
Full podium sweep! Monster Energy congratulates snowboard team rider Sage Kotsenburg on winning X Games gold in this year’s X Games Real Snow contest. In the annual video competition judged by an expert jury, the 27-year-old from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, took the top spot on the strength of a 90-second video part created with filmer/editor Jeremy Thornburg.
Kotsenburg was joined on the podium by his Monster teammate, 28-year-old Kevin Backstrom from Ulricehamm, Sweden, who claimed the silver medal on the strength of a high-energy segment filmed and edited by Markus Wetterberg. And rounding out a full (virtual) podium sweep, the bronze medal and Fan Favorite award went to 27-year-old Ståle Sandbech from Rykkinn, Norway, for his visually stunning segment with filmer/editor Spencer “GimbalGod” Whiting.
Viewers can go online and watch all medal-winning entries from Real Snow 2021 on the X Games website.
The X Games Real series was launched in 2010 to capture the progression in action sports outside of the contest arena. Now in its twelfth year, the series awards full-fledged X Games medals for outstanding videos by invited teams of athletes and filmers across BMX, motocross, skateboard, freeski, and snowboard. The participants are free decide on the tricks, spots, and music featured in their 90-second video segments.
This year’s edition of Real Snow featured a new format: Instead of the exclusive focus on urban terrain, the focus shifted to all-terrain riding. As a result, the parts from six of the world’s most creative freestyle snowboarders showcased a combination of urban, backcountry, and snow park riding.