X Games 2014

Without a doubt the sickest slope final to date. What was the lowest scoring landed run today? Like an 85? I wish Gus would have scored higher, but then again all the guys on the podium were more or less flawless on every feature. Andreas' switch 900 dub grab was sooo sick; same goes for McRae's sw dub 14. Goepper absolutely slayed both his last two hits and all the rails. I almost came when he took that genie dub to the bottom and still stomped the shit out of it. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have had enough speed to do the trip. Great display of confidence! You've earned this, Nick. Congrats!

Also, now I don't really care what goes down in the Olympics. This years X was the sickest ever, despite the fact that a load of high profiles didn't ski in the different finals. Judging was the best it has been in years.

Now let's just wait for spring and the return of JOSS!
 
Congratulations to Nick, well deserved.

But, man. There's just something I don't really care for about the kid. It's getting pretty difficult to find fault in his skiing, though.

He used to look so damn effortful. Even with 450's on, he did such an exaggerated, aerialist style prewind and his arms would go over his head and he'd suck everything in pencil style, and it frankly looked hucked and awful. Well, he's figured it out, and he doesn't really do that shit anymore. He used to set his dub 12's like an aerialist where he had that really mechanical, deliberate arm set, and he had no carve whatsoever. He'd come in dead straight every time which made it look really robotic. When you contrast that with someone like Jossi who looks like a skier who happens to be a ninja in the air vs. Nick who looks like a gymnast/trampolinist who happens to ski pretty well, Goepper always came up short.

Well, he's coming around, and his style is developing and I'd say his comfort level and all around feel is starting to catch up to his athleticism and technical ability.

A note on snowboarding slope:

Give me a fucking break. Mark McMorris 2nd run outscoring Parrot's 1st was a goddamn joke. Really....a double wildcat? Mark's jibs were dope, really tech, big, and smooth, but I just don't see how you can score him so highly when he's basically doing a setup trick before his triple. Parrot did 2 consecutive triples, and landed both bolts on the first go. I was really surprised. Plus, McMorris seems like such a spoiled, entitled brat. Obviously no love lost between him and Max. Did you see the cutaway to Mark after Max's run? Mark and his fucking handlers had the most transparent look of hatred on their faces. Mark was doing the most half-assed golf clap.
 
Jossi is 4 years older then nick. style takes time . And Parrots first triple wasn't a true triple cork, therefore the judges said they werent gonna score it like one.
 
Maybe, but he didn't really get a good hit on the last rail. Sort of just dragged his tails on the last foot of it and landed on the other side. I doubt that was his intention, so points would definitely have been docked for that. It would have been sick to see a triple attempt, but I think this was the best possible outcome for the X-games as a whole: Henrik gets a gold and the INSPIYAAD fans can rejoice, Nick gets a gold and the jock fans can celebrate!
 
Snowcross is very hard to take seriously. If it was a 20 mile course in the backcountry it would be different. this is just painful to watch.
 
for most professional skiers/snowboarders I feel this is super true. they get ridiculous tricks (like a triple) on lock and then don't have anywhere else to go but add some steeze and make them look super stylish.
 
So nicks run was insane, but seriously I didn't notice any difference's between the first time he threw it and the second time. Did the judges think it was a 95 the second time around for the reason that he was able to do it twice? It would of been sick if McRae kept first.
 
he missed a grab on his second run.

I think its hilarious that due to the idiotic US Olympic criteria, (arguably) the second best (fully fit) US slope skier, isnt going to Sochi.

 
I really don't like that all of the nike outerwear is branded Nike SB. The ski/board outerwear wasn't made because of skateboarding...
 
lol Mike Douglas after he realized Maggie Voisin did a switch 10 mid run:

"Woah I don't think we've ever seen a switch 1080 ever before, Sarah Burke did the first 10, but I think switch is a first."

 
McRae is super dope but has only become a great slopestyle rider in the past year. He will be on the team soon enough
 
womens judging is fucked. Voisin definitely had a much better run than Turski. Are the judges even watching the same comp?
 
I enjoyed in the mens slope, when they would get the head judge to discuss why they scored how they did. Made things a lot more clear on scoring.
 
Maggie definitely should have won for the ladies but good to see the rails obviously influencing the scores
 
http://www.vg.no/sport/ski/artikkel.php?artid=10121153

I KNOW most here don't understand Norwegian, but this is Håtveit's first reaction.

Just look at that pure joy and happiness!

*On a second note, he says he won't compete anymore because even he trained in he's backyard, he still spent so much time skiing to get ready for this, learning new tricks and keep up, he didn't have time for he's kid and wife, so he's choice was easy!

 
You gave a solution in your own rant. Just call SB skateboard or ski/board depending on what you do lol. Snow sports aren't big enough for Nike to do their own line, so they made SB anything "action" related.
 
Kai Mahler is I believe younger than Nick. If not younger, verrrrrry close. ABM is the same exact age. It really isn't an age thing, man. Some people have smooth, coordinated movements that look effortless, and other people seem more deliberate, a little stiffer, and not as fluid, regardless of age, and it is the exact same in all sports.

That doesn't mean that the smoother, more stylish athlete is always necessarily superior. You can look at basketball and look at the way a guy like Dirk Nowitzki or Tim Duncan plays, and compare that to the way Kobe Bryant plays. All are effective, freakishly talented players, and yet, Kobe Bryant moves in a totally different way.

I agree that Nick is developing, and his skiing has looked a lot better this season, 100%. But, I don't think it's all about age or that that is the whole story.

As for your comment about snowboard slope, ok....Parrot's, what....sw triple rodeo 12 isn't a true triple cork. Fine. It's still a triple flip with a bit of rotation and it is in a whole different class than a double wildcat. My point is that McMorris was overscored. Much in the same, Kaya was overscored.
 
For real, look at Bobby, he's quite a bit older than Nick and has a very similar style, and has had it since he started competing. Also I thought Maggie Voisin definitely should have won. Clean, grabbed switch 1080 and 9 tails are pretty much unheard of in women's skiing.
 
If you have an xbox live account (which 99% of people that have an xbox should) download the ESPN app and you have free access to every 2014 xgames broadcast. Its under the action sports/xgames/replays
 
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