X-JAM SKIER X: Setting the stage for Winter X

It all came down to the rhythm at Sunday’s Jabra X-Jam at Sugar Bowl as six Skier X racers battled for invitations to the 2006 Winter X-Games.

At the end of the day two Canadians, Davey Barr and Ryan Bennett, and one Colorado local, Chris DelBosoco, secured their spots for Aspen.

While Barr and DelBosoco held on to their pole positions throughout the six elimination races, Bennett fought his way to the front in the final round when he beat out Summit County local, Llyod Tucker, for third in the last set of rollers.

“After I looked over my shoulder it was over,” said Tucker, who had passed Bennett earlier in the race but couldn’t hold onto the lead going into the tabletops. “Once I lost my rhythm he just flew right by.”

The 24 men who moved on after Friday’s time trials faced ideal conditions Sunday when the storm that dumped 18 inches of Sierra’s best the night before moved through, leaving behind blue skies and a “spectacular course”, said one racer.

“It’s a whole different ball game than Friday’s time trails,” said DelBosco as he entered the start gate Sunday morning for the first round of eliminations. “Whoever keeps it on the ground and out of the ruts will go the games.”

“How we stacked up in the ruts made all the difference,” said 19-year-old Mallin McCabe, the long shot from Aspen who got caught outside early on in the final race and finished fifth overall.

McCabe fell victim to the first hard right out the gate, one of several areas of the Sugar Bowl course that tested riders Sunday afternoon.

“It was really tight at the top,” said Women’s Skier X first place finisher and fellow Canadian Anne-Marie Lefrancois.

Behind Lefrancois was Norwegian and former World Cup racer Gro Kvinlog, who said Sunday’s race, was “close the whole way through.” Both women earned spots in Skier X at the 2006 Winter X Games.

In addition to the skiers, three snowboarders also took home invitations to this weekend’s games. Squaw Valley rider Jennifer Ziemba grabbed the lone women’s invite, while Ben Jacobellis and Robert Minghini led the field of more than 60 snowboarders.