Action Sports

Shaun White may not have been there, but the 2014 Winter X Games featured some incredibly exciting events in Aspen, including a few surprises.

Over four days, there were flawless runs, devastating slip-ups and truly inspirational moments. Some contenders came in and took care of business as expected, but some that weren't projected to do much came away with some medals.

Let's take a look at some of the most surprising performances from this year's X Games, breaking down what made them so special.

Danny Davis, SuperPipe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRZGGD2S29E

With White out of the men's snowboard SuperPipe, the event was open for any rider to take. Danny Davis ended up being that rider, as he came away with a terrific run to give him the gold medal. He posted a strong 95.00 in the second round that ended up being the best score in the whole event.

Davis shared his thoughts on the win with Colin Bane of ESPN.com:

"I can't believe it really," said Davis, who set himself apart with rare and stylish technical tricks like a huge switch method and tweaked-out McTwist, as well as the double cork spins that have become standard in this event. "I'm going to ride this switch method train as long as it will last."

"It's bittersweet when Shaun's not here -- you know, he's the one to beat -- but forget it, I'll take it," Davis said.

Not only was this the first gold medal that Davis has ever won at the X Games, it's the only medal he's ever won at this event. Since 2006, Davis had never even finished better than 12th in the SuperPipe.

At 25 years old, Davis will be representing the U.S. Olympic team in Sochi. Considering his lack of success in this event in prior years, winning the gold at the X Games was a big surprise.

Maggie Voisin, Women's Ski Slopestyle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY9otVYvlQg

The women's ski Slopestyle event featured some of the more interesting stories from the weekend. Kaya Turski, who had torn her ACL just five months before the X Games, found a way to come back and compete like she usually does, earning her fourth career gold medal in the X Games.

However, the bigger surprise from the event came from Maggie Voisin. At just 15 years old, she found a way to win the silver medal with a best score of 90.00, making her the youngest skier in X Games history to win a medal.

Voisin started with a strong 88.00 on her first run, but then pulled out a 90.00 in the second. She didn't have the best final run, but still posted a respectable 72.66. That kind of consistency says a lot about a skier, and for Voisin to do it at just 15 years old is quite the accomplishment.

What's next for Maggie? She'll be heading to Sochi as well as a member of the U.S. freeskiing team, showing that age doesn't really matter.

Colten Moore, Snowmobile Freestyle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD5PIEcyejw

There are few moments in sports that are truly inspiring, but what Colten Moore did in this year's X Games will be remembered for a very long time.

With a nearly flawless first run, Moore was able to score a 91.33. That ended up easily being the highest score in the event, with Joe Parsons pulling off an 86.33 on his second run to earn the silver medal.

While the run was impressive itself, the context behind it made the event a truly memorable one.

In last year's X Games, Colten's brother Caleb was participating in this same event. Sadly, he came up short on an attempted backflip and was injured in the accident, dying one week later.

For Colten, this was an opportunity to win the gold for his brother. He did just that, making it the most emotional and memorable moment from the 2014 X Games.

Nothing, not the loss of sponsors, not hitting the dreaded age of 40, not even the at-times overwhelming conditions at Princeton-by-the-Sea, could stop Grant Baker from capturing the 2014 Mavericks Invitational on Friday (Jan. 24).

Baker managed to ride the surf to two perfect scores of 10, overcoming howling winds and treacherous conditions to win his second Mavericks title. The first, which came in 2006, happened when Baker was at the top of his game—just experienced enough to know what to do but still young enough to compete physically.

He spoke of the difference between his two victories after Friday's ride, per Surfer Today. 

"I feel amazing," Baker said. "There's no feeling like it. Two of my favorite surfers were in the final: Shane Dorian and Greg Long and to beat those guys in a final is an amazing feeling. To win Mavericks...I did it 2006 and eight year later I'm older, slower, but I still have a beat in me."

The reality was the result wasn't even that close. Baker's overall score of 29.33 put him well ahead of Shane Dorian and nearly 13 points ahead of third-place Ryan Augenstein. Tyler Fox, Greg Long and Anthony Tashnick rounded out the finalists in that order. 

