High fliers join X expo

New sports seem to appear out of big air for ESPN’s annual Winter X Games. Now in its seventh year, the games will feature motocross, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and UltraCross, which pits skier-snowboarder teams in a relay race. This year, two demo sports will debut during the pumped-up event that runs Friday through Tuesday at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colo. (selected events will be broadcast live on TV). The Snowmobile Freestyle Jam, which features back flips and jumps similar to tricks done at the end of snocross races, which have riders race on a track with jumps and bumps. (Need a visual? Take a look at any Slednecks video). The Ski SuperPipe Women’s Jam features athletes in twin-tip skis, below, zipping along a 500-foot-long superpipe. The women are judged on how high they go, how they land within the pipe and their style in the air. What’s next, freestyle Segways? Both demo events are scheduled for next Tuesday, though they may not make it on the air.

Go to expn.go.com/expn/winterx/2003.