Harlaut too big to handle in Big Air at Winter X in Aspen

Henrik Harlaut was big early and big late as he mastered Big Air at Winter X Games in Aspen on Saturday (Jan. 26).

Not that it was easy. Harlaut had to top a red-hot field that included Bobby Brown, PK Hunder, Gus Kenworthy, Elias Ambühl and Kai Mahler.

Harlaut laid down a 47 and 46 that looked to be winning material, before stomping a nose butter triple cork 16 (Harlaut insisted later he had never tried the trick) for a 50 that clinched the win.

That left Kai Mahler (who overcame a mid-event knee injury and Elias Ambuhl in second and third. Bobby Brown felt the sting of late-sound lightning, losing his place on the podium in the last round.

Complete results.

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Here’s your guide to Winter X Games in Aspen

It’s time for Winter X Games  in Aspen. The annual gathering of the biggest stars in winter extreme sports takes over Buttermilk this Thursday through Sunday (Jan. 24-27).

Shaun White (who will compete in pipe AND slopestyle) will be there, of course, competing with fellow snowboard stars Louie Vito, Scotty Lago and Mark McMorris. Ski stars on the invite list include Tom Wallisch, Bobby Brown and Russ Henshaw.

On the women’s side look for snowboarders Kelly Clark, Torah Bright, Hannah Teter and Gretchen Bleiler. Freestyle ski stars on hand will include Roz Grounwoud, Maddie Bowman, Keri Herman and Kaya Turski. And do NOT forget Swany-sponsored Brita Sigourney, the winner  in ski halfpipe at this year’s Winter Dew Tour.

Who better to preview the games than ESPN? See What to Watch at X Games. Here’s a story on Louie Vito from the Denver Post that also includes the daily practice, preliminaries and finals schedule at Winter X.

Are you attending? Make sure you check out this CRUCIAL parking and shuttle bus information as well as competition venue information.

Can’t attend? Here’s the TV schedule.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.

U.S Grand Prix is ON at Copper Mountain as skiers and snowboarders do battle

The U.S. Grand Prix invades Copper Mountain this week and the stakes have never been higher.

The Olympic events now included in the Grand Prix — freeski and snowboard slopestyle and halfpipe — will throw down with World Cup points on the line. Perhaps an even bigger deal: this is the first time snowboard slopestyle riders can earn Olympic qualifying points. Learn more from ESPN.

Some big names, out until now owing to injury, will compete. So that means we’ll get our first look this season at Bobby Brown, Simon Dumont and Grete Eliassen.

The first day of qualifying took place Wednesday (Jan. 9). According to SummitDaily.com, Brita Sigourney, who won at Dew Tour wearing Swany Gloves, qualified first in women’s ski halfpipe. More results

There will be finals held in slopestyle and pipe on Friday and Saturday. Here’s a schedule.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Shaun White, Bobby Brown, Tom Wallisch, Louie Vito, Kelly Clark, Gretchen Bleiler among the stars competing at Dew Tour in Breckenridge

The best extreme athletes in the world are coming to rhe Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships to be held Thursday-Sunday (Dec. 13-16) at Breckenridge Resort in Colorado.

Shaun White will compete.

When it comes to snowboarding in the pipe, the big guns are all in town, including: Zack Black, Scotty Lago, Jack and Luke Mitrani, Iouri Podladtchikov, Shaun White and defending champion Louie Vito (See what he has to say about defending his title in this video).

The Freeski Men’s Pipe competition includes Simon Dumont, Tanner Hall, Kevin Rolland and Jossi Wells. Freeski Slopestyle includes Bobby Brown, Andreas Håtveit, TJ Schiller, and Tom Wallisch.

We can’t wait to see all this talent competing and we’re also excited to announce that Swany Gloves is a proud sponsor of the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships. Please visit our booth, where we’ll show off our great gloves and mitts, including Swany’s Claw, the official glove of the Dew Tour. We’ll be conducting giveaways all weekend with fantastic prizes, so we hope you can “Do the Dew Tour” and visit us.

Learn more about the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Join Swany Gloves at the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships in Breckenridge Dec. 13-16

Our “Claw” is the official glove of the Dew Tour. Come see it at the Swany booth at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge.

We’re excited to announce that Swany Gloves is a proud sponsor of the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships to be held Dec. 13-16 at Breckenridge Resort in Colorado.

