ASPEN, Colo., Jan. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
medal run continues! Monster Energy congratulates its team of
freeski and snowboard athletes on bringing the heat on day two of X
Games Aspen 2022. During Saturday's competitions at the 25th
edition of Winter X Games, Monster Energy riders claimed a total of
seven medals (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) at Buttermilk Mountain in
Aspen Snowmass, Colorado.
Rising all the way to the top in Pacifico Women's Snowboard Big
Air, 20-year-old Zoi
Sadowski-Synnott claimed her career-first X Games gold medal
in the discipline and her second gold at X Games Aspen 2022 after
yesterday's Slopestyle win. The silver medal went to no other than
the most decorated woman in snow sports, Monster Energy's
Jamie Anderson, who now owns a
record-setting 21 X Games medals.
In the epic Men's Ski Big Air final, 23-year-old Monster Energy
rider Alex Hall from Park City, Utah, clinched the win on his last
attempt with a never-been-done 2160-degree aerial. Under the
floodlights, the Men's Snowboard Big Air contest saw Canada's Max
Parrot bring home the silver medal, followed by Finnish
style icon Rene Rinnekangas in third place.
In the Jeep Women's Ski Slopestyle final, newly minted Monster
Energy athlete Megan Oldham from
Canada took the bronze medal with
a technical run. The competitive Jeep Men's Snowboard Slopestyle
contest, Swedish team rider Sven
Thorgren rose to the podium in bronze-medal position after
suffering a heavy slam.
X Games Aspen 2022 marks the 21st
consecutive competition at the high-profile resort in the heart of
the Rocky Mountains. Supported by Monster Energy as the official
energy drink partner of X Games, this year's event includes 100 of
the world's best action sports athletes competing for a total of 42
medals across 14 disciplines. The three-day spectacle features
Men's and Women's Ski and Snowboard competitions in the disciplines
of Slopestyle, Big Air, SuperPipe, and the innovative Knuckle Huck,
alongside Special Olympics Unified competitions.
After allowing only athletes and staff last year, X Games Aspen
2022 welcomes spectators back to competition viewing and X Fest
areas amid stringent COVID-19 safety protocols. This weekend
features fan activations, a festival village and DJ performances
such as Illenium on Friday night. ESPN and ABC are broadcasting
13.5 hours of live competition, with 7.5 additional hours streamed
live on @XGames digital channels, and all 21 hours live via the
ESPN App.
Here's how the action unfolded for team Monster Energy on day
one of X Games Aspen 2022:
Jeep Women's Ski Slopestyle: Monster Energy's Megan Oldham
Claims Bronze in Elite Field
After overcast skies and challenging conditions loomed on day
one, Saturday brought blue skies over Buttermilk Mountain. The
perfect backdrop for the Jeep Women's Ski Slopestyle, in which
seven riders tried to put down the highest-scoring run in a
35-minute jam session. Countries represented in the final included
Estonia, France, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, and the
United States.
With several riders posting perfect runs on the Snowpark
Technologies-designed course, the pressure to climb into a podium
position was at an all-time high. But pressure is exactly where
20-year-old Megan Oldham from
Parry Sound, Canada, is known to
thrive.
After having difficulty posting a perfect run, Oldham dropped in
one last time as the final rider of the entire contest – and found
her line! 4 In the rails section, she finessed a gap to 270 off,
switch up 270 out and switch 270 on the flat-down rail. Charging
into the jump section, Oldham posted a rightside cork 900 tail
grab, switch double cork 900 safety grab, and her signature switch
double cork 1260 safety grab on the final hit for the bronze
medal.
Oldham now owns five X Games medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
after already taking silver in Women's Ski Big Air at X Games Aspen
2022 on Friday night. Despite her young age, the Ontario native already holds an FIS Freeski
World Cup Crystal Globe. She made history as the first female
Canadian athlete to earn a podium finish at X Games by claiming
Women's Ski Big Air gold at Norway
2020.
Jeep Men's Snowboard Slopestyle: Monster Energy's Sven Thorgren
Rises into Third Place
The snow action continued in the Jeep Men's Snowboard Slopestyle
event. The elite field featured ten of the world's best freestyle
snowboarders, representing only five countries: Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the
United States.
The downhill obstacle course designed by master builders
Snowpark Technologies offered the perfect backdrop for world-class
tricks. In the top section, the course featured 15 different rails
and jib obstacles. In the jump section, riders traversed three
consecutive jumps ranging from 55-feet length to 60-feet and the
final 65-feet 'money booter' jump for going big at the bottom.
As the final session got underway, the action took a sudden
pause when 27-year-old Sven Thorgren
from Stockholm, Sweden suffered a
heavy fall early in his run. After sitting out the next attempt to
recover, it was unclear whether the previous Slopestyle gold
medalist (X Games Norway 2017) would be able to continue
competing.
