X Games Aspen Day 1

Winter X Games kicked off its four-day festival with the men's snowboard slopestyle elimination round with 16 of the best riders in the world in Aspen, Colorado. 

Yesterday in practice Shaun White and Mark McMorris landed a triple-cork on the money-booter (aka the final jump), setting the tone for what's to come Saturday in the slopestyle final.

Peetu Pieroinen got it going in his first run with a double-backflip 180 along with a frontside 1080 melon on the final money-booter with an 81.33 and stuck with his first run to qualify in the top eight.

Max Parrot showed his proficiency with two double-corks on both monster ramps with slick work on the rails scoring a 75.66. Max had an ace run on his second go, but bailed on the money-booter after under-rotating on a double-cork.

Stale Sandbech from Norway got a little squirrely on his first run of the elimination scoring a 33.33. Sandbech unfortunately canned his second run on the cannon, ending his day.

Roope Tonteri from Finland, who missed the cut last year finishing ninth, had a noseslide tailslide 270 off the garage rail, following with a cab-1080 on the cannon, but slid on the Indy 1270 and scored a 46.60 on his first run. Tonteri knuckled on the Red Bull jump and was bumped off the bubble.

Seve Smits from Belgium who had missed the podium at X the last couple years, bailed on the cannon jump and had to throw out his first run. Smits responded with a series of flat-spins, capping it with an indy 1260 to score a 72.00 and qualified.

Badertscher took a big face-plant on the cab double back on his first run and failed to respond in the second run.

19-year old Sage Kotsenberg, silver medalist from last year, rocked the purple hair nicely but bailed out both runs and was out of the comp.

Aleksander Oestreng broke the string of bails in run #1 with a full-pull with an indy backside double-cork 1080, scoring a 65.00 on his first go. Oestreng followed it up with a huge backside 1260 on the money-booter to up his score to 68.66.

Chas Guildemond, bronze medalist from 2010 Slopestyle, had a rather squirrely full-pull, highlighted by a double rodeo on the Red Bull jump and scored a 70.00 on his first run, qualifying in 5th.

Norway's Gjermund Braaten sat on a 62.00 after both runs and squeaked into the final finishing 8th.

McMorris, who is the defending gold medalist who also won double-gold last year at X, threw down a near-flawless run with four double-corks along with a double-back to score an 88.66 on his first run. McMorris cruised on his second run to finish first in qualifying.

"I'm so glad to get the first one out of the way," McMorris said. "To land a great run to build for Saturday I'm feeling a lot more comfortable landing triple-corks we'll see what happens."

"It will come down to who is most prepared and who can handle the pressure the best."

White, who hasn't made a slopestyle final since 2009, scored a solid 67.33 on his first run and stayed in seventh after falling on a cab 900 attempt off the Red Bull hit on his second run.

Torstein Horgmo shockingly did not qualify this year, bailing on both runs. 2011 X-Games gold medalist Sebastian Toutant also did not qualify for the final. Eric Willet, rider for the 2014 U.S Olympic team also failed to make the final.

Here is the top 8 in order for the slopestyle final on Saturday. Last place qualifier will ride first in the final and will go all the way to the top qualifier who will go last.

1) McMorris
2) Piiorinen
3) Parrot
4) Smits
5) Guldemond
6) Oestreng
7) White
8) Braaten