Baker wins a $12,000 first prize for his victory at the Californian event, which is considered one of the biggest, if not the biggest, surfing event on the calendar. Dorian receives $6,000 and Augenstein receives $5,000, per Reuters' Laila Kearney. The one-day event typically draws crowds from all over the nation, who look to see whether the world's best surfers are able to handle the oft-frustrating conditions.

And, of course, to see what type of wipeouts would transpire.  

For most of the day, the waves were not the problem. They hung around the 40- or 50-foot range, which were massive but still manageable for this level of competition. However, high winds that threatened to postpone the competition earlier in the week wreaked some havoc as even those who made the finals described what it was like to ride in those conditions. 

"It's like riding a bicycle down a giant stairway going 50 miles an hour," Tashnick said, via Elliott Almond of the San Jose Mercury News. "And the stairs aren't the same. After awhile you're going to mistime it."

Mark Healey, one of the more respected surfers on the planet, succumbed to the Mavericks in the morning. He wiped out while riding a swell and needed to be rescued by the safety professionals on hand.

"That put me on the back foot immediately," Baker said, via Almond's report. "It just made me really nervous, looking like he did after that beating. I've never seen Healey like that."

But no matter his nerves, Baker put on an excellent display on Friday. He looked to be in a zone riding the waves, smoothly getting through the worst of the breaks and impressing the judges. Better known as "Twiggy," Baker was riding without a sponsor after being dropped six months prior to the Mavericks—a mistake that could lead to a widespread chase for his services.

In fact, this year's Mavericks were a display for older surfers. Dorian and Baker are both in their 40s. In a competition where conditions were at their worst in recent memory, it seemed like experience triumphed over youth. Steadiness over overzealous youth.

Perhaps that's an oversimplification of the stellar ride from Baker, who looked well within his prime on Friday. He now has two straight big-wave competitions under his belt, and he'll obviously be a force to be reckoned with on the rest of the calendar.

Either way, following his second Mavericks victory, Baker has plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future. 

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The 2014 Winter Olympics may be just around the corner, but for the snowboarding world there is a very important pit stop before Sochi. 

That pit stop is the 19th edition of the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. Unfortunately, the X Games will not feature the biggest name in snowboarding in Shaun White, after he elected to back out of competition in the Snowboard SuperPipe and Snowboard Slopestyle to focus on the upcoming Olympics.

It certainly wasn’t an easy decision for White, who has fought through ankle and shoulder injuries during Olympic qualifying events, as he told Colin Bane of ESPN:

I've been competing in the X Games since I was 13 years old, they are a huge part of why I am where I am and they are vital to the sport. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the mountain and looked over the schedule, I knew I wasn't going to be able to complete the kind of training I know I need in order to prepare for Sochi. It's an incredibly tough decision for me and it's not something I take lightly, especially as ESPN has always been a great supporter, but I have to make sure I'm prepared for the Olympics.

White or not, the X Games must go on. Here is the schedule, highlighting Day 2 of the competitions:

Where: Buttermilk Mountain, Aspen, Colo.

When: Thursday, Jan. 23, to Sunday, Jan. 26

Watch: ABC, ESPN and ESPN3 

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Date	Time	Event	TV
Jan. 24	12:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET	Men's and Women's Boarder X Final	ESPN 3
Jan. 24	12:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET	Men's Ski SlopeStyle Elimination	ESPN 3
Jan. 24	7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET	Women's Ski SuperPipe Final	ESPN 3
Jan. 24	9 p.m. - 12 a.m. ET	America's Navy Snowboard Big Air Final	ESPN 3
Jan. 24	9 p.m. - 12 a.m. ET	Men's Ski SuperPipe Final	ESPN 3
Jan. 24	10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. ET	America's Navy Snowboard Big Air Final	ESPN/WatchESPN
Jan. 24	10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. ET	Men's Ski SuperPipe Final	ESPN/WatchESPN

Day 2 is loaded with medal events, including the Snowboard Big Air final and the men’s and women’s Ski SuperPipe finals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJsNnSp3LxM

The name to watch on the men’s side is David Wise, who qualified first in the Ski SuperPipe eliminations with a vast array of tricks and impressive air time. However, it is much more than just his formidable qualifying run that makes Wise the main attraction.

The 23-year-old won the gold medal at the 2012 and 2013 X Games in Aspen in Ski SuperPipe and is well on his way to defending his medals.

