park || |- |rowspan="2"| 2004 || What's New, Scooby-Doo? || Himself || TV animated series; voice |- | || Himself || Documentary |- | 2005 || Dishdogz || Himself || |- | 2007 || Life of Ryan || Himself || TV reality series; 2007–2009 |- | 2008 || True Jackson, VP || Himself || TV series; guest star, Episode: "Ryan on Wheels" Season 1, Episode 4 |- | 2009 || Street Dreams || Eric Jones|| |- | 2010 || Tooth Fairy || Mick Donnelly || |}

Video games

Ryan Sheckler is a playable character in Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, Tony Hawk's Project 8, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, and .

References

External links

Red Bull USA Profile

Dew Tour Profile

Ryan Sheckler at EXPN Online

Official Life of Ryan website

Category:1989 births Category:American skateboarders Category:American film actors Category:Living people Category:People from Orange County, California Category:X-Games athletes

Name	Ken Block
Pixels	250px
Caption	Ken Block in 2008.
Nationality	American
Date of birth	November 21, 1967
Place of birth	Long Beach, California
Current series	Rally America
First year	2005
Current team	Monster World Rally Team
Prev teams	Subaru World Rally Team
Co-driver	Alex Gelsomino
Career points	453
Best finish	2nd Overall in Rally America
Year	2006 and 2008
Award years	2004 2005 is a professional rally racer with the Monster World Rally Team. Block is also one of the co-founders and recently appointed Chief Brand Officer of DC Shoes. Vermont SportsCar prepared a 2005 Subaru WRX STi for Block to compete. His first event of the rallying season was Sno*Drift, where he ended up finishing seventh overall and fifth in the Group N class. During the 2005 season, Block had five top five finishes and placed third overall in the Group N class and fourth overall in the Rally America National Championship.
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| SNO 5
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| ORE 7
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| SUS 3
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| PIK 4
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| MAI 3
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| OJI Ret
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| COL 4
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| LSP 3
| style	"text-align:center; background:#dfffdf;"| 4th
Style	"text-align:center; background:#dfffdf;"| 65
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| SNO 3
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| ACR 1
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| ORE 3
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| SUS Ret
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| MAI 11
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| OJI Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| COL Ret
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| LSP 1
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| WIL 3
Style	"text-align:center; background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
Style	"text-align:center; background:#dfdfdf;"| 90
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| SNO 6
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| ACR 1
Style	"background:#dfdfdf;"| ORE 2
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| OLY 4
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| SUS Ret
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| NEW 3
Style	"background:#dfdfdf;"| OJI 2
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| COL 1
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| LSP Ret
Style	"text-align:center; background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
Style	"text-align:center; background:#ffdf9f;"| 109
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| SNO 5
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| ACR 1
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| OLY 1
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| ORE Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| SUS Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| NEW Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| OJI Ret
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| COL 5
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| LSP 1
Style	"text-align:center; background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
Style	"text-align:center; background:#dfdfdf;"| 86
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| SNO Ret
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| ACR 1
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| OLY Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| ORE Ret
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| SUS 1
Style	"background:#dfdfdf;"| NEW 2
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| OJI Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| COL Ret
Style	"background:#ffdf9f;"| LSP 3
Style	"text-align:center; background:#dfffdf;"| 4th
Style	"text-align:center; background:#dfffdf;"| 80
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| SNO Ret
Style	"background:#ffffbf;"| ACR 1
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| OLY Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| ORE Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| SUS Ret
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| NEW Ret
| style	"text-align:center; background:#cfcfff;"| 12th
Style	"text-align:center; background:#cfcfff;"| 27
Style	"background:#cfcfff;"| MEX28
!rowspan	2| NC
| style	"background:#cfcfff;"| NZL56
Style	"background:#cfcfff;"| NZL30
Style	"background:#cfcfff;"| MEX18
Style	"background:#cfcfff;"| TUR24
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| PORRet
Style	"background:#efcfff;"| DEURet
Style	"background:#cfcfff;"| FRA12
Style	"background:#dfffdf;"| ESP9
Style	"background:#cfcfff;"| GBR21
Name	Block, Ken
Date of birth	1967-11-21
Place of birth	Long Beach, California

