Skiing

The 2012 Winter X Games will be the 16th iteration of the ESPN-ran winter classic.

Aspen, Colo., is the site of the spectacle, which will begin on January 26 and run through January 29. You will be able to catch the various events on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ABC.

Here are some of the better events that you certainly don’t want to miss if you are an action sports junkie.

*All Times EDT

Thursday, Jan. 26

Women’s Ski Slopestyle Final–3:30 p.m.–ESPN3

Men’s Ski Slopestyle Final–9:45 p.m.–ESPN

These two events will showcase men and women heading down a mountain, doing awesome flips and grinding rails.

It’s exciting to watch and it showcases some incredible talent. You are guaranteed to see things you never thought possible on a pair of skis.

Snowmobile Freestyle Final–9:00 p.m.–ESPN

These guys do some insane things on snowmobiles, and it’s highly recommended you tune in to see for yourself.

Friday, Jan. 27

Snowboard Big Air Final–10:30 p.m.–ESPN

Picture the most extreme snowboard slopestyle imaginable. That is what the Big Air contest is, and these riders will be doing wild things off the largest jumps.

Saturday, Jan. 28

Women’s Ski Superpipe Final–1:00 p.m.–ESPN3

This event is going to be an extremely somber one. Sarah Burke was a pioneer in this contest and won four gold medal in it at X Games.

Unfortunately, she passed away last week from damage stemming from a fall. There will most likely be a wonderful tribute to her life from many riders in event.

Men and Women’s Snowboarder X Final–4:00 p.m.–ABC

This nationally televised event is one of the main features of the contest and will showcase some of the world’s best riders shredding the slopes.

Ski Big Air Final–9:30 p.m.–ESPN

Just like the snowboarding one, this contest has skiers jumping insane distances and doing athletic maneuvers in the air.

Sunday, Jan. 29

Men’s and Women’s Skier X Final–2:15 p.m.–ESPN

These are the best skiers on the planet going at it for a gold medal and respect.

Snowboard Street Final–5:15 p.m.–ESPN

This event is inspired by skateboarding but on a snowboard and on a mountain. Definitely must-see TV. 

Women athletes compete in several extreme sports but until now nobody seemed to notice.

Why does it take a catastrophic occurrence for women to get national attention for competing in death-defying extreme sports, performing the same feats and taking the same risks as men?

On January 10, 2012, injury struck top freestyle skier Sarah Burke, a favorite contender for an Olympic medal. She was doing what she loved, practicing for an upcoming freestyle half-pipe competition. The injury proved fatal as she died nine days later. She was 29.

Sarah was a fierce competitor whose knees and shoulder were as torn up as an NFL linebacker’s and whose eye-catching natural beauty and welcoming personality belied the fact that she was a skiing “superstar.”

This phenomenal freestyle skier backed up her talent by winning gold medals in the halfpipe skiing category for women at the Winter X Games four times (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011). She probably would have won in 2010 had she not been recovering from a fall that broke a bone in her lower back. 

Sarah wasn't just a one-dimensional dare-devil—she was a mentor and an outspoken advocate for females in her sport. She put a full court press on the Olympic committee until they agreed to add women’s half-pipe freestyle skiing to the games in 2014.

Make no mistake about it: Sarah’s sport is beyond dangerous. Imagine being on skis and doing spins and somersaults after being catapulted up to 40 feet in the air and descending at a speed of about 30 miles per hour, all the while hoping to land firmly on your skis as they hit a surface that is rock hard.  

Sarah’s courtship, love story and marriage to skier Rory Bushfield is memorialized on Youtube. Her words eerily echo a prophecy that came way too soon:  “we met [on a mountain]...we play...we live...and hopefully where we will die.”

Sarah will not be forgotten. She was a trailblazing freestyle skier who broke gender stereotypes, showcased the wildest and most difficult tricks, and pushed as hard as she could to make sure that women would have equal access to the professional sport that took her life.

She succeeded as an athlete and a woman at the highest level.

She is a true hero.

While it will never help eliminate the grief caused by the sudden loss of a loved on, Monster Energy is doing the right thing to be sure that Sarah Burke's family has nothing else to deal with. 

Monster Energy announced on their website that they are committed to helping Burke's family with the costs. 

As soon as we learned about the accident, we offered uninterrupted support to Sarah and her family. Without hesitation, we will continue to support Sarah’s family, are working directly with them to assess their needs and are committed to helping them financially.

This action had previously been lobbied for on Twitter by former Canadian Olympian Marnie McBean.

Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times reported that a website had been set up for the public to make donations.  

While paying for the costs is the only right thing to do (Burke was training for a Monster-sponsored event when her fatal accident occurred), it does take time to get people together to make it official, so the misunderstandings are understandable.

Monster is doing the right thing here. The public does need to be commended, as Rohlin reported that they had raised nearly $109,000 of the necessary $550,000.

The words don't exist to ease the grief of those who just lost a loved one, especially one so young (Burke was 29) and in such a sudden matter. But this does help them in not having to worry about finances, which should be the last thing on anyone's mind. 