We can’t wait to get an up-close look at the likes of Shaun White, Scotty Lago, Kelly Clark, Torah Bright, Bobby Brown and Tom Wallisch as they compete in events like ski and snowboard superpipe, as well as slopestyle and Big Air. Want a complete roster of competitors? Find it here.

We also can’t wait to meet Dew Tour fans at our booth, where we’ll show off our great gloves and mitts, including Swany’s Claw, the official glove of the Dew Tour. We’ll be conducting giveaways all weekend with fantastic prizes, so we hope you can “Do the Dew Tour” and visit us.

Learn more about the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Shaun White wins Slopestyle for second gold, Torin Yater-Wallace wins first gold at Winter X Games Tignes

Torin Yater-Wallace won his first X-Games gold in Ski Superpipe on Friday at Winter X Tignes. The 16-year-old from Aspen topped the star-studded field with a massive third run. Watch it on ESPN.

EARLIER FRIDAY: It had been three years since Shaun White won gold at Winter X in snowboard slopestyle, an event in which even the superstar admitted he was behind the times.

Not any more. White had runs of 95 and 97 to not only catch up with the rest of the riders but to easily win his second gold medal in as many days on Friday (March 16) at Winter X Tignes. Watch how he did it at ESPN.

THURSDAY: What did you expect? One day after he was the top qualifier (with jet lag and no practice in the pipe), Shaun White won gold in Superpipe on Thursday (March 15) at Winter X Tignes. Watch video of his winning run.

Tom Wallisch has been the man to beat for much of the season in men’s ski slopestyle. That didn’t stop Bobby Brown, who knows a thing or two about being the “man to beat,” from snagging gold on Thursday. Watch the video at ESPN.

WEDNESDAY: Who needs practice? Jet lag? Forget about it. Shaun White arrived at Winter X Games Tignes on Wednesday (March 14) and went straight to the pipe, where he qualified first for the finals on Thursday (watch it at 1:30 EDT on ESPN2/3). He’s got good company: Louie Vito stands second and other qualifiers include  Iouri Podladtchikov. Watch the video.

The incomparable Kelly Clark won the women’s Superpipe over Elana Hight and a talented field. Meet the rest of the podium and watch the video. Earlier, Canada’s Kaya Turski won her third consecutive Winter X Games Tignes gold medal at Women’s Ski Slopestyle. See who took took silver and bronze and watch video highlights of the event at ESPN.

Check back for continuous updates from the Winter X Games in Europe.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

X Games Recap: Shaun White makes history with a perfect score in halfpipe; Bobby Brown reclaims Big Air crown

Shaun White on his way to pipe perfection at Winter X Games

Wow! What else to say after Shaun White produced a perfect score of “100″ on Sunday in snowboard superpipe on the final day of X-Games in Aspen.

Even crazier: White already had the competition locked up after his first run proved untouchable by the rest of the field. But instead of goofing off in the pipe, the red-headed superstar made history. And what about those Zebra-print pants? Read more.

Speaking of superstars stepping up at the right time, Bobby Brown proved he’s at the top of the heap with a strong effort on Saturday (Jan. 28) to win Big Air at X-Games. Consistency was a key, Brown said afterward, but it took more than that. Read more.

(Get results from the entire weekend.)

That wasn’t all the action on Saturday, which was another stirring one for Canadian skiers:

• Men’s Ski Superpipe: Young American David Wise topped the talented field, including Torin Yater-Wallace and Simon Dumont, for the gold. Results.
• Women’s Ski SuperPipe: It was an emotional win for Canadian skier Roz Groenewoud, who celebrated the memory of friend, fellow Canadian and superpipe star, the late Sarah Burke. Results.

FRIDAY, Jan. 27: Results from Friday included:

• Men’s Snowboard Big Air: Canadian Mark McMorris won on the strength of his first twp passes to clip Torstein Horgmo. Results.
• Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle: Jamie Anderson of the US got the win. Results.
• Women’s Snowboard Superpipe: Californian Kelly Clark saved her best for last, scoring 93.66 to easily win the women’s Superpipe competition. See where Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter wound up. Results.

THURSDAY, Jan. 26: It was a day of great emotion (a wonderful tribute to the late  Sarah Burke you can watch) and some milder concerns (Shaun White reinjured a sprained ankle) as Winter X opened in Aspen.

Thursday’s results on the slopes:

• Men’s Ski Slopestyle:  Red-hot Tom Wallisch continued his winning ways this season, followed by Nick Goepper and Andreas Hatveit. Meanwhile, Bobby Brown came oh-so-close to reaching the podium on his final run. Results.
• Women’s Ski Slopestyle: Canadian superstar Kaya Turski was not to be denied. Results.
• Snowboard Street: Rookie Forest Bailey of Boulder, Colo., claimed the gold. Results.