It was Maddie Bowman who won gold in Aspen in the 2013 X Games for women’s Ski SuperPipe and, much like Wise, will seek to defend her crown. She won silver in 2012 and will look to continue her momentum going forward.

Day 2 will also feature the men’s and women’s Boarder X Finals in the early events. What is notable about the Boarder X is the fierce rivalry between Nate Holland and Seth Wescott.

Holland’s resume is more than impressive. He won gold in the Snowboarder X competitions at the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 X Games, while taking home the bronze in the 2011 X Games. He may be 35 years old, but it will take an incredible performance to take down Holland, who has built something of a personal dynasty in this event.

Wescott doesn’t have the gold medals that Holland does, but he did win the silver in the 2004, 2005 and 2010 competitions and the bronze in 2007.

These two friends and veterans will square off in what could be the tightest competition in all of Day 2.

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The Mavericks Invitational is one of the top big-wave surfing contests in the world, and 24 of the best surfers in the sport will vie for the opportunity to win the prestigious competition on Jan. 24.

Mavericks has taken place in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on and off since 1999, and it always seems to come down to the wire regarding whether or not it will happen due to environmental factors.

That was the case for the 2014 edition as well, but the Mavericks Invitational official Twitter account announced on Jan. 22 that all systems are go:

According to Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle, the potential presence of southerly winds nearly forced the cancellation of the event, but contest director Jeff Clark decided that the conditions would be conducive to a good competition. Said Clark:

There was a low-pressure system over Central California that was forecast to give us south winds, but that system disappeared. We're looking at (favorable) light offshore winds now, along with the big swell we know is coming. This is the best we could hope for.

As Clark pointed out, a substantial swell is needed for the Mavericks Invitational to live up to its reputation as well. The waves can reach up to 60 feet in height at the Mavericks, per Jenkins, which makes for an awesome atmosphere, as seen in this video courtesy of the Mavericks Invitational on Twitter:

The Mavericks Invitational returned in 2013 after a two-year hiatus, and it appears as though it is back to stay for good. Here is an in-depth look at when and where to catch all the action, as well as which world-class surfers will have a chance to come away victorious.

Where: Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

When: Friday, Jan. 24

Time: 11 a.m. ET

TV Info: Universal Sports Network (coverage starts at 4:30 p.m. ET)

Live Stream: MavericksInvitational.com and UniversalSports.com

Surfer	Nationality
Ryan Augenstein	USA
Grant Baker	South Africa
Chris Bertish	South Africa
Carlos Burle	Brazil
Ken Collins	USA
Shawn Dollar	USA
Shane Dorian	USA
Nathan Fletcher	USA
Mark Healey	USA
Rusty Long	USA
Greg Long	USA
Alex Martins	Brazil
Peter Mel	USA
Ryan Seelbach	USA
Jamie Sterling	USA
Anthony Tashnick	USA
Grant Washburn	USA
Dave Wassel	USA
Ben Wilkinson	Australia
Zach Wormhoudt	USA
Tyler Fox	USA
Colin Dwyer	USA
Nic Lamb	USA
Kohl Christensen	USA

Surfers to Watch

Peter Mel

After years of near misses and top-five finishes, Peter Mel finally broke through with a Mavericks Invitational victory last year at the age of 43. Mel is widely considered one of the greatest surfers of all time, but a win at the Mavericks was one of the biggest missing accomplishments on his resume. Some were starting to wonder whether he would ever win one, but he came through with a huge performance, as seen in this video:

Mel is known as one of the good guys in surfing, and he furthered that reputation in 2013 by sharing his $12,000 winnings with his fellow finalists, according to TransWorld SURF. It seems to be about the thrill of competition more than the money for Mel, and that makes him a big-time contender once again this year.

When asked about the potential conditions for the event on Twitter, Mel offered a response that should have surfing fans excited:

If anyone can handle a "scary big" swell, it is certainly Mel. He may be getting up there in years, but he possesses more experience than essentially anyone in the field, and he is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Chris Bertish

Another surfer with a Mavericks win under his belt is South Africa's Chris Bertish. In fact, Bertish was victorious in the most lucrative Mavericks Invitational of all time when he took home $50,000 in 2010, according to Jason Murray and Jake Howard of ESPN.com.