Follow @mdixon1985

There is nothing anyone can do or say to help take the pain caused by the tragic death of Sarah Burke away. The only thing that can be done is to go out and put on a great show.

When that begins to happen, the only true tribute will be paid.  

No real classic tributes exist. Sure, we'll get the video tributes and moments of silence, but nothing beyond that can be done in the way of a traditional tribute. The fact is that this is a tragic accident, and it will take a long time to heal. 

The athletes are going to be hurting from the loss of a friend and competitor. What they can best do to pay tribute to Burke is to go out there with fearless performances. Really, that is the only thing that can be done. 

It will be uneasy to watch any high-flying event. There is no way around that. But the athletes can help ease some of that uncomfortable feeling by going out there and performing. The pain will be eased with every athlete that takes off. 

Action sports must learn from this tragedy and take better precautions. That usually comes in the form of slowing a track down or making a turn a little less sharp. Burke's crash was an accident and fortunately doesn't happen often, but safety must always come first.

So, the only way to honor Burke's memory is to run the show as normal. Certainly the tragedy can't be forgotten, and it shouldn't be. That is what the moments of silence are there for. There will be plenty of reminders of the loss, and there should be.

But a tribute to Burke will also come in the form of a strong performance. The athletes need to go out there and perform with the same fearlessness that was shown before Burke's death. That will allow the athletes and fans alike to begin the permanent healing process. 

Follow @mdixon1985

Sarah Burke was more than the top women's freestyle skier in the world and more than a four-time X Games champion.

Burke, who died on Thursday, nine days after crashing on a training run in Utah, was an inspiration to her sport and numerous people across the globe.

The Canadian died on Thursday at 29 years of age because of "irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest," according to a statement released by Burke's publicist, per USA Today.

She crashed on the superpipe at Park City Mountain resort on Jan. 10 preparing for the upcoming X Games, where she was favored to win her fifth gold medal. In the crash, Burke tore her vertebral artery, which led to severe bleeding on the brain. She went into cardiac arrest on the scene, where CPR was performed, according to the statement by publicist Nicole Wool.

Burke competed with men when freestyle skiing had yet to become a women's event. She continuously pushed for superpipe skiing to be included in the Olympics and is largely regarded as the primary force for the discipline being accepted into the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where she was favored to win the gold medal.

Said Peter Judge, CEO of Canada's freestyle team, before Burke's death (via USA Today):

Sarah, in many ways, defines the sport. She's been involved since the very, very early days as one of the first people to bring skis into the pipe. She's also been very dedicated in trying to define her sport but not define herself by winning. For her, it's been about making herself the best she can be rather than comparing herself to other people.

Burke crashed on the same halfpipe that Kevin Pearce did, where he suffered a traumatic brain injury in December 2009. It's yet another reminder of the dangers faced in the discipline and the risks involved.

As we look ahead to the 2014 Winter Olympics, remember the person who made superpipe skiing possible on the big stage. Remember that she died doing what she loved.

Remember Sarah Burke.

They are called extreme sports for a reason.

In wake of the horrific tragedy that took Canadian skier Sarah Burke’s life, we are reminded that athletes who compete in extreme sports are putting their lives on the line on a daily basis.

The 29-year-old with four Winter X Game championships crashed on a halfpipe and suffered “irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest” according to a statement by Burke’s publicist.

Burke had enough influence to add superpipe skiing to the Winter Olympics in 2014. She was at the top of her profession and was on her way to another dominating performance at next week’s X Games.

Due to the fall, she tore her vertebral artery that caused severe bleeding on the brain which immediately caused her to go into cardiac arrest on the spot. Nine days later she was gone.

If this happened to one of the greatest freestyle skiers on the earth, it can happen to anybody. Like NASCAR and open-wheeled racing, there is an inherit danger to the profession that can steal the lives of any of its participants, regardless of skill level.

Dan Wheldon was a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, one of the most feared drivers in the world. But he couldn’t shake a horrific pileup that cost him his life.

The sport has done everything in its power to make it as safe as possible—mandatory helmets, air bags on the sides of pipes during practice and better pipe-building technology just to name a few. Then again, the heights of the pipes continue to get higher and now they're up to 22 feet.

It’s the same way in motor sports. The Hans device and safer cars are offset by faster speeds and more drivers on the track.

In the end it’s a delicate balance of safety and extreme. Without the death-defying tricks and big air, the money and fame won’t follow. But it comes at a price. Potentially the ultimate price.

But that’s what they sign up for. A part of them feeds off the adrenaline of a death-defying jump. Yet it's days like today that make you wonder if it’s all worth it.

RIP Sarah Burke. 

Sarah Burke, the 29-year-old professional freestyle skier who slipped into a coma after a serious accident on January 10, has yet to have any new prognosis reported.

According to Paul Foy of the Huffington Post, Burke has remained on a breathing tube and is sedated as doctors continue to test her brain functions.

A news conference scheduled for yesterday ended up being cancelled by her publicist and agent as the family had nothing new that they wanted to report.

Burke is continually being worked on by doctors, but her agent said the situation could remain tenuous for days or possibly even weeks longer.

