Winter's here! And like every year this means we had to leave our croissants and smelly cheese in France and head to Colorado to start trainings so we can kill it this season.
Here we are, the season of competition has started in Breckenridge with the famous Dew Tour...
We trained for 10 days in Copper's 22 feet tall pipe and now, we are in Breckenridge, with a smaller pipe of 18 feet. It is very hard to get use to this new pipe and not to fall on the flat...
We noticed a huge evolution as soon as the qualifiers started: Most of the runs are more technical than the best runs of last year's X Games... But no worries, Thomas Krief is 7th, Xavier Bertoni is 2nd and I am 3rd.
The finals are surprising, especially because on the first runs, only 3 riders stomped all their tricks! On my second run, I was torn apart between giving the best of myself or playing it cool because of the sequence of events... And I picked the wrong option (the safe one) and finished 4th.
Xavier did a very clean run bu had a little fright on his flat 3 and finished 3rd. Thomas Krief, who did not land his runs as he wished, showed us that he was one of the best pipe riders in the world and he is only 16 years old...
Bonus: The video of the double cork mute of Kevin last week in Breckenridge.
We are lucky because except from AJ Kamppainen, Shaun White, and his direct opponent for the Olympics Danny Davis, the pipe is empty. Kevin improves his unatural double, meanwhile I work on my flat 3, Switch 1000.
Second stop is Snowbasin, a small resort an hour away from Park City. There is a very tiny pipe (17 feet) but it is well shaped. The slopestyle is not really impressive too: 3 rails and 3 small kickers. And the lifter takes ages to go up! So we all do the same, we go up by walking! We all get use to it and it is good for the planet ! Simon Dumont is at his best and we can see it during the trainings. Jossi Wells is doing one run in the pipe and one in the slopestyle, one right after the other without resting... How does he do that?
For the qualifiers, Kevin takes the second place right after Justin Dorey whose run is clean and technical. The finals start with 2 hours of traning (that is when we stopped being eco-friendly and used the skidoo...) Peter Olenick is impressive with his Alleyoop flat 5... It smells like double here !! Indeed few runs later he tries the double and crashes on the coping... He got back on his feet and stomped it during the finals... How does he do that?
Kevin falls in his first run on his unat double. During his last run, he is not spinning far enough on his unat double and lands it on the ass. For my part, I crashed my double during the trainings and I can't finish my run. Jossi stomped a beautiful run and wins the pipe. Follows Simon and Peter. How do they...
3rd and last stop: Aspen is where we're heading now, to go visit the big XGames' pipe. We have a lot of work to do...
X Games trainings by the FollowUs.tv crew !!
Aspen, Colorado. One year after Xavier killed it in the super pipe, we are here to make it happen again and even better, we would like to be both on the podium this time.
We trained in the pipe of snowmass and I crashed on the second day: a trauma, a broken noze and a shoulder that hurts... My self confidence was hurt quite a bit too, especially with the competition coming!
After two weeks of resting, the X Games pipe opened. It is really hard to ride it. All the riders are scared because it is really icy due to water they poured on the walls to preserve the snow. (It is the same system used for slalom slopes...) Mike Riddle was the first to hit the pipe and he crashed on a double, twisted a knee but he is fine now! (his ligaments must be different from ours...) Then Simon crashed really badly on the coping on a double, his head knocked hard on the ice, but he will also be there for the qualifiers, no problem...
Xavier Bertoni, Justin Dorey et Tucker Perkins are the first to really defeat the pipe. But what is really impressive this year is what's going on in the slopestyle! FYI Bobby Brown goes from tricks to tricks with a switch unat bio 9,double corck 12,switch double bio 12, and I'm not joking....
We can feel the level increasing day by day. The show is going to be amazing in both the pipe and the slopestyle !
They did it...
Here is your backstage pass to the amazing performance of Kevin Rolland and Xavier Bertoni in the pipe of the XGames 14 !
An episode a bit longer than usual, but it was important that you know more about this podium !
Stressing competition times are over and here is a more relaxed episode with some muggle skiing, some freeride and a great big air session in Val d'Isère.
After a quite intensive half pipe period, we just want to "ski" and have some simple fun ! We started with a muggle lesson at the sports club of la Plagne to try another univers. At least they go olympic, they do...
Then we went for some powder slaying in the afternoon with Julien Regnier and Chris Booth, and we ended on a kicker session at Val d'Isère with all the frenchies. A lot of good memories to keep since it is the first park session we really have had this winter... Contests, contests, contests...
Xavier & Kevin getting ready for the European Xgames in Tignes.
First training.
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Watch the backstage of this perfect hold up from Kevin Rolland and Xavier Bertoni on the x games superpipe in Tignes.
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Just for fun, watch this mini video showing Kevin overshooting a big air with only a Pull In underwear on...
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Last episode of the north hemisphere winter.
With some new dubs in the pipe and a really beautifull sunset kicker session in La Plagne.
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Summer edit from FollowUs.tv with some waterjump, glacier, motobike and wakeboarding. Enjoy.
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A quick edit showing Xavier Bertoni and Kevin Rolland during the IF3 Europe in Annecy France.
Xavier and Kevin are back in the game with this new season of FollowUs.tv
More fun, more actions, more competitions.
Lots of prensents and surprise.
2 episodes every month and lots of bonus clip.
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A short bonus to show offer you some powder.
Follow Kevin riding big kickers in La Plagne, and Xavier riding the powder of Kamtchatka, (Russia)
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First episode of the season with some trainings:
airbag, woodward and Copper's pipe.
And the first stop of the Dew Tour with a third place for Kevin.
Some trainings before Xgames on big air and superpipe
2 competitions at the same time
2 gold
Kevin going to the Dew Tour in Killigton while Xavier riding at the world Cup in Austria
Gold again for Kevin, it was really hard to get this time.
Watch out the backastage of the biggest freeski contest in the world.
Xavier had a big slam during the prelims.
Kevin manage to take 2nd place behind Mike Riddle
Dew Tour Final in SnowBasin.
Huge level for the final, the pipe was perfect.
Kevin won the comp and the Dew Cup.
Ben Valentin took 2nd place.
Toto Krief ends up 3rd of the Dew Cup.
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Kevin won his 4th xgames gold medal in a row.
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Kevin Rolland went to the JOI this year. He didn't make it to final after 2 crashes during the qualifications but the show was amzing anyway.
Summer holidays are over, it's time to train for the crew.
Some waterjump in Switzerland and then straight to the glacier of Les 2 Alpes.
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First ep of the new season of followUs.tv
Kevin won the firs stop of the dew Tour, descover the whole story
the backstage of the Xgames with kevin Rolland and Xavier Bertoni
Keving is recovering from his knee injuries and Xavier is trainning in Mt Bachelor, OR
