France’s Kevin Rolland and Xavier Bertoni Take Top Two Spots

Tignes, France – France welcomed the first Winter X Games Europe in style with two of their very own taking gold and silver in tonight’s Men’s Skiing SuperPipe final. Kevin Rolland went into the final in third place after last night’s elimination while Tignes resident, Xavier Bertoni, came in second. The final belonged to Rolland who competed in front of 17,500 screaming fans. “I couldn’t have dreamt of a better situation,” Rolland said. “We (Bertoni) were one and three in Aspen and now for the first edition at home we are one and two.”

The difficulty of Rolland’s run with his two double flips and double cork 1260 mute grab on his last hit of his third run were unmatched. Rolland was the first skier ever to throw this in competition at Winter X Games 14 in Aspen, and he is still the only skier who has landed it in a competition.

While neither Kevin nor Xavier have ever had family come to Winter X in the United States, both athletes had more than 130 friends and family cheering them on in Tignes, one of them being Rolland’s grandfather who had never seen Rolland compete. Canada’s Justin Dorey took home the bronze with back-to-back doubles – a combo he has been working on for more than a year. “Because I am from North America, the X Games in Aspen means more to me, but for Kevin and Xavier to win here in their own country of France, it must mean the same,” Dorey said when asked about which event means more to him.

1. Kevin Rolland

2. Xavier Bertoni

3. Justin Dorey

4. Mike Riddle

5. Byron Wells

6. Jossi Wells

7. Tucker Perkins

8. AJ Kemppainen