She underwent a surgery to repair damaged arteries in her neck that were causing damage to parts of the brain that control critical functions.

"With injuries of this type, we need to observe the course of her brain function before making definitive pronouncements about Sarah's prognosis for recovery," said Dr. William Couldwell, the neurosurgeon who performed the operation in a statement last week.

It’s good that Dr. Couldwell and his team are standing by her side and no one is ready to give up on Burke.

She needs all the support she can get during these trying times, and despite the fact that her family refused to comment on her status after reviewing her brain scans and reflex tests, it does not mean they are quitting on her.

It must be immensely hard to speak about their loved one to a gathered core of press members, which makes it understandable that they wish to remain mum unless they are sure that they have positive news to report.

American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn moved into third place on the overall all-time wins list with a dominating performance at the World Cup Super-G in Italy on Sunday.

According to NBC Sports, Vonn finished up in a shade over a minute and 26 seconds, winning by 0.61 seconds. 

The 27-year-old Vonn is already a distinguished Olympic champion, but now finds herself just 16 World Cup victories away from sitting atop the downhill skiing world. She currently trails European skiers Annemarie Moser-Proell and Vreni Schneider for first and second place respectively.

Considering Vonn is one of only five women to have won all five variations of downhill alpine skiing, it's safe to assume that if she can remain somewhat healthy, in three or four years she will be alone in the record books.

Her resume is impressive, and her superstar traits only add to her marketability as one of the world's most intriguing individual athletes.

Vonn has six World Cup wins on the 2012 season and there are still a couple of events left for the taking. Her 11 World Cup wins in 2010 are a career-best; Vonn won six races in January 2010 alone, something few skiers could ever dream of doing.

Vonn has a bright future and is poised to become the best ever at women's downhill alpine skiing. She has the work ethic, the medals and soon the wins to trounce any contrasting arguments.

Four-time X Games champion and pioneer of freestyle skiing Sarah Burke is reportedly in critical condition after suffering a fall off the half-pipe on Tuesday at Park City Mountain resort in Utah.

According to ABC News, Burke reportedly “sustained serious injuries and remains intubated and sedated in critical condition" on Wednesday, according to a doctor at University of Utah hospital in Salt Lake City. Burke was having surgery on Wednesday after hitting her head during the fall.

Burke was scheduled to compete in this year's Winter X Games to defend her title. She's competed with men when there weren't any events for women and is credited with paving the way for freestyle skiing to be included in the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. She's been considered the favorite for the gold medal there.

This only further highlights the perils of the sport, where competitors put their bodies on the line for something they love. Burke fell at the same spot where Kevin Pearce did two years ago, which left him with a traumatic brain injury.

So often it's easy to take for granted what these athletes give us every year. Their spectacular feats of expanding the limits on the slopes make us feel like they're invincible at times, but it only takes one big fall to hammer home the point that they are endangering themselves with every trick.

It's not like skiers like Burke don't know this, of course. They are as aware as anyone that they compete in a dangerous sport where injuries are common. But when you're doing what you love, you don't think twice about the potential to suffer serious injuries. And when you're as good as Burke has been, it's easy to feel invincible.

When you're watching the Winter X Games this year, appreciate what these athletes do and the dedication they have for their sports. They deserve a great deal of praise.

Renowned freestyle skier Sarah Burke is lying in a coma in Salt Lake, Utah right now as a result from a nasty fall suffered during a training run on Tuesday.

According to ESPN.com, Burke crashed while practicing on a superpipe in Park City. She was treated at the scene, and was eventually flown to University Hospital.

The most recent update on Burke's status comes from Cam Tucker of the Vancouver Sun, who reported via Twitter that Burke is still intubated and sedated and that she is still in critical condition.

Elsewhere on Twitter, many have come out and offered their thoughts and prayers for Burke. Her well-wishers include several of her colleagues as well as people from all over the world of sports.

Professional skier Tanner Hall is sending some positive vibes Burke's way:

The same goes for TV host Sal Masekela:

And professional snowboarder Louie Vito as well:

Professional alpine racer Julia Mancuso chimed in as well:

Pro skier Mike Douglas is doing his best to be positive about Burke's status:

Jamie Little, who covers the X Games for ESPN, captured the seriousness of Burke's accident:

New York Knicks big man Amar'e Stoudemire sent his best wishes to Burke. He also shared a photo of himself with her at a red carpet event:

These tweets are just a small taste of the tremendous amount of support for Burke that has taken the internet by storm. If nothing else, they paint a fitting portrait of how largely Burke looms on the skiing and extreme sports landscape.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Burke is one of the most influential figures the sport of skiing as a whole has to offer. She's a four-time Winter X Games champion and she has the distinction of being the first female skier to ever land a 1080 in competition.

Burke also helped bring halfpipe skiing to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She said in an interview with ESPN just after the new year that competing in the Olympics is her "big goal."

You obviously have to hope that that goal is still within reach even despite Tuesday's crash. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Burke. If you would like to share your own best wishes on Twitter, you're more than welcome.