Whistler athletes are among the athletes selected to represent Canada at the first ever X-Games Global Championships on May 17.
The championships pit two athletes from each region against the world in various summer and winter X-Games events. The regions include Canada, the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America.
While the X-Games and extreme sports are traditionally individual events, the organizers created the X-Games Global Championships to bring some patriotism into the mix.
The summer events will take place in San Antonio, Texas and the winter events on Whistler Mountain. There are 11 events in total, and only the winter sport events are open to both male and female competitors.
The athlete invitations were based on results from this season from a variety of different events, including the X-Games, the U.S. Open, various World Cups, and others.
On April 1, after months of anticipation, the list of athletes was announced.
Team Canada looks pretty good at this point, although with only the best of the best invited to compete, nobody is going to cakewalk their way onto a podium. For the most part the athletes are young, aggressive, and capable of winning medals on any given day.
In the Superpipe competition, Whistler rider Maelle Ricker and Vancouvers Natasza Zurek will represent Canada on the womens side. Both are members of the national team, and both have participated in the Olympics, on the World Cup circuit and in industry events like the X-Games, Van Triple Crown, and U.S. Open.
In the mens Superpipe, the Canadian field was narrowed down to Whistlers Trevor Andrew and Guillaume Morisset of Stoneham, Quebec. Both are past members of the national team, Olympians, and have similar competitive credentials to the Canadian women.
In the skiers Superpipe, Sarah Burke will be representing Canada. Burke used to live in Whistler, but the 20-year-old, who is originally from Ontario, is skiing out of Mammoth this season. Burke was the first female skier to land a 1080 in a freeski competition, and is still the only competitor to consistently land 720s.
This year she was first in the U.S. Open Slopestyle and second in the U.S. Open halfpipe.
In the mens Superpipe, two of the Phils, Philippe Belanger and Philippe Larose of Quebec City were chosen to represent Canada. Both are among the founders of the new school freeski movement, both have ample experience competing in premier events, and both are capable of winning the gold medal on any given day.
In the summer events, Canada has strong contenders in every event.
Jay Miron of Coquitlam, B.C., has won nine X-Games medals in the BMX competition, and has a good shot in the park event at San Antonio. Hell be joined by Vancouvers Dave Osato, an up and coming rider who rarely finishes outside the top-10 in any event.
Miron will also compete in the vert ramp, where he will be joined by Rob Sigaty of Nelson, another veteran of the sport who is comfortable in any type of event.
In the aggressive in-line skate park contest, Nick Adams and Matt Donald of Montreal will represent Canada. Jon Bergeron of Longveil, Quebec, and Elmer Pillon of Toronto are on deck in the vert ramp event.
In the skateboard park event, the Canadians are Rick McCrank of Vancouver and Dan Pageau of Montreal. In the vert ramp, Pierre Luc Gagnon of Montreal is Canadas best hope. Gagnon is a gold medal winner in the X-Games before, and was the world champion in 2001. Hell be joined in the vert ramp by Max Dufour of St. Lambert, Quebec.
In the Moto X Freestyle contest, the Canadians are Benoit Milot of Yamachiche, Quebec, and Mike Samson of Kamloops.
The Competition:
Team USA
Snowboard Superpipe Men
Ross Powers, Londonderry, Vermont
Shaun White, Carlsbad, California
Snowboard Superpipe Women
Gretchen Bleiler, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Kelly Clark, Mount Snow, Vermont
Ski Superpipe Men
Tanner Hall, Kalispell, Montana
CR Johnson, Truckee, CA
Ski Superpipe Women
Kim Stacey, Mammoth, CA
Bike Stunt Park
Dave Mirra, Greenville, North Carolina
Ryan Nyquist, Greenville, NC
Bike Stunt Vert
Dave Mirra, Greenville, NC
Kevin Robinson, Woodward, Pennsylvania
Skateboard Park
Eric Koston, San Bernadina, California
Chris Senn, Grass Valley, CA
Skateboard Vert
Bucky Lasek, Carslbad, CA
Andy Macdonald, San Diego, CA
Aggressive In-Line Park
Brian Aragon, Brighton, CO
Jaren Grob, Orem, Utah
Moto X Freestyle
Mike Metzger, Menifee, CA
Kenny Bartram, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Team Asia
Snowboard Superpipe Men
Keijiro Kasahara, Japan
Takashiro Ishihara, Japan
Snowboard Superpipe Women
Junko Asazuma, Japan
Yuri Yoshikawa, Japan
Ski Superpipe Men
Shoya Okazaki, Japan
Motoki Shimomura, Japan
Ski Superpipe Women
Tomoko Kojima, Japan
Bike Stunt Park
Kenji Tsuruta, Japan
Shuji Ueyama, Japan
Bike Stunt Vert
Seiji Saito, Japan
Shuji Ueyama, Japan
Skateboard Park
Ahmad Fadzil Musa, Malaysia
Mohd Zamri Mohd Ramli, Malaysia
Skateboard Vert
Yota Manome, Japan
Gen Ogawa, Japan
Aggressive In-Line Park
Ken Kitada, Japan
Jeeresak Tassorn, Thailand
Moto X Freestyle
Eigo Sato, Japan
Daisuke Suzuki
Team Europe
Snowboard Superpipe Men
Daniel Franck, Norway
Gian Simmen, Switzerland
Snowboard Superpipe Women
Manuela Pesko, Norway
Doriane Vidal, France
Ski Superpipe Men
Jon Olsson, Sweden
Candide Thovex, France
Ski Superpipe Women
Marie Martinode, France
Bike Stunt Park
Ruben Alcantara, Spain
Alistair Whitton, Britain
Bike Stunt Vert
Jamie Bestwick, Britain
Simon Tabron, Britain
Skateboard Park
Chris Astrom, Sweden
Jeremy Reinhard, Germany
Skateboard Vert
Rune Glifberg, Denmark
Mathias Ringstrom, Sweden
Aggressive In-Line Park
Stephane Alfano, France
Bruno Lowe, Germany
Moto X Freestyle
Manu Troux, France
Sebastian Wolter, Germany
Team Australia
Snowboard Superpipe Men
Andrew Burton
Marcus Wehrle
Snowboard Superpipe Women
Torah Bright
Holly Crawford
Ski Superpipe Men
Woodie Bouma
Ben Murphy
Ski Superpipe Women
Cat Smiley
Bike Stunt Park
Ryan Guettier
Colin Mackay
Bike Stunt Vert
Matt Fairbairn
Robert Smith
Skateboard Park
Chad Bartie
Jeff Williams
Skateboard Vert
Jake Brown
Renton Millar
Aggressive In-Line Park
Ian Brown
Blake Dennis
Moto X Freestyle
Dayne Kinnaird
Luke Urek
Team South America
Snowboard Superpipe Men
Franz Baehr, Chile
Spiro Razis, Chile
Snowboard Superpipe Women
Carolia Galeano, Chile
Magnolia Barra, Chile
Ski Superpipe Men
TBD
Ski Superpipe Women
TBD
Bike Stunt Park
Latin American X Games Champions
Bike Stunt Vert
Latin American X Games Champions
Skateboard Park
Carlos de Andrade, Brazil
Rodil De Araujo Jr, Brazil
Skateboard Vert
Bob Burnquist, Brazil
Sandro Dias, Brazile
Aggressive In-Line Park
Santiago Azpurua, Venezuela
Carlos Pianowski, Brazil
Moto X Freestyle
Rudy Waller, Costa Rica
Javier Villejas, Chile