Ultimately, Thorgren returned to the course – and rise to the
podium! As his competitors posted perfect runs, the Swedish
all-terrain rider fired back with a flawless routine on his final
run of the day: In the rails, Thorgren landed a backside 360 on 180
pretzel out, Cab 360 on, and switch frontside boardslide 270.
Hitting the jumps with speed, he put down a switch double cork 1260
tail grab, frontside triple cork 1440 mute, and backside 1620
stalefish on the final kicker for the bronze medal.
Known as a podium favorite in Big Air and Slopestyle contests,
Thorgren now owns 8 X Games medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze).
Outside the contest arena, the talented Swede channels his
'Svenergy' into snowboard videos with the Scandalnavians crew.
Pacifico Women's Snowboard Big Air: Monster Energy's Zoi
Sadowski-Synnott Claims Career-First Gold in Discipline, Jamie
Anderson Earns Silver
The Monster Energy team continued storming the podium in the
spectacular Pacifico Women's Snowboard Big Air final. Under blue
skies on Buttermilk Mountain, riders attacked the Big Air jump
across a 70-foot gap attempting to build a high score composed of
two tricks. Only five riders competed in the jam session,
representing Canada, Japan, New
Zealand, and the United
States.
Despite the pared down field of riders, the energetic crowd in
Aspen was in for an outstanding
showcase of progressive aerials. Dropping in with confidence after
winning the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle event on Friday,
20-year-old Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
from Wanaka, New Zealand, started
stacking high scores right out the gate.
On her first run, the Kiwi ripper put down a perfect frontside
1080 double cork melon for 40 points. On her third run in the
final, Sadowski-Synnott upped the ante with a fast-spinning
backside 1260 mute, rotating around her axis three-and-a-half
times. On the strength of a combined score of 85.00 points, she
took her final run as a victory lap and earned her first X Games
gold medal in Big Air.
"I'm just stoked to be out here and still winning and competing
with all the girls. Everyone out here has been sending it and that
just pushes me!" said Sadowski-Synnott upon winning Big Air gold at
X Games Aspen 2022.
Despite her young age, Sadowski-Synnott now owns seven X Games
medals (4 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). She is also the reigning 2021
FIS World Snowboard Champion. She was named 'Rookie of the Year' in
the 2020 Snowboarder Magazine Awards and made history by winning
Slopestyle bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, ending
New Zealand's 26-year medal
drought and becoming a national hero.
The young phenom was joined on the podium by the most decorated
woman in snow sports, 31-year-old Jamie
Anderson from South Lake
Tahoe. Dropping in as the defending Big Air gold medalist
from X Games Aspen 2022, Anderson brought the heat by building a
high score early on her first two attempts.
On Run 1, the snowboard icon posted a perfect Cab backside
double cork 1080 mute for 42 points. She then followed up by
sending a huge frontside double cork 1080 over the 70-feet gap on
Run 2 for 40 points. She attempted a difficult Cab 1260 on her
final attempt, yet unable to stick the landing. But on the strength
of 82.00 points overall, Anderson claimed Big Air silver.
Saturday's second-place finish ties Anderson with Canadian
snowboarder Mark McMorris for most
Winter X Games medals in history at 21 medals. Anderson now owns 8
gold, 9 silver, and 4 bronze medals in the event. Recognized as a
trailblazer of the sport, Anderson won the inaugural snowboard
slopestyle competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,
Russia and took gold in the 2018
Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South
Korea. She is set to represent the USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Men's Ski Big Air: Monster Energy's Alex Hall Clinches Gold with
History-Making Trick
The nighttime action on Saturday kicked off with the Men's Ski
Big Air contest in front of a high-energy crowd. Under the
floodlights, eight riders competed to post the two highest-scoring
aerials for a combined score in the 35-minute jam session.
In the diverse field of finalists, riders hailed from seven
countries: Austria, Canada, France, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and the
United States. With five athletes already owning X Games Big
Air gold, the crowd was in for an unforgettable battle for Big Air
dominance.
As the final unfolded, rider after rider posted never-been-done
moves to edge ahead of the competition. With scores soon settling
above the 40-point benchmark, the top of the leaderboard shifted by
the minute in a wild rollercoaster final. And the fans on
Buttermilk Mountain loved every minute of the epic progression
session.
One rider who kept calm amid the madness was 23-year-old Monster
Energy rider Alex Hall from
Park City, Utah. Standing at 6'4",
Hall entered X Games Aspen 2022 as the tallest athlete on the
roster. He also came in as proven X Games gold medalist in Big Air
(Norway 2019) and a known driver
of the sport's progression.
