
What started out as a very snowy day, ended in spectacular fashion — and weather — with Canada’s TJ Schiller taking home the top spot for mens slopestyle. With elimination rounds in the morning, the boys were on the slope course all day, dealing with variable speed, snow and wind, with the top eight moving on to finals.
Colby West took the top qualifying spot, as the only one to do a trick over the channel gap and hit the big wedge on the “money booter.” Sammy Carlson and TJ Schiller followed closely behind in 2nd and 3rd. Not able to qualify for finals were heavy hitters like PK Hunder, Jossi Wells, Peter Olenick and Simon Dumont. Simon actually pulled his ski off in the middle of a misty 1080, but still managed to stomp it. No big deal. The speed on each run was variable, changing rider to rider, and it definitely threw some competitors for a loop.

In the finals, the weather cleared and the sun managed to peak out for a bit of practice and a couple runs. TJ took it to the super quick course with perfection, neatly topping all the other runs of the day. The only rider to throw an invert off the snow box, TJ competed in typical Tom James fashion, with his first run score of 93 holding up throughout the rest of the afternoon. Rightside 900 over the channel, barrel roll off the snow box, switch rodeo 720 off the canon box were just some of TJ’s arsenal.
Sammy Carlson’s 2nd place run — also his first of the finals — brought back the switch 1080 poke, rail switch ups and a big spin off the canon box. Pasty C has been looking for redemption since last year’s elimination round and he got it today. Colby West, who collects his third X Games medal in as many years, was going huge throwing a switch misty 900 over the channel gap and a monster 900 on the bottom air to snag 3rd.

Tj Schiller, who started the week of X Games as the 2nd alternate for Slopestyle, managed to compete due to an injury to JF Houle and last minute drop outs by Tanner Hall, Jacob Wester and Jon Olsson.
TJ came out of the gates with all cylinders firing, and it’s only fitting that TJ wins X Games gold after taking a year off due to a torn ACL.
Men’s Final Slopestyle Results:
1) TJ Schiller
2) Sammy Carlson
3) Colby West
4) Andreas HÃ¥tveit
5) Phil Casabon
6) Bobby Brown
7) Matt Walker
8) Charles Gagnier
This marks the end of the X Games, it was a hell of a week. Big props go out to the crowds that make it worth competing, the athletes who make it the most exciting week in skiing and all the staff and volunteers who make the X Games run so smoothly.
