Monster Energy Dominates at X Games Aspen 2019

The level of stoke was also at an all-time high, as Monster Energy athletes kept raising the bar with record-setting performances all weekend: Snowboard phenom Chloe Kim defended her gold medal in Women’s Superpipe and now boasts a podium-perfect record with seven medals in just as many X Games appearances. In the high-octane Wendy’s Snow BikeCross race, Canadian team rider Cody Matechuk defended his gold to claim his third consecutive podium in the event. The first-ever Para Snow BikeCross at a Winter X Games saw Monster Energy’s Doug Henry take home his first X Games gold medal in 14 years. Off-road Jeep pilot Casey Currie claimed gold in the brand-new Jeep Wrangler X Challenge and Cassie Sharpe shut down Women’s Ski SuperPipe with a gold medal run for the history books.

Thursday started the Games on a high note in Women’s Ski SuperPipe as Cassie Sharpe came back from a harsh slam to take the win on her third and final run: high-flying 900s both ways followed by a flawless Flair, right 720, switch left 360, and a massive 9.9-foot 1080 earned the 26-year-old Canadian shredder 94.00 points and the gold medal, her second gold in Ski SuperPipe at X Games. Over in Men’s Ski SuperPipe, David Wise from Reno, Nevada posted multi-directional double cork 1260s, right 1080 and a switch left double cork 1080 for a strong silver finish, boosting his X Games medal count to six (4 gold, 2 silver).

Continuing Thursday’s podium run, Monster Energy’s Jamie Anderson took on the world’s best freestyle riders in Women’s Snowboard Big Air. Known as the most decorated woman in X Games history and a fierce Slopestyle competitor, Anderson sent technical aerials such as a new Cab double 900 and frontside 720 mute over the 82-foot gap on her first run. She kept battling for the top spot but had to settle for bronze after taking a heavy slam on a frontside 1080 attempt that also sidelined her from defending her gold medal in Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle. 

The second day of X Games Aspen 2019 kicked off with a major surprise in Women’s Ski Slopestyle: After closely missing the podium last year, Monster Energy’s Sarah Hoefflin attacked the course with technical switch tricks on the rails and boxes, followed by a back-to-back aerial combo featuring right 540, switch 720 and switch right 1080 for 90.00 points and a strong silver finish. She was joined on the podium by teammate and Aspen 2018 gold medalist Maggie Voisin from Montana, who did not quite get the run she wanted but stoked the crowd with backside 360 to switch up on the box, right 900 and double cork 1260 for bronze.

Next it was time for something new: The first Jeep Wrangler X Challenge saw athletes from a wide range of action sports – including skateboarding and motocross – take the all-new Jeep Wrangler SUV across a snow-covered obstacle course. In a test of skills, finesse and precision, Monster Energy off-road Jeep pilot Casey Currie claimed gold by clearing the course in 46.640 seconds – a solid 8.89 seconds ahead of the closest competitor.

Once the sun had set over Buttermilk Mountain, it was time for the highly anticipated Snowmobile Freestyle Final where Monster Energy’s Brett Turcotte was defending last year’s gold medal. Facing heat from Sweden’s Daniel Bodin, Turcotte stoked the crowd with fully controlled tech moves including a new variation on his signature California Roll body varial, as well as Oxycutioner to Rock Solid, and Coyote Indy – a backflip performed hanging sideways from the handlebar. When all was said and done, the 30-year-old from Clearwater, Canada, had to settle for silver, but still had shots at the podium in Snow BikeCross and Snow Bike Best Trick.

Closing out day two with a bang, The Real Cost Men’s Snowboard Big Air Final demonstrated the incredible progression in freestyle snowboarding. The world’s best riders sent never-seen-before tricks over the massive gap jump, but Monster Energy’s Sven Thorgren fired back with some bangers of his own: A clean frontside triple cork 1440 mute and a competition-first backside triple rodeo melon earned the 24-year-old Swede a well-deserved bronze, his third career X Games medal. 

Saturday presented a massive roster of eight events at X Games Aspen 2019, starting off with high-speed snow racing. In the first-ever Para Snow BikeCross at a Winter X Games, snow bike athletes who are not ambulatory took on the BikeCross course with some alterations to their bikes such as hand control and seat modifications. Monster Energy’s Doug Henry dominated the race and finished over 19 seconds ahead of the next competitor with a 4:57.599 overall time. It was the first X Games gold medal in 14 years for the decorated motocross racer who was paralyzed from the waist down in a Supermoto crash in 2007 and has since proven a top competitor in adaptive snowmobile and Snow BikeCross events.

