Kevin Rolland double cork 12. Photo: Vianney Tisseau/Shazamm/ESPN Images
The Olympic circus has packed up and left Vancouver and you’d think that’d mean the Insider could get back to some good old-fashioned freeriding. But then the X Games decided to show up on our continent for the first time ever and I felt like there’d be some all-night ragers that would need some firsthand reporting.
Xavier Bertoni Photo: Vianney Tisseau/Shazamm/ESPN Images
The event started off big at the fabulous, snow-covered Tignes ski station last night with the Men’s Skiing Superpipe finals. Favorites going into the event were young upstart Frenchies Kevin Rolland and Xavier Bertoni. The two came out of nowhere to score gold and bronze respectively at the X Games in Aspen held earlier this year. Bertoni pulled out some great runs but it wasn’t enough to beat the two double flips and double cork mute 1260 that Rolland threw down on his last run to win the show.
Rolland has been on fire this year as he became the first rider to throw the 1260 swirly twirly loopty loop at Winter X 14 in Aspen. The La Plagne local came out of nowhere to crush a tough field that included Simon Dumont among others. Rolland is still the only rider to land the trick in competition. Kid’s got skills.
Check the video on Mpora here.