It was unclear if Bertish would even make the trip for that event due to monetary issues, but he has since established himself as one of the premier surfers in the world. What a difference four years makes, as Bertish decided to make the trip from South Africa this year even before organizers officially announced the contest was on, as he posted on Twitter:

Few surfers are able to tame giant swells like Bertish, so there is no question that he will be among the top contenders once again this year. He'll have to overcome plenty of other great surfers, but coming through in 2010 seemed to do a ton for Bertish's confidence.

Grant Baker

Perhaps no surfer has had more success at the Mavericks Invitational over the years than Grant "Twiggy" Baker. The South African star won the event back in 2006, and he followed that up with a second-place finish in 2008. The competition has only been held twice since then, so it seems like a long time since Baker was last a factor, but make no mistake—he will find himself in the mix.

Baker may very well be the preeminent big-wave surfer in the world, so this event plays right into his strengths. Every surfer in the field has a legitimate chance to prevail, but Baker knows the winning formula, as evidenced by this video of his 2006 performance:

With so many hungry competitors in the field who have yet to win the Mavericks Invitational, Baker and other past winners will have their hands full. Based on Baker's body of work, though, there is reason to believe he can emerge triumphant.

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The 19th edition of the Winter X Games from Aspen, Colo., is one of the most exciting sporting events of the year. Focus has shifted to this week's schedule and its role as preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi.

Several top athletes expected to thrive in Sochi are competing in Aspen, but there are a select few—including X Games legend Shaun White—that have backed out of the games, per Colin Bane of ESPN.

Here is all the vital viewing information for the 2014 Winter X Games, a full schedule of events and the top storylines.

Where: Buttermilk Mountain, Aspen, Colo.

When: Thursday, Jan. 23, to Sunday, Jan. 26

Watch: ABC, ESPN and ESPN3

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Date	Time (ET)	Events	TV
Thursday, Jan. 23	2 p.m.	Men's Snowboard SlopeStyle Elimination	ESPN3
Thursday, Jan. 23	7:30 p.m.	Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Elimination	ESPN3
Thursday, Jan. 23	9 p.m.	Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Elimination and Snowmobile FreeStyle Final	ESPN and WatchESPN
Friday, Jan. 24	12:30 p.m.	Men's and Women's Boarder X Final and Men's Ski SlopeStyle Elimination	ESPN3
Friday, Jan. 24	7:30 p.m.	Women’s Ski SuperPipe Final	ESPN3
Friday, Jan. 24	9 p.m.	America's Navy Snowboard Big Air Final and Men's Ski SuperPipe Final	ESPN3
Friday, Jan. 24	10:30 p.m.	America's Navy Snowboard Big Air Final and Men's Ski SuperPipe Final	ESPN and WatchESPN
Saturday, Jan. 25	2 p.m.	Men's Snowboard SlopeStyle Final, Boarder X Final and Women's Snowboard SlopeStyle Final	ESPN and WatchESPN
Saturday, Jan. 25	4 p.m.	Women's Snowboard SlopeStyle Final, Boarder X Final and Snowmobile Long Jump Final	ABC
Saturday, Jan. 25	8:30 p.m.	Women's Snowboard SuperPipe Final	ESPN3
Saturday, Jan. 25	9 p.m.	Women's Snowboard SuperPipe Final and GoPro Ski Big Air Final	ESPN and WatchESPN
Sunday, Jan. 26	2 p.m.	Men's Ski SlopeStyle Final, Snowmobile Adaptive SnoCross Final, Women's Ski SlopeStyle Final and Monster Energy Snowmobile SnoCross Final	ESPN and WatchESPN
Sunday, Jan. 26	9 p.m.	Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Final	ESPN and WatchESPN

Shaun White Drops Out

White is the most recognizable face of the Winter X Games and one of the most popular figures in action sports, but he dropped out of the competition on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in order to focus on his preparation for Sochi.

While few can blame him for dedicating himself to the Olympics, it will be odd not seeing the Flying Tomato tearing up the events at the X Games. White has become synonymous with the festivities, and this marks the first time in his career he will not compete.