When the action moved into Jeep Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle, 19-year-old Monster Energy rider Rene Rinnekangas from Iisalmi, Finland caused a major upset with an amazing silver medal finish: Technical rail tricks like nosebutter 270 frontside boardslide to 450 out and big airs such as Cab double cork 1260 nosegrab, frontside 1440 melon and backside triple cork 1620 mute earned the rookie his first-ever podium at a Winter X Games. Rene also made a strong showing in the first-ever Snowboard Knuckle Huck and rocked the crowd as the bassist in his band, Kätfish.

The roar of engines returned with Wendy’s Snow BikeCross, where Monster Energy’s Cody Matechuk came in as the man to beat. After battling a botched start, poor visibility and treacherous ice patches, the 24-year-old from Cochrane, Canada, ultimately finished 4.445 seconds ahead of the next rider with a 10:31.387 overall time. His win marked Matechuk’s third consecutive Snow BikeCross podium after winning gold in 2018 and bronze in 2017.

Once Saturday night rolled around, the crowd was in for a major air show in The Real Cost Men’s Ski Big Air. In a battle of the world’s leading aerialists, Monster Energy riders claimed two podium spots: 24-year-old Canadian Alex Beaulieu-Marchand took silver medal by posting high-tech aerials such as Switch leftside triple 1440 bow & arrow to octo grab and switch rightside triple 1440 safety grabover the gap. His teammate James Woods from Great Britain secured the bronze medal by posting a left triple 1620 safety – that’s four-and-a-half rotations – and switch rightside triple 1440 octograb on his final attempt.  

As the grand finale of an epic day at X Games Aspen, 18-year-old snowboard phenom Chloe Kim held off the competition to defend her gold medal in Women’s Snowboard SuperPipe. Still the youngest competitor in the event, the world’s most competitive snowboarder landed a perfect routine including Indy nosebone, frontside 1080 tailgrab, Cab 720 mute, frontside 540 Indy, and a high-flying McTwist Indy for the win, her fifth X Games gold medal. Chloe now officially ties skateboarder Lyn-z Pastrana for most medals earned by a teenage female athlete at X Games and holds a perfect podium record in seven X Games appearances.   

The final day at X Games Aspen 2019 kicked off at noon local time under blue skies with a double podium for Monster Energy in Jeep Men’s Ski Slopestyle: Fresh off his Ski Big Air silver, Canadian team rider Alex Beaulieu-Marchand combined technical rail moves like 450 to pretzel 270 off with a right side double cork 900, into a double bio 1260, into a switch triple cork 1260 for second place. He was joined by 20-year-old Norwegian shredder Ferdinand Dahl, who claimed bronze at his first X Games medal by ways of front swap 270 on the rail followed by double bio 1260, huge right 1440, and switch left double cork 1440 on the jumps.

Next it was time for the crowd to learn a new name to be reckoned with in Monster Energy Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe: Japan’s Yuto Totsuka was unfazed by sharing the final with a stacked field of elite riders and clinched the silver medal in his incredible opening run. In his X Games debut, the 17-year-old rookie posted a perfect routine including a huge frontside stalefish 540, mute 900, frontside tailgrab 1080, Cab 1080 tailgrab and frontside double cork 1260 mute for 90.00 points. Now that’s how you debut at X Games!

Wrapping up the weekend’s X Games action, Monster Energy’s Brett Turcotte switched his snowmobile for a customized snow bike in what was only the second Snowbike Best Trick at X Games Aspen. In the relatively young sport that’s still exploring its boundaries, Turcotte raised the bar for progression by landing a fully extended Tsunami flip – hanging upside-down from the handlebar while rotating a backflip – for a strong silver medal finish. Also in the finals, his teammate and training partner Kyle Demelo from Canada came within inches of landing a history-making front flip in front of the pumped up crowd at Buttermilk Mountain.

So there you have it: With record-setting crowd attendance and breakout performances, X Games Aspen 2019 was truly the world’s premier winter action sports spectacle. Thanks to all athletes, everyone who attended and all who watched online for a history-making event!