It was exactly this drive for progression that gave Hall the edge
in the high-stakes final. After opening with a technical rightside
double cork 900 pullback, he edged into a podium position with a
leftside double 1980 in his signature Buick grab (46 points).
But as the contest turned to final attempts, Hall found himself
bumped into fourth place with American freeskier Mac Forehand claiming the lead. Digging deep for
a high-scoring move, Hall unveiled a trick never landed in X Games
competition history: A switch leftside 2160 Buick – that's six full
rotations – earned 48 points and first place on a total score of
94.00 points. As ESPN broadcast commentator Tom Wallisch concluded: "The game has been
changed!"
Asked what prompted him to unleash the historic trick on his
last attempt, Hall said: "It came down to last tricks. Everyone
just went off so hard, I guess I just tried to max them. It was
super fun!"
On the strength of Saturday's Big Air gold, Hall now owns 7 X
Games medals (5 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze). As a proven all-terrain
vehicle (ATV), the Park City local
owns X Games gold medals in four disciplines: Big Air, Slopestyle,
Knuckle Huck, and the Real Ski video competition. Before competing
at X Games Aspen, he won FIS Mammoth World Cup in the Slopestyle
discipline.
Men's Snowboard Big Air: Monster Energy's Max Parrot Claims
Silver, Rene Rinnekangas Secures Bronze Medal
A big day at X Games Aspen 2022 ended on a high note in the
Men's Snowboard Big Air contest. With an elite field of freestyle
snowboarders on deck, the crowd on Buttermilk Mountain created a
true party atmosphere to celebrate the progression of snowboarding
under the lights.
One rider stepped into the 35-minute jam session with a score to
settle: 27-year-old Max Parrot from
Bromont, Canada wanted to continue
where he left off after earning Big Air gold at X Games Aspen 2020.
At X Games Aspen 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic sidelined the six-time
Big Air gold medalist. Now he was back for more.
Dropping into the final with confidence, Parrot put down a
perfect Cab triple cork 1800 mute grab on his first run for 40
points. The Canadian snowboard icon then followed up by ways of
frontside triple cork 1620 Indy for 34 points. But after missing
the landing on his next attempts, it all came down to the wire for
Parrot: On his last run of the night, he stuck the landing on a
perfect frontside triple cork 1800 mute for 41 points. Netting
81.00 points in total, Parrot walked away with the silver medal
behind Marcus Kleveland in first
place.
After earning silver on Saturday night, Parrot now owns 14 X
Games medals (8 gold, 6 silver). He holds the record for most X
Games Snowboard Big Air gold medals at 6 medals, and the most Big
Air medals overall at 11 medals in 12 starts. Parrot earned the
silver medal in Slopestyle at the 2018 Winter Olympics and will be
representing Canada at the 2022
Beijing Winter Olympics in February.
Also rising to the podium to claim a career-first Big Air medal,
22-year-old Rene Rinnekangas from Iisalmi, Finland, stoked the crowd throughout the final
and walked away with the bronze medal. Right away on his first
attempt, the Finnish style icon blasted a huge backside 1980 melon
for 41 points to take over the lead. He then cemented his lead by
pulling a frontside 1800 melon grab for 39 points. After attempting
to raise the difficulty level over his remaining attempts,
Rinnekangas finished in third place with 80.00 points to claim his
career-first Big Air medal at X Games.
Rinnekangas already owns a gold medal from winning the 2020 X
Games Real Snow contest, alongside Slopestyle bronze and silver
(Aspen 2021 and 2019). After
earning the silver medal in Friday's Special Olympics Unified
competition teamed up with Cody
Field, the 'Flying Finn' now owns five X Games medals (1
gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze). When he's not competing or filming
acclaimed video parts, Rinnekangas plays bass guitar in his
brother's punk band, Kätfish.
Stay tuned for more action on Sunday, the final day of X Games
Aspen 2022! Over the course of three action-packed days, 13.5 hours
of competitions from X Games Aspen 2022 will be broadcast live on
ESPN and ABC, supplemented by live coverage and behind-the-scenes
content across digital X Games properties.
Fans can also follow the action on ESPN's online streaming
services, with select disciplines available on X Games YouTube,
Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter, and all 21 hours of live
competitions streamed on the ESPN App. X Games Aspen 2022 will be
televised globally in 192 countries and territories to more than
500 million homes.
Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X
Games Aspen 2022 including photos, videos, and contest results as
they happen. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and TikTok. for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at
Buttermilk Mountain.
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About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California,
Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and
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Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross,
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the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that
believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes
and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life
lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers, and fans. See more
about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at
http://www.monsterenergy.com.
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SOURCE Monster Energy