LaVallee gets big jump on X Games
Winter sports fans are going to have plenty of couch time in the next few months.
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The Winter Olympic Games open in Vancouver in February, and extreme sport fans will have plenty to cheer for when the Winter X Games begin in Aspen, Colo., on Jan. 28.
Levi LaVallee soared above the treetops at Ski Gull while testing for the Winter X Games.
Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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For fans of snowmobile competition, there will be plenty of action with five different categories to watch. Levi LaVallee of Longville will get a chance to show his skills in four different events as he will appear in the Best Trick, Freestyle, Snocross and Knockout categories.
LaVallee was at Ski Gull on Friday to work on jumping moves for the new Knockout event.
"The X Games is doing a new event called Super Bowl Knockout," he said. "Basically it's a distance jump where you're going to have a ramp and a certain amount of run and basically you can see who can jump the furthest. What they will do is pair us up head to head and whoever can jump the furthest moves on to the next round so we were out testing the setup today."
Levi LaVallee
LaVallee has a history of thrills at the X Games, including his double back flip which amazed crowds in the 2009 Games. This will be LaVallee's eighth X Games.
"There are guys that have been out there longer, but I'm pumped and want to get out there and be able to have the ability to go out and compete," he said. "I think Aspen really enjoys having it there, and they have the system down so well with ESPN out there for almost a month setting up Buttermilk Mountain."
Several other Minnesotans have been invited to the X Games, including Lake Shore's Dan Ebert, Tucker Hibbert, Paul Bauerly, Andrew Johnstad, Robbie Malanoski, Matt Piche and Justin Bromberg.
Those riders, and LaVallee, will have their final preparation for the event at the AMSOIL Championship Series Snocross at Canterbury Downs in Shakopee Jan. 22-23. It was one of LaVallee's favorite tracks for a few different reasons.
"Canterbury is one of our best events and it gets me really excited," LaVallee said. "It's in Minnesota so there are local people here and other friends and family that can come and check it out."
"And, on top of that, it's one of our best events with one of the coolest tracks. It's not a horse track. They usually build a track with big jumps and technical rhythm with a lot of spots for passing. On top of that they throw the freestyle riders in while they are preparing the track and they are doing back flips and all kinds of crazy stuff."
Another great story at Canterbury will be the return of Mike Schultz of Pillager. Schultz suffered a frightening injury last season which resulted in his left leg being amputated above the knee. Schultz helped design his own prosthetic leg and even competed in the Summer X-Games in Adaptive Motocross.
Snowmobiling takes a toll on the body and requires drivers to be in great shape.
"To maintain your body and get it ready for the season there is a lot of exercise and cardio, and weight training," he said. "The biggest thing is the riding and getting as much seat time as possible. The more that you are on the sled the more familiar you are in all situations and you are ready for anything that comes up. So it is a lot of riding.
"We start at the end of August so we get three solid months of training and then after a month we start riding the sled on wood chips and then on the snow."
With the popularity of the X-Games, and the interest in the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series, LaVallee sees the sport heading in the right direction.
"The sport is going great," he said. "There has been a lot of boost from the X Games but now, with the economy, things have slowed down with sales, but it is that way all over.
"Snowmobiling is holding its own and it is such a fun sport. People get excited about it, and I think it's going to just grow more and more in the years to come."