ESPN’s Winter X Games 14 Adds Two New Disciplines

Skiing SuperPipe High Air and Snowmobile Knock Out Added;

Unprecedented 24 ½ Hours of Live Coverage on ESPN and ESPN2

Winter X Games 14, to be held January 28-31, 2010 in Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., and aired live on ESPN and ESPN2, will feature new events, more than 40 past and present Olympians and 9 ½ hours of increased television coverage. Two new disciplines will make their debut – Skiing SuperPipe High Air and Snowmobile Knock Out. In addition to 24 ½ hours of live programming on ESPN, Winter X Games 14 will be offered on ESPN International, XGames.com, ESPN360.com, SportsCenter and ESPN2’s X Center.

Skiing SuperPipe High Air will feature the top six skiers in the world competing in a 30-minute jam format for highest air. Snowmobile Knock Out will feature six athletes competing in a single elimination format. The athlete score is based on the actual distance travelled from take off ramp to landing. Each round, the rider who travels the least distance gets knocked out of competition. Snowmobile champion, Levi LaVallee, is confirmed to compete in the debut of Snowmobile Knock Out.

“I’m really excited about the new event,” said LaVallee, who made an even bigger name for himself last year at Winter X Games when he attempted a double backflip. “It gives snocross a similar event to Moto Step Up, which is always a crowd favorite. With my snocross and freestyle background, I’m hoping to be one of the front runners.”

For the complete, updated list of Winter X Games 14 athletes, log on to http://www.xgames.com.

*PLEASE NOTE: The invited athlete list is constantly being updated and is subject to change.

Among the first wave of invited athletes:

Gretchen Bleiler: Three-time Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe gold medalist and 2006 Winter Olympic silver medalist

Torah Bright: Four-time Winter X Games medalist and defending Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe champion

Sarah Burke: Three-time defending Winter X Games Skiing SuperPipe gold medalist

Simon Dumont: Three-time Winter X Games gold medalist and defending Ski Big Air gold medalist

Nate Holland: Four-time Winter X Games Snowboarder X gold medalist is going for the first ever five-peat in 2010 and is a member of the U.S. Snowboard team

Lindsey Jacobellis: Five-time Winter X Games Snowboarder X gold medalist and 2006 Winter Olympic silver medalist

Levi Lavalle: Three-time Winter X Games gold medalist and the only Snowmobile Freestyle athlete to attempt a double backflip in competition

Casey Puckett: Two-time Winter X Games Skier X gold medalist

Daron Rahlves: Winter X Games 12 Skier X gold medalist and widely considered as the most accomplished speed skier in American history with 28 World Cup podiums and three World Championship podiums over the course of the last decade

Tyler Walker: Two-time Winter X Games and defending Mono Skier X gold medalist

Seth Wescott: Six-time Winter X Games Snowboarder X medalist and defending 2006 Winter Olympics gold medalist

Shaun White: Nine-time Winter X Games gold medalist and defending Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe and 2006 Winter Olympic gold medalist

The 14th annual winter action sports competition will feature nearly 300 men and women from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in the following sports: Skiing, Snowboard and Snowmobile. The event includes day and evening competitions and is free to the public. This will be the eighth consecutive Winter X Games that Buttermilk Mountain at Aspen/Snowmass has hosted.

ESPN and ESPN2 will televise 24 ½ hours of LIVE high-definition programming Jan. 28-Jan 31. ESPN2 will present daily late-night highlight programs in HD from Jan. 28-Jan. 31, resulting in eight additional hours of HD programming for Winter X Games 14. Additionally, the Winter X Games will also be televised on ESPN's International networks to 172 countries and territories in Latin America, the Pacific Rim, Middle East, Africa, Israel and Canada.