The veteran spoke with Bane about his decision to skip the annual event:

I've been competing in the X Games since I was 13 years old, they are a huge part of why I am where I am and they are vital to the sport. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the mountain and looked over the schedule, I knew I wasn't going to be able to complete the kind of training I know I need in order to prepare for Sochi. It's an incredibly tough decision for me and it's not something I take lightly, especially as ESPN has always been a great supporter, but I have to make sure I'm prepared for the Olympics.

White has dealt with injuries to his ankle and shoulder, per Bane, and his decision to pass on X Games 19 was not made without consideration for all parties involved. He is smart to focus on getting 100 percent healthy and dominating the Winter Olympics once again.

After winning back-to-back gold medals in the half-pipe, White is looking to add to his Olympic resume by stealing the show in that event again. He also looks to medal in the Olympic debut of slopestyle.

White will surely be missed at the X Games, but fans shouldn’t get mad that the action sports legend is skipping the festivities to focus on the 2014 Winter Olympics.

As Americans, we should be proud of his patriotism.

Other Athletes Refuse to Give Up

While White and fellow gold medalist Torah Bright have decided it is in their best interest to skip Winter X Games 19, there are still plenty of top athletes that view this week’s events as the perfect appetizer for the Sochi competition.

Despite the risk of reaggravating current injuries or even possibly hurting themselves just over a week before the start of the Olympics, each competitor understands that it is the X Games’ popularity that helped them reach the pinnacle of the sport.

The risk is worth the reward.

Two-time defending ski superpipe gold medalist David Wise spoke with Devon O'Neil of XGames.com about his thoughts on skipping the Aspen Games:

It makes sense to me if somebody would want to [skip Aspen], if they had their Olympic spot locked in and they just wanted to save their body for the Olympics. But for me, I think the more high-caliber events you have under your belt going into the biggest event of your life, the better.

White and Bright are going to focus on getting healthy and rested for the Sochi Games. While that’s their prerogative, it’s great to see the rest of the challengers and competitors not abandoning the X Games.

With entrants including former X Games and Olympic medalists, the action sports fans excited about the 2014 Winter Olympics will be in for a treat as Winter X Games 19 is the perfect opening act.

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Apparently Marco Eguchi is healthy. 

The 24-year-old Brazilian bull rider, who labored through the end of the 2013 season with a groin injury and had a disappointing finish at Madison Square Garden last week in the 2014 opener, rode Shepherd Hills Stockman for 89.25 points in the championship round to capture the PBR Chicago Invitational victory on Sunday. 

PBR's Twitter feed provided the news, while noting the win was just two weeks removed from Eguchi's wedding:

According to PBR.com's Jordan Marie Johnson, Eguchi, who totaled 259.50 points over the two-day event, left with $34,185 in earnings. Not a bad wedding gift for his new bride. 

Here's a look at the top riders from Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. (you can find the complete standings here):

Position	Rider	Total Points	Earnings
1	Marco Eguchi	259.50	$34,185
2	Fabiano Vieira	258.50	$17,785
3	Stormy Wing	257.50	$13,550
4	Mike Lee	254.75	$8,975
5	Douglas Duncan	172	$5,200
6	Joao Ricardo Vieira	171.75	$4,610
7	Guilherme Marchi	168.50	$2,400

Although he wasn't able to pull out the victory, Eguchi's countryman, Fabiano Vieira, continued to prove why he is easily one of the best riders in the world. After tying for the win with reigning PBR world champion J.B. Mauney last week, the 31-year-old Vieira notched the highest score of the week when he rode Smackdown for a thrilling 89.50 points. 

He came up just shy of the overall victory, though, finishing with 258.50 points. Nevertheless, he'll leave with $17,785 for his troubles and will remain comfortably in first in the PBR Built Ford Tough Series season standings (find the full standings here):

Position	Rider	Points
1	Fabiano Vieira	1,666
2	Mike Lee	1,402.75
3	J.B. Mauney	1,133.37
4	Guilherme Marchi	1,120.5
5	Ryan Dirteater	908.75
6	Matt Triplett	897.2
7	Nathan Schapper	790.5

Eguchi's win catapulted him all the way to No. 10 in the world standings. 

Three Texas natives rounded out the top five from Chicago, as Stormy Wing came in third with 257.50 points, Mike Lee (254.75) finished fourth and Douglas Duncan (172) erased a forgettable opening week with a clutch fifth-place finish. 

