ESPN Winter X Stars Sarah Burke and Danny Kass Mentor Amateurs

Four talented amateur athletes will have the chance to learn from the pros in a new installment of Winter Next X, part of the Next X series of action sports reality shows developed by Disney XD and ESPN. Winter Next X, in which action sports stars mentor young competitors, will premiere Monday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. ET on Disney XD. Winter Next X will air multiple times, with new episodes debuting daily throughout the week. Developed by Disney XD in association with ESPN, the series marks the second iteration of Winter Next X.

Shot on location at the upcoming Winter X Games 15 in Aspen, Colo., the series pairs pro skier Sarah Burke and pro snowboarder Danny Kass  with four talented amateurs. The two pros help the young athletes sharpen their technical skills to perform new tricks as they try to become the next generation’s action sports superstars. Winter Next X culminates with one amateur athlete named the Winter Next X.

The accomplished young amateurs include:

·     11-year-old Birk Irving, a skier from Winter Park, Colo., who placed first in the Halfpipe and second in the Slopestyle competition at the 2010 USASA  National Championship. He placed first in the Rocky Mountain King of the Grommets competition for the past two years in a row.

·     13-year-old Nik Baden, a snowboarder from Steamboat Springs, Colo., was the USASA Menehune Boys Overall National Champion at the 2010 USASA Nationals,where he also took home the gold medal in the Slopestyle competition. In 2010, he placed third at the US Open Junior Division in the Halfpipe competition.

·     12-year-old Sasha Johnstone, a skier from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, who placed first in the Halfpipe competition at the 2010 Jackson Hole USASA competition and fourth in the Slopestyle competition at the 2010 USASA National Championship at Copper Mountain.

·     10-year-old Redmond Gerard, a snowboarder from Frisco, Colo., placed first in the 2010 Red Bull Buttercup rail event in Winter Park, Colo.

Winter Next X is produced by Kemp Curley and Bruno Musso of Transition Productions (ESPN X Games/Winter X Games, First Descent and Ultimate Parkour Challenge).  The director of photography is Christian Hoagland.

About ESPN’s X Games Franchise

ESPN held its first X Games in 1995. ESPN’s Global X Events and Development group is responsible for creating the company’s action sports programming currently airing on ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3D and across its various platforms and international networks. In addition to the two U.S. based X branded events, X Games and Winter X Games, ESPN has held X Games competitions and demonstration events around the world, including Dubai, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, Malaysia, China, and Europe. The Global X franchise has also expanded its reach to ESPN.com/Action, the definitive site for action sports fans, and to consumer products such as X Games bikes, protective gear, skateboards and DVD’s.

About Disney XD

Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 77 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. Disney XD channels are in the UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Latin America, Japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

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Press Contact:

Alex Rozis, ESPN, (415) 609-0749, [email protected]

Grace Coryell, ESPN, (310) 642-1519, [email protected]

Erica Palm, Disney, (818) 569-5015,  [email protected]