X-Qual Winners and X-Games Preview

Three Superpipe riders and four slopestyle competitors battled their way through a slew of freeskiing’s best up-and-coming riders at the Paul Mitchell X-Qualifiers last weekend in Breckenridge, CO. The lucky seven earned tickets to the final spots in the X-Games, to be held Jan. 24-27, 2004 in Aspen, CO.

Dan Marion, representing the Carabasset Valley Academy, nailed down the first-place finish in slopestyle, while Pete Olenick and Silas Miller filled in the rest of the podium. Sweden's Niklas Karlstrom beat out such competition as Heath Ordway, Jon McMurray, Rex Thomas, Mike Wilson, and Rory Bushfield for the fourth ticket to the Games.

In the U-ditch, Phil Belanger picked up first place, but because he'd already received a wild card entry, an X Games spot was also given to the fourth-place finisher. Chris Turpin’s switch antics helped him lock down second place, while Olenick picked up a third-place finish and another X-Games spot. Niklas Karlstrom's fourth-place effort gave him his second X Games event.

These qualifiers will join the other qualified skiers (20 total for slopestyle, 16 for halfpipe) in Aspen for more insanity. Slopestyle competitors will face off in the prelims and finals on Sunday, Jan. 25, while the halfpipe competition will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 27, culminating in a nighttime final.

Slopestyle will be aired on ESPN from 3-6pm Jan. 25 (EST), and halfpipe on Jan. 27 from 9-11pm (EST).

For more information, check out www.expn.com

Qualified Athletes
Superpipe
Tanner Hall
Jon Olsson
C.R. Johnson
Jon Reedy
Greg Tuffelmire
Dave Crichton
Shoya Okazaki
Phil Belanger
Phil Larose
Scott Hibbert
Simon Dumont
Henrik Windstedt
Gigi Couttet
Chris Turpin
Pete Olenick
Niklas Karlstrom

Slopestyle
Tanner Hall
Jon Olsson
Steele Spence
Laurent Favre
Rory Silva
Nick Mercon
Simon Dumont
Mark Abma
Iannick B.
Charles Gagne
Thomas Diet
Lars Veen
Nico Zacek
Mickael Deschenaux
C.R. Johnson
Chris Turpin
Dan Marion
Pete Olenick
Silas Miller
Niklas Karlstrom