Find a Winter X Games Guide and a TV schedule.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Are you ready for some X Games action? The world’s best are ready to invade Aspen

UPDATE: The X-Games start today, but not before Shaun White, Gretchen Blieler, Jen Hudak and other competitors paid tribute to the late Sarah Burke, who will be honored with a candlelight vigil tonight.

Also: Read a Q&A with Shaun White and see what injury will keep Lindsey Jacobellis from another X Games gold in boardercross.

Jan. 25: Things are starting to pop up in Aspen as pre-competition training is in full swing. In addition, ESPN plans to honor the memory of Sarah Burke, the Canadian freeskiing superstar who tragically died last week after a training accident. Learn more.

Other things to check out:

• ESPN’s very cool Sports Science crew takes a video look at how athletes use Torque to spin and flip on the slopes.
• Check out this lineup of music playing in and around Aspen this weekend.

Jan. 24: It’s back. Winter X Games 2012 Aspen will bring the usual mix of outdoor adventure insanity to the Roaring Fork Valley and TV sets everywhere starting Thursday and running through Sun (Jan. 29).

There’s no doubt that the recent death of freeskier Sarah Burke, after a halfpipe training accident, will be on the minds of many of the competitors. But there’s also little doubt that skiers and boarders will be extending the known boundaries with tricks and air like we’ve never seen.

And all the stars should be there: Shaun White, Bobby Brown, Louie Vito, Torin Yater-Wallace, Scotty Lago, Kelly Clark, Gretchen Bleiler, Torah Bright and many more.

Watch on the ESPN networks: ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will feature 16 hours of live, HD programming from Winter X Games Aspen 2012. ESPN3 will stream more than nine hours and ESPN 3D will deliver 25 hours. Find more profiles, schedules and video online.

Check out this great Guide to Winter X from the Denver Post.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Bobby Brown stoked about slopestyle’s inclusion in Soichi Olympics

Amazing what can happen in a year.

In January of 2010 Bobby Brown was all the rage, winning both the Big Air and Slopestyle competition at the X Games. In 2011, nagged by injuries, he still managed a silver in Big Air and fourth in Slopestyle, leading some to suggest this year is about “redemption,” according to a Denver Post story.

Not that Brown’s worried. He’s healthy and excited about the chance to compete in slopestyle at the 2014 Olympics in Soichi. Read more.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for even more.

Latest video contest winner delivers great freestyle with Bobby Brown and Grant Savidge

Tyler Adams, the latest winner in the Swany Outdoor Adventure Video Contest, delivers plenty of incredible freestyle skiing in his entry and also some major star power: slopestyle superstar Bobby Brown and his good friend and fellow freestyler maniac Grant Savidge. But let Tyler explain.

In his own words: “I’m from Denver, now living in Boulder and going to the University of Colorado. I started skiing at age 6 but switched to snowboarding at 9. Being a weekend warrior growing up, I would get 20 to 30 days in. For my 14th birthday I got a camera and have just been shooting videos of skiing and snowboarding ever since. With some down time at the beginning of the season, my friends Bobby Brown and Grant Savidge asked me to come out and shoot an early season park edit. Breck let us get up early on their jumps and with a sunny day, empty park, and shooting with two of my best friends, it was one of my favorite shoots this season.”

We’d have to agree, it’s an awesome video. If you like to see more of Tyler’s work, visit tylerjosephadams.com.

For his video, Tyler gets a pair of great Swany Gloves. Have a video that you’d like to enter? Just upload it to YouTube, Vimeo and the like, then send us the URL at swanygloves@gmail.com. That’s all there is to it! Complete rules here.

Previous Swany Outdoor Adventure Video Contest winners:

• Michelle Smith was rescued via helicopter from a 2,000-foot-cliff in the Tetons.
• Josh Christensen takes us off cliffs and through the trees in Utah.
• Jessica Gammey helped us experience the 24 Hours of Telemark race in Wisconsin.
• Snowboarder Tommie Bennett of Vail helped glide through the trees and fly over jumps.
• David Zemens did some riding at Breckenridge, “just cruising some in-bounds pines & sidepow.”
• Nathan Balli of Salt Lake City took us upside-down in his video.
• Mike Alcott of Durango, Colo., and his friends had a ball in the powder, including some wild sledding.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.