Lee's effort was enough to vault him into second in the season standings, as Mauney fell into a tie for 20th in Chicago after seeing his consecutive ride streak end at 16 when he was bucked by Mud Man in the second round. 

David's Dream was the top bull of the event, tossing Valdiron de Oliveira in 4.72 seconds. 

The PBR season rolls along, stopping next at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Ga., next weekend. 

After an amazing event at Madison Square Garden to kick off 2014, the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series travels to Chicago for the next event on the schedule.

Fabiano Vieira won the first event of the new season on Jan. 5, and all eyes will be focused on how he follows up his stellar performance.

The competition in Chicago will be fierce as fan-favorite J. B. Mauney finished second in New York City and will look to bounce back with a strong performance this weekend.

Here is all the vital viewing information for the 2014 PBR Chicago Invitational.

Where: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

When: Saturday Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. CT and Sunday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. CT

Watch: CBS Sports Network

Live Stream: PBR Live

Date	Event	Time (CT)	TV Info
Jan. 11	Round 1	8 p.m. ET	CBS Sports Network and PBR Live
Jan. 12	Round 2 and Finals	2 p.m. ET	CBS Sports Network and PBR Live

Riders to Watch

Fabiano Vieira

At 31 years old, Brazilian bull rider Fabiano Vieira is still gaining experience at the sport’s highest level. Consistency has been an issue, but his seven event victories in 70 starts is very impressive.

Add in the huge win last week at Madison Square Garden, and Vieira is becoming a top star in the sport. How he follows up his success, though, will be the key for the rest of the season.

Vieira had a lackluster season in 2013—amassing only seven top-10 finishes—and he understood the importance of starting strong in 2014. He has won two events in each of the last three seasons and has not been able to get over the hump to become an elite rider.

The hope is that a victory to open the season will give the veteran rider momentum heading into Chicago and through the rest of the schedule.

After holding off Mauney (finished second), Vieira should be brimming with confidence.

J. B. Mauney

While Vieira was able to steal the first win of the season, J. B. Mauney finished second and looked as if he was in the best shape of his career.

For one of the best riders in the recent history of the sport, the idea of getting better should be terrifying for his competition.

Mauney has ridden in an astounding 223 events and has amassed 23 event wins during his career. He has become a fan favorite for his willingness to take on the toughest bulls and his hard-nosed style.

As if his confidence wasn’t enough to get the fans on his side, Mauney’s five wins, 11 top-five finishes, 14 top-10 finishes and eight 90-point rides in 26 events last year don’t hurt his popularity, either.

After dominating in New York City, the biggest threat to unseat Vieira in Chicago is Mauney.

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The PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden is one of the biggest events in professional bull riding as some of the top riders in the world come to New York City to compete at Madison Square Garden.

The 2014 edition of the event has featured some wild action and will continue to go on throughout the weekend.  The event started on January 3 with the first round and will end on January 5 with the third round along with the finals.  With the event at Madison Square Garden, it's a great opportunity for the sport to gain some national exposure.

Below is a look at the results from each round of the Monster Energy Buck Off, followed by a recap of each day.

Round 1 Results

Place	Rider	Score	Dollars
1/2	Fabiano Vieira	88.25	$3,165.00
1/2	Ty Pozzobon	88.25	$3,165.00
3	Chase Outlaw	87.50	$2,000.00
4/5	Kody Lostroh	87.00	$1,075.00
4/5	J.B. Mauney	87.00	$1,075.00
6	Shane Proctor	86.75	$600.00
7	Billy Robinson	86.00	$450.00
8/10	Kasey Hayes	85.75	$123.33
8/10	Austin Meier	85.75	$123.33
8/10	Robson Palermo	85.75	$123.33
11/12	Mike Lee	84.50	$0.00
11/12	Guilherme Marchi	84.50	$0.00
13	Jory Markiss	84.00	$0.00
14/15	Cody Nance	83.75	$0.00
14/15	Ryan Dirteater	83.75	$0.00
16	L.J. Jenkins	83.00	$0.00
17	Valdiron de Oliveira	81.75	$0.00
18	Claudio Crisostomo	78.25	$0.00
19	Lachlan Richardson	73.50	$0.00

Heading into the round, all eyes were on reigning champion J.B. Mauney, who was looking to begin his 2014 campaign with a nice start to the event.  He finished with a solid 87-point performance while riding Stay Thirsty, putting him in the top five tied with former 2009 World champion Kody Lostroh.

