Travis Rice astounds in the Big Air at the X-games

Fri 23 January 09

Rice received 78% of the votes with his backside-double-cork 1080 in defeating last year's gold medalist Torstein Horgmo. Read and watch highlights

The ESPN viewers and the fans at Buttermilk Mountain have spoken and have named Travis Rice the gold medalist in the Snowboard Big Air Final.

Rice – the lone American in the competition – received 78% of the votes with his backside-double-cork 1080 in defeating last year’s gold medalist Torstein Horgmo.

For Rice, the win was a vindication as Horgmo defeated him in last year’s event.

“It was a pleasure to go up against Torstein and win,” Rice said at the press conference. “The kid is the future, but America has got my back.”

There are no other medals besides gold for Big Air: Rice finished first, followed by Horgmo with Mikkel Bang and Andreas Wiig tied for third place.

The Snowboard Big Air competition features four top snowboarders in a head-to-head bracketed format. In each round, riders will receive two jumps. The Winter X 13 Big Air Jump consists of a singe feature – the 85-foot step-up gap

You can watch the x-games live by going to our live video section

Highlights

1st Travis Rice

2nd Torstein Horgmo

The whole dam thing

Related Pages

  • Shaun White competes Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Finals during Winter X Games 2012 An incredible Winter X Games 2012
    As if a triple cork by Mark McMorris to win the Big Air, and then gold in the slopestyle wasn't enough, Shaun White scores a perfect 100 to win the halfpipe competition and brings out his new frontside double cork 1260 -31Jan12
  • Dom Harington halfpipe winner at Aspen 2011 Open Dom Harington wins halfpipe in 2011 Aspen Open
    Its always good seeing the homegrown do well, and Brit Dom Harington won the halfpipe competition at Aspen Butermilk on the same pipe that a few weeks ago hosted the X-Games -12Feb11
  • Shaun White competing in Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Finals at Winter X Games 15 No surprises as White wins X-Games 15 Halfpipe
    With his new biker look, Shaun White picked up his fourth consecutive x-games halfpipe gold medal, but he was made to work for it with Scotty Lago leading after the first run -31Jan11
  • Kevin Hill leads while Nick Baumgartner follows in the Mens boardercross finals at X-Games 15 Snowboardcross results from X-Games 15
    Who else but Lindsey Jacobellis wins her 4th Snowboardercross gold medal, and Nick Baumgartner wins the mens competition in the X-Games 15 from Aspen Buttermilk -30Jan11
  • Winner Torstein Horgmo in Snowboard Big Air Final at Winter X Games 15 Horgmo wins X-Games big air with triple cork
    Norway's Torstein Horgmo landed the first-ever triple cork at the Winter X Games to win the Big Air in Aspen -30Jan11
Related categories

:: ESPN Winter X Games 2009 stories
:: Aspen Buttermilk, USA resort intro page stories
:: Live Webcast - Arctic Challenge stories

News feed AddThis Feed Button Add to Google
ESPN Winter X Games 2009

22-25 January 09

The ultimate winter adrenaline junkie contest in back in Aspen featuring Snowboarding, Skiing and Snowmobiles. Will it be yet another Shaun Whitewash?

Aspen Buttermilk, USA
Smallest of the Aspen resorts. Great terrain parks & pipes but nothing but beginner/intermediate terrain
Freeriding: 40% - Some between the pistes
Freestyle: 75% - Monster pipe & good parks
Pistes: 60% - Fine but dull
Related pages
Main headlines