X Games gold medalist Tom Wallisch on jump 1.
Spring has officially sprung in Tignes, France for the Winter X Games Europe competition. Similar to the Winter X Games in Aspen, the France-iteration of the contest has just gotten underway here in the heart of the French Alps. The world's best slopestyle skiers have descended upon Tignes, France, here's what they're working with.
Also: Click here for our superpipe preview.
The slopestyle course is markedly differnet from other courses set here in the past, but all for the better. Gone is the dog leg turn that plagued the skiers' speed in the past. Gone are the long, long gaps between features. And gone are the cannon rails/boxes of the past. Instead the course is running lean and mean with six features.
Russ Henshaw switch 540s jump three for the peanut gallery.
Gus Kenworthy switch rodeo 720's the second jump.
The first rail option is a triple threat with twin flat to down rails sandwiching a flat-down box. There are a number of options here, so watch for some crazy stuff to go down. The second feature is a two-part. With a pole jam on to a wahle-tail type feature that ends with either a down rail or down box. Don't fall off or you'll hit some flats (as seen in the above video by Alex Schlopy). You then move into a triple jump line, and things are capped off with another rail feature: either an up to flat-down rail or rainbow rail.
With another day of practice tomorrow, the competitors will get things dialed. On the men's side a new slopestyle and superpipe champ will be crowned as reigning gold medalists JF Houle and Kevin Rolland are currently injured. On the women's slope side, Kaya Turski will look to three-peat here in France (and take her sixth conescutive X medal). The first official action starts Wednesday with Men's Slopestyle qualifers and Women's Slopestyle Finals. Stay tuned.
Also: Click here for our superpipe preview.
Kaya Turski cleans the flat-down box in training.
Bobby Brown, Gus Kenworthy and Russ Henshaw are ready to go.