As for the leaders, both Fabiano Vieira and Ty Pozzobon were able to tie with scores of 88.25 to stay on top for the day.  The PBR's Instagram account gave us a great picture of Vieira riding Mess Mossy:

It wasn't good for every rider, however.  According to the PBR Twitter account, Silvano Alves was only able to stay on for 1.77 seconds, but that's probably a lot longer than the average person watching could stay on:

Overall, it was a strong first round that helped get fans excited for what Round 2 would have in store.

Round 2 Results

Place	Rider	Score	Dollars
1	Fabiano Vieira	87.75	$3,580.00
2	Cody Nance	87.50	$2,750.00
3/5	Guilherme Marchi	86.50	$1,383.33
3/5	Robson Palermo	86.50	$1,383.33
3/5	Ryan Dirteater	86.50	$525.00
6/7	Mike Lee	86.00	$525.00
6/7	Joao Ricardo Vieira	86.00	$525.00
8	Renato Nunes	85.75	$370.00
9	J.B. Mauney	85.50	$0.00
10	Nathan Schaper	85.25	$0.00
11	Markus Mariluch	84.50	$0.00

While eight fewer riders were able to post scores in the second round, all 11 riders in Round 2 to stay on longer than eight seconds posted very respectable scores.

After not posting a score in Round 1, 2013 Rookie of the Year Joao Ricardo Vieira was able to have a very nice ride in the second round, posting a score of 86 to get him on the board.  The 29-year-old had three event wins in his first year, and he's hoping to get 2014 off to a nice start.

After finishing in third in Round 1, Chase Outlaw was unable to have the same kind of success in Round 2, as he fell off early and wasn't able to get on the board.

Of course, the biggest winner from Round 2 was Fabiano Vieira.  For the second straight day, he finished at the top of the board, only this time he finished as the sole leader in Round 2 with a score of 87.75.  Pozzobon, the other co-leader after the first round, didn't qualify on the second day.

It appears that Vieira will be the rider to beat as the event winds down on January 5, but anything can happen.

Round 3 Results

Place	Rider	Score	Dollars
1	Emilio Resende	87.50	$3,580.00
2	Ben Jones	87.25	$2,750.00
3	Pistol Robinson	87.00	$2,000.00
4	Kasey Hayes	86.50	$1,300.00
5	Mark Triplett	86.25	$850.00
6	Kody Lostroh	86.00	$600.00
7/9	Guilherme Marchi	85.50	$273.33
7/9	Austin Meier	85.50	$273.33
7/9	J.B. Mauney	85.50	$273.33
10	Fabiano Vieira	85.00	$0.00
11	Sean Willingham	82.75	$0.00
12	Markus Mariluch	80.75	$0.00
13	Ryan Dirteater	77.50	$0.00
14	Nathan Schaper	73.75	$0.00

It wasn't the best day start to the final day of the even for some of the top riders.  Mauney finished tied for seventh with two other riders, while Fabiano Vieira finished in 10th, just outside of the riders that earned money.

Emilio Resende had the best ride of the round, finishing with a strong 87.50, while Ben Jones had an 87.25 after riding a tough Ludacris.  It was a surprising round, but all eyes were on what would happen in the Championship Round, and who would come out on top.

Championship Round Results

Place	Rider	Score	Dollars
1	J.B. Mauney	89.50	$4,700.00
2	Ryan Dirteater	87.75	$3,600.00
3	Fabiano Vieira	86.50	$2,400.00
4	Guilherme Marchi	85.50	$1,200.00
5	Nathan Schaper	82.50	$0.00
6	Mike Lee	79.00	$0.00

With a great 89.5-point performance from Mauney, he was able to take a share of the Monster Energy Buck Off title.  The reigning PBR World Champion shared the title with Fabiano Vieira, who scored 86.5 points in the Championship Round.

It was a great event for Guilherme Marchi as well.  The former 2008 World Champion posted an 85.5 in the final round to finish in third place, while Ryan Dirteater ended in fourth.  Mike Lee, the 2004 World Champion, came away with just 79 points in the final round, but still came away in fifth overall for the weekend.

