The ESPYs nominate seven of the top X Games and Winter X Games athletes for Best Action Sports Athlete, including Kelly Clark who also received the honor of nomination in the Best Female Athlete category. Winter X Games Mono Skier X medalist Chris Devlin-Young also received a nod in the Best Male Athlete with a Disability category.
The ESPYs will be televised live Wednesday, July 13, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPNHD from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE. The 2011 ESPYs is co-presented by Capital One and Castrol EDGE and hosted for the second time by Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers. The complete list of nominees for the 19th annual ESPYs can be found here.
BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE NOMINEES
Tucker Hibbert, Snowmobiling
The most medaled snowmobile athlete in Winter X Games history, Tucker Hibbert easily earned his fifth straight Snowmobile SnoCross gold medal at Winter X Games 15, becoming the first Snowmobile athlete to five-peat. The youngest gold medalist in Winter X Games history, Hibbert has also dominated the National series, winning 11 of 16 National series contests last season and taking home the 2011 National series points title.
Travis Pastrana, Motocross
After sealing his reputation as the best Moto X Freestyle rider with the first double backflip in 2006, Travis Pastrana returned to the Freestyle and Speed & Style disciplines at X Games 16 to win double gold in Moto X disciplines for the first time since he did it in 2006. In 2011, Pastrana is also making his NASCAR debut, both as a driver and team owner under the Pastrana-Waltrip racing banner. With 12 Moto X medals and four Rally Car medals, Pastrana is one of the most successful crossover athletes in X Games history.
Kevin Rolland, Skiing
After winning the Ski SuperPipe at both Winter X Games 14 and the inaugural Winter X Games Europe in 2010, Kevin Rolland successfully defended both titles in 2011. After making history at Winter X Games 14 by becoming the first skier to throw three doubles in the same run, Rolland continued his dominance winning two of three Winter Dew Tour Superpipe competitions and the overall title for 2011. He finished out the year by earning the AFP Superpipe points title by an enormous margin.
Kelly Slater, Surfing
Winning his 10th ASP World Title in 2010, Kelly Slater earned himself the title of surfing legend. Winning his first ASP World Title at 20-years old, Slater is now both the youngest and oldest person in ASP history to win a World Title. Slater earned four ASP elite victories in 2010, bringing his total to 45 overall elite tour victories, the most of any surfer.
Shaun White, Skateboarding & Snowboarding
With the most gold medals and the most total medals in Winter X Games history, Shaun White earned the first Snowboard SuperPipe four-peat in Winter X Games history in 2011. In addition, White earned his fourth X Games medal at X Games 16 when he took home silver in Skateboard Vert. He finished out 2010 competing in two AST Dew Tour Vert competitions, which he won.
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE NOMINEES
Sarah Burke, Freestyle Skiing
Leading the charge to include Ski Halfpipe in the Winter Olympics, Sarah Burke is one of the most influential female skiers in history. With the most SuperPipe gold of any athlete male or female, Burke has won halfpipe titles at every major contest, including gold at Winter X Games 15 and Winter X Games Europe 2011.
Kelly Clark, Snowboarding
The most decorated female Snowboard SuperPipe athlete, Kelly Clark has won eight total medals in her 12 Winter X Games appearances. With an Olympic gold in 2002 and bronze from 2010 already under her belt, Clark had a banner season in 2010/2011 where she won nearly every contest she entered, including Winter X Games 15 and Winter X Games Europe Snowboard SuperPipe. At Winter X Games 15, Clark wrote herself into the history books as she became the first female athlete to land a 1080 in SuperPipe competition.
Ashley Fiolek, Motocross
At just 20-years old, Ashley Fiolek has blazed a trail for women’s motocross by earning the first-ever female factory Honda Red Bull Racing sponsorship. In her first three seasons, Fiolek claimed the 2008 and 2009 AMA/WMX Championships and became the youngest champion ever. Though she finished in second for the overall title in 2010, she is back on track and leading the points standings for the 2011 season. Fiolek is the two-time defending X Games Moto X Racing Women’s gold medalist.
Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing
One of the most talented female surfers on the ASP Tour, Stephanie Gilmore won four of the eight surfing events on the 2010 ASP World Tour en route to her fourth straight ASP World Title. In 2011, Gilmore is currently in fourth place in the Women’s World Title rankings.
Fans will determine the winners in all categories (except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards) by voting online at www.ESPN.com/espys, www.facebook.com/ESPN, as well as on ESPN Mobile Web at http://espn.mobi from June 24 – July 9. A limited number of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase beginning May 9 through www.ticketmaster.com.
The ESPYs
The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2011 ESPYs will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993. Media Kit
X Games 17
In its ninth year in Los Angeles, X Games 17 will feature more than 200 athletes at competition venues and event spaces including STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE. The 17th annual action sports competition to be held in Los Angeles July 28 – 31 and will debut the new discipline of Enduro X, as well as the first-ever rally street circuit running through the downtown area. ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will combine to telecast 25 hours of live X Games 17 competition. In addition to the 25 original hours in high definition, the Worldwide Leader in Action Sports will also televise 18 hours of X Games action on ESPN 3D. More than 25 hours will also be distributed on ESPN3.com.
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