Cool News

photo courtesy of Christian Pondella/Red Bull Photofiles

Snowmobiling was at its best at this weekend's Winter X-Games as Tucker Hibbert won his third straight gold and Levi LaVallee attempted an unprecedented double back flip.

Snocross

Tucker Hibbert, Arctic Cat / Monster Energy rider, won his third straight Winter X-Games gold and captured his sixth straight National circuit victory this year. Eleven laps into the twenty lap final, Hibbert had a 22 second lead. Nobody has had an answer to Hibberts dominating performances. "The extra domination you're seeing this year is him. He's reaching deep, just determined to go as hard as he can go and do the best he can. And that's where that extra is coming from, the inside of him coming out," said his father Kirk Hibbert.

Dan Ebert, normally riding in the semi-pro ranks for Arctic Cat, battled with Robbie Malinoski for second place spot. Ebert got into some trouble on a high berm, and Malinoski was able to pass him and take second place. "It was a hard ride," said Malinoski. "[Ebert] got up in front of me and I just had to keep hounding him. The track's so technical so you just try to pressure someone into a mistake. And when they make a bobble, you can capitalize on it, other than that, it's pretty single file."

Levi LaVallee managed to hang on for fourth place after discussing some knee pain from the previous nights unbelievable double back flip attempt. It's simply amazing that LaVallee was competing in the snocross event at all given the fact that he landed so hard on the 2-time backflip attempt. Levi jumped up like a jack-rabbit though and was instantly immersed in high-fives.

High flying freestyle 

Joe Parsons received the first gold medal of X-Games for the Speed and Style snowmobile event.

Parsons, a former snocross racer turned freestyle athlete, was competing in his second X-Games, after just turning 21 on Thursday.

The Speed and Style event combined snocross-style racing with freestyle tricks. 50% of the score is based on race-time while the other 50% is based on judges scores for the competitor's freestyle tricks. 

Parsons received his first gold this year for these tricks.

Parsons went on to win gold in the freestyle competition with a "big superman flip."  The freestyle competition ended with Parsons, Justin Hoyer, Heath Frisby and Daniel Bodin in official podium order. 

Levi LaVallee attempted, during the Next Trick competition, a double back flip which had never been successfully attempted in a snowmobile competition.

LaVallee completed the backflip, but fell off his sled during the landing and bruised his knee.

Here is a clip of Levi LaVallee attempting the double back flip before the X-Games.

For more information on the X-Games click here.