The X Games: Wild Winter Sports 🏂
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Season 2: Episode 61 Description
Ten News Gets Extra: 🏂 Grab your snowboards and skis and join Correspondent Kenny Curtis to get the inside scoop on this winter's X Games. ⛷️ There are so many winter sports to watch at this year’s X Games and Winter Olympics, and we're sharing the ones that didn't make the cut. ✔️ Fun Fact check: What is the world's largest snowboard? And, test your X Games knowledge on today's Trivia on the Ten. ✅
Sources
The World of Wacky Winter Sports - Northern Wilds Magazine
X Games | National Geographic Society
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TRANSCRIPT:
Bethany Van Delft 0:05
Hey, snow shredders, grab your snowboards and skis and meet us on the slopes. I'm Bethany Van Delft, it's Saturday, January 22nd. And this is no ordinary episode of the Ten News, this is the Ten News gets Extra.
Various Voices 0:22
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Bethany Van Delft 0:31
Where can you watch some of your favorite winter Olympians before the Olympics? Ten News correspondent Kenny Curtis is here to give us the scoop on the X Games.
Kenny Curtis 0:45
Okay, people who are ready for the Olympics? Well, sadly, we still have a few more weeks to go. But have no fear, the X Games are here. Yes, yes. The X Games are an extreme sports competition that occurred twice a year. They have a reputation for being one of the wildest, craziest sporting events in the world. It's a chance for athletes to work hard and play even harder. The games will be held in Aspen, Colorado, and include competitions for snowboarding and skiing. These winter X Games feature over-the-top events like Superpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, and the fan-favorite, Knuckle Huck, the Superpipe is just what it sounds like, a giant halfpipe. It's made with 22-foot walls. It's more than 500 feet long and is truly a snowboarder’s dream. Another entertaining event is the Slopestyle, an obstacle course that includes rails and jumps, athletes are scored by the difficulty of the tricks they attempt and how well they execute them. The Big Air event gives athletes a chance to showcase their craziest tricks all while catapulting through the year at a ridiculous feat. Athletes only have one chance to try the humongous jump and earn as many points as possible. And the ramp is only slightly intimidating at nine feet high and 25 feet long. You go for your go. You go for no. I always. The newest competition at the Winter X Games is called the knuckle hook and it's quickly become one of the more popular events at the games. What does that mean? Athletes have 20 minutes to hook or throw themselves over the bottom knuckle of a hill and try to complete as many creative tricks as possible. They're scored on style, technique, and creativity. And while the X Games are fun and can be a little over the top, there is also serious competition. Athletes from around the world trained to compete in the X Games and hope to walk away with a gold, silver, or bronze medal. It's also where many famous winter athletes have gotten their start, including four-time Olympian snowboarder Shawn White. White got his start at the X Games in 2000 at the ripe age of 13, and throughout his career, he has won three Olympic gold medals and 15 X Game gold medals. Another famous athlete is Jamie Anderson, a two-time Olympian in women's snowboarding. Over the course of her career, Anderson has won 8x game gold medals and is hoping to rack up even more at this year's competition. She's also headed to the Olympics later this winter. And while both the Olympics and the X Games showcase snowboarding and skiing, they're very different from each other in terms of size, scope, and overall atmosphere. Think of the X Games like the Olympics crazy younger cousin. Each is special and unique in its own way. So while the Olympics might be a month away, the X Games are happening now you can check out the schedule at xgames.com. Tune in and let us know which events are your favorite.
Bethany Van Delft 4:07
Thanks, Kenny. I think I'll avoid hooking myself over any knuckles this winter. But good luck to all the incredible extreme athletes. There are so many winter sports to watch the X-Games in the upcoming Winter Olympics. But there are some sports that didn't make the cut for those competitions. So, we're sharing our top five wild and wacky winter sports. Number one is snow kayaking. It's just what it sounds like one or two people hop in a kayak and sled down a hill reaching speeds of over 40 miles per hour. Number two, snow scooting this sport is popular in Europe but hasn't quite caught on in the US yet. To snow scoot, you need a snowshoe cut in half with handlebars attached. Then the writer screws down a snowy hill. Nice. Number three is shovel racing. Maybe you've seen this in an old movie, writers sit on a shovel with the handle facing out in front and slide down a hill. Professionals can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. Doesn't sound safe. Number four, ski bobbin. If you've ever wondered what would happen if you put a bicycle on skis, the answer would be ski bobbin. The fastest ski bobbers traveled downhill at over 100 miles per hour. I feel the need for speed. Number five is snowball fighting. That's right. Snowball fighting is a pro sport with leagues and a world championship. The sport is big in Japan where it's called UK gossan meaning snow battle. So even if you don't ski or snowboard, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the winter weather. Who knows? Maybe you'll invent your own winter sport. Hey, grownups. Are you in the family enjoying the Ten News? If so, could you please do us a big, big favor? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and a review. Hopefully five stars, but no pressure. You don't even have to stop listening. You can do it right now. Don't worry. I'll wait. Just kidding. Take your time. Do it though. It may not seem like a big deal, but it really helps other listeners find the Ten News so our community can grow. Thanks again for listening. We really appreciate it. Time for today's fun fact. Are you a snowboarder, AKA a shredder? Have you ever wished for a snowboard big enough for your whole class? Well, in Switzerland in 2007, the world's largest snowboard was built, it was 30 feet long and 6 feet wide. It was roomy enough for 27 people. Wouldn't you love to see giant snowboarding at the next X Games, or at least in gym class? Coming up next...
Various Voices 7:13
What, what, what's the big idea?
Bethany Van Delft 7:16
Trivia on the Ten. The winter X Games feature dozens of extreme winter sports but do you know the name of the snowmobiling competition where snowmobile riders race around a track filled with steep jumps. Is it a) snow jump b) snowcross or c) snow dive? Did you guess it? The answer is B. Snowcross. Snowcross, like motocross or BMX, takes place on a hilly track, except instead of riding bikes or motorcycles. Racers ride snowmobiles. It sounds like something straight out of a James Bond movie. The name's Van Delft, Bethany Vandelft. Time's up. But before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups. Thanks for listening to the Ten News. Look out for our new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and extras on Saturdays. The Ten News is a coproduction of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and is distributed by iHeartRadio. The Ten News creative team is trying snowcross and includes Tracey Crooks, Pete Musto, Adam Bernard, Tessa Flannery, and Nathalie Alonso. Kenny Curtis contributed to this episode. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Bethany Van Delft and thanks for listening to the Ten News. If I made up my own snow sport, it would probably be snow watching. From indoors with a cup of hot cocoa. What would yours be?
