X GAMES ASPEN 2017 Reveals First Wave of Invited Athletes

ESPN returns to Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass, Colo., January 26-29, 2017, for the 16th consecutive year to showcase the world's premier ACTION SPORTS competition with live coverage on ESPN and ABC. The 2017 event will again feature ACTION SPORTS competitions, world-class musical performances and a festival village.

The first wave of athlete invites will include 98 invitations to compete at X GAMES Aspen 2017. For X GAMES Aspen 2017, all 2016 medalists with sport disciplines returning in 2017 received an automatic invite to compete in the 2017 event. For a complete list of invited athletes please visit www.xgames.com.

ESPN and ABC will televise a combined 16 hours of live X GAMES Aspen competition. Additional competition, music and behind-the-scenes content will be carried on ESPN3 as well as the latest coverage across ESPN digital platforms, including XGames.com, X GAMES app, X GAMES pages across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and more.

The first wave of invited athletes includes:

• Cassie Sharpe (Comox, British Columbia, Canada) - After making her debut at X GAMES Aspen in 2016, Sharpe returns to Aspen in 2017 with a Ski SuperPipe gold medal from a booming victory in X GAMES Oslo. Known for her big cork 900 and back-to-back flairs, she seeks to defend her title in Ski SuperPipe.

• Chloe Kim (Torrance, California) - Front-and-center in women's snowboarding, Kim is on the path to winning her fourth consecutive X GAMES gold medal after Aspen in 2015 and 2016 and Oslo in 2016. She earned her first X GAMES medal at age 13 and is the only X GAMES athlete ever to win three gold medals before age 16. A tri-lingual, first-generation American, she is the youngest member of the U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Team.

• Joe Parsons (Yakima, Washington) - The most decorated snowmobiler in X GAMES history, Parsons also has the second-most X GAMES winter event medals in history. In 2013, Parsons became the first male to earn three medals at a single X GAMES winter event, only the second person in history to do it. Parsons trains at home with freestyle riders Heath Frisby and Cory Davis.

• Jossi Wells (Wanaka, New Zealand) - A five-time X GAMES medalist from three different disciplines, Jossi is known as one of the most versatile skiers on the planet. In both 2012 and 2013 he competed in all three freestyle ski disciplines at X GAMES Aspen - SlopeStyle, SuperPipe, and Big Air. Wells won his first X GAMES gold medal in 2016 for his SlopeStyle performance, marking him as the first athlete from New Zealand to win an at X Games.

• Mark McMorris (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) - Mark McMorris has been one of snowboarding's leading men since taking gold in Slopestyle and Big Air in 2012. He repeated the feat in 2015, BECOMING the second snowboarder in history to earn double gold at a single event. McMorris boasts nine X GAMES medals and will compete in both Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air in 2016.

• Robbie Maddison (Kiama, New South Wales, Australia) - Most known for his record-breaking jumps and creative stunts and video parts, Maddison pushes the boundaries of what can be done on a bike ­- and the SnowBike will be no exception. One of his most famous leaps was in 2011, when he jumped more than 378 feet, setting a new world record distance jump during the Red Bull New Year. No Limits. event in San Diego. The Aussie DAREDEVIL has one X GAMES medal (silver) for Moto X Best Trick in 2011.

• Tiril Sjåstad Christiansen (Geilo, Norway) - Christiansen returns to Aspen with a Ski Big Air gold medal from her home country at X GAMES Oslo in 2016. Beginning her X GAMES career with a gold medal as a 17-year-old in 2013, Christiansen also earned silver medals in Slopestyle at X GAMES Tignes in 2013 and X GAMES Aspen in 2016.

The full initial list of invited athletes can be found on www.xgames.com. Additional information on all X GAMES Aspen events will be forthcoming on www.xgames.com for fans or on www.espnmediazone.com for media only. For photos please visit www.espnimages.com.Follow the X GAMES on Twitter at http://twitter.com/xgames.

Tickets and full music and competition schedules are now available at XGames.com. As always, general admission to the ACTION SPORTS competitions and festival villages is free to the public.

*PLEASE NOTE: The invited athlete list and competition schedule is constantly being updated and is subject to change.