It was a great finish to an exciting weekend at Madison Square Garden.  Congratulations to J.B. Mauney and Fabiano Vieira, as they were terrific throughout the three days.

Professional bull riding is one of the most unique sports in the world, and the 2014 PBR Monster Energy Invitational will garner mainstream attention as the Built Ford Tough Series takes over Madison Square Garden.

With three days of action and some of the top riders competing in front of an electric crowd in New York City, this is the kind of event that will help bridge the gap between the diehard bull riding fans and those just getting interested in the sport.

Add in the fact that this is the 500th regular-season event, according to Denise M. Abbott of PBR.com, and its clear history will be made this weekend.

Here is all the vital viewing information bull riding fans need for the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden event, a full schedule and a focus on the two top riders to watch.

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York

When: Jan. 3-5

Watch: CBS Sports Network

Live Stream: PBR Live

Date	Event	Time	TV Info
Jan. 3	Round 1	8 p.m. ET	PBR Live
Jan. 4	Round 2	8 p.m. ET	CBS Sports Network and PBR Live
Jan. 5	Round 3 and Finals	1 p.m. ET	CBS Sports Network and PBR Live

Riders to Watch

Robson Palermo

The defending champion of this event is 30-year-old rider Robson Palermo. After winning the 2012 PBR World Finals, Palermo dominated in front of the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden and proved his worth as one of the top riders in the sport.

Palermo’s dominance ended quickly, though, as he was forced to undergo season-ending surgery to his left shoulder in March. The return to New York City will be the defending champion’s first time back since his surgery.

With 13 event wins in 177 starts, Palermo is one of the best riders in the world right now, but there are legitimate questions about being rusty after missing so much time. Bull riding is all about timing and precision, and more than eight months off could throw off his ability to successfully defend his crown.

Whether Palermo succeeds or fails, his performance will be a major focus for all bull riding fans.

J.B. Mauney

As one of the crowd favorites, all eyes will be on J.B. Mauney at MSG.

There are few riders with as much history on their side—Mauney has ridden in 222 events and has amassed 23 event wins over that time—and the veteran will look to add another title to his collection after finishing second in New York last year.

At only 26 years old, he is only now reaching the peak of his career, and that should strike fear in the heart of the other competitors. While this will undoubtedly be one of the most talented fields of the season, Mauney has the skill to steal the show once again.

With five wins, 11 top-five finishes, 14 top-10 finishes and eight 90-point rides in 26 events last year, Mauney has the strength and momentum to thrill the fans in Madison Square Garden once again.

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The final day of competition isn't until Dec. 22, but a few of the United States' best snowboarders have already made their mark at the first leg of the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix. 

Competition began on Dec. 16 in Copper Mountain, Colo., the first of three sites that serve as the official qualifying series for the Sochi Winter Olympics. The finals will be completed on Sunday, but there's already been enough action to react to.

A handful of competitors have already made it through the event's finals. Chief among them are the three stars listed below. You can view all the results here.

Kelly Clark

This should come as no surprise. The winningest snowboarder in history keeps performing at a high level. Clark had the highest score on halfpipe and second place wasn't really close. Clark's 96.00 set the standard in all heats (fellow American Arielle Gold had the second-highest score at 90.50).

Check out Kelly's amplitude during one of her runs.

Prior to the Grand Prix, Clark had already qualified for the Sochi Games on Dec. 11 at the Dew Tour's iON Mountain Championship in Breckenridge, Colo. The legend and pioneer of the sport is simply extending her dominance in Copper Mountain.

Jamie Anderson

Not to be outdone by Clark, Anderson shined brightly during the slopestyle qualifying runs. Just like Clark, Anderson set the pace with a 96.00 score in Heat 1.

Heavy snow forced Anderson and the other competitors to be a little less daring in their slopestyle routines, but her execution was top-notch. The 23-year-old had won the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championship title as well with an identical score.

She's showing no signs of slowing down as she maintained consistency—even in less-than-ideal circumstances.

Greg Betz

Last year was a bit slow for Betz, but he appears to be peaking at the right time. He was great on the halfpipe with a score of 94.00. It was good enough to win Heat 3 and just edged out France's Arthur Longo and fellow American Ben Ferguson for the best score of the day in the event.

Betz celebrated with a pretty boss Instagram image below.

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