Category:American rally drivers Category:World Rally Championship drivers Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:American sports businesspeople

Name	Jeremiah Smith
Office	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's At-large district (Seat 1)
Term start	March 4, 1791
Term end	July 26, 1797
Predecessor	Abiel Foster
Successor	Peleg Sprague
Order2	9th
Office2	Governor of New Hampshire
Term start2	June 8, 1809
Term end2	June 5, 1810
Predecessor2	John Langdon
Successor2	John Langdon
Date of birth	November 29, 1759
Place of birth	Peterborough, Province of New Hampshire
Dead	dead
Date of death	September 21, 1842
Place of death	Dover, New Hampshire
Residence	Exeter
Spouse	Elizabeth Ross, Elizabeth Hale (married twice)
Profession	Attorney
Religion	Presbyterian
Alma mater	Harvard University, Rutgers College
Party	Federalist
Otherparty	Pro-Administration (until 1795)

Jeremiah Smith (November 29, 1759 – September 21, 1842) was an American lawyer, jurist and politician from Exeter, New Hampshire.

Born in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Smith attended Harvard University before graduating from Queens College, New Brunswick (now Rutgers University) in 1780. He served in the Continental Army, and read law to enter the bar in 1786. He was in private practice in Peterborough from 1786 to 1796. He was a member, of the New Hampshire State Legislature from 1798 to 1791, and represented the state in the United States House of Representatives from 1791 to 1797. He was a United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire from 1797 to 1800. He was a probate judge of Rockingham County, New Hampshire from 1800 to 1801.

On February 18, 1801, Smith was nominated by President John Adams to a new seat as a federal judge on the United States circuit court for the First Circuit, created by 2 Stat. 89. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day. Smith's federal judicial service was terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court. He then became Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of New Hampshire, from 1802 to 1809.

Smith was elected Governor of New Hampshire in 1809, defeating incumbent Governor John Langdon by only 319 votes. However, Langdon defeated Smith in the following election, in 1810. Smith returned to the private practice of law from 1810 until 1813, when he again became Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of New Hampshire, this time until 1916, when he was removed by the elimination of the court by the legislature. He again returned to private practice New Hampshire from 1816 to 1820.

Smith died in 1842 in Dover, New Hampshire, and is buried at the Winter Street Cemetery in Exeter.

References

External links

Smith's Congressional biography

Category:1759 births Category:1842 deaths Category:Governors of New Hampshire Category:Judges of the United States circuit courts Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire Category:United States federal judges appointed by John Adams Category:Chief Justices of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Category:Rutgers University alumni Category:New Hampshire Federalists

Name	Jake Brown
Caption	Jake Brown in San Diego in 2010
Birth date	September 06, 1974
Birth place	Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Skateboarder

}}

Jake 'Ironman' Brown (born 6 September 1974) is an Australian skateboarder who competes in the X Games. He began competing in 1996, turning pro the following year.

Mega Ramp Fall

On 2 August 2007, during the Summer X Games 2007 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Brown suffered what ESPN commentators called the "heaviest slam we have ever seen", on his fifth and final run, he landed the first ever 720, in competition, on a mega ramp, but on the ensuing trick, he lost his balance, flew into the air, and fell about 45 feet (15 m) onto the ramp below. According to Brown, when he landed the 720, he was approaching the quarterpipe too far to the left. At that moment, he started carving towards the right, which caused him to go into a slide. At the peak of the ramp he lost his footing separating him from his board. He flailed in the air and crashed down after a 40 foot fall. He lay unconscious as medical staff tended to him, but, amazingly, walked away from the scene. Brown was released from the hospital on the 5th of August 2007, having been there for three days for observations.

References

Category:1974 births Category:Australian skateboarders Category:Living people Category:X-Games athletes