Masekela to Host Telecast; Pearce, Ernst, Crist, Douglas and Burandt to Serve as Commentators and Analysts

ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise 24 hours of live programming from Winter X Games 15, Jan. 27-30, in Aspen, Colo. In addition to the 24 original hours on ESPN and ESPN2, the Worldwide Leader in Action Sports will present 18 original hours of Winter X Games 15 competition in 3D on ESPN 3D. Winter X Games 15 content will also be distributed across ESPN’s family of international networks and global platforms, including ESPN3.com, ESPN.com/Action, ESPN Mobile TV and Jeep X Center.

Hosted by Sal Masekela, the Winter X Games telecasts will once again feature a talented collection of on-air commentators. ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson will return to host Jeep X Center nightly on ESPN2. The one-hour, late-night show will review each day’s action. Veteran X Games commentators Keir Dillon, Chris Ernst and Jamie Little will collectively host Winter X Games 15 on ESPN 3D.

A roster of action sports experts including Kevin Pearce, Mike Douglas, Zach Crist, Keir Dillon and Chris Burandt will join Masekela for Winter X Games 15 and will serve as analysts for the Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowmobile events. Winter X Games athlete Sarah Burke will serve as a reporter on ESPN 3D.

Masekela has served as host of the Winter X Games since 2002. In addition to serving as host, Masekela’s responsibilities include serving as play-by-play for the Snowboard SuperPipe, Slopestyle and Big Air events. Masekela will also provide reports on SportsCenter.

Dana Jacobson, an ESPN anchor since 2002, joined the X Games team in 2006 as the first host of X Center, ESPN2’s nightly highlight show. Jacobson served as an anchor on ESPNEWS and SportsCenter before joining ESPN2’s morning program ESPN First Take as a co-host in 2005. At Winter X Games 15, Jacobson will host Jeep X Center.

Kevin Pearce is highly regarded as one of the best all around snowboarders in history. At Winter X Games 13, he was the first athlete to compete in three Winter X Games competitions in a single day and earned three medals in the three events. Pearce has a total of five Winter X Games medals to his name and has won a number of other major events. Pearce will serve as an analyst for the snowboard competitions at Winter X Games 15.

Zach Crist is one of the most accomplished World Cup ski racers of all time and was a member of the U.S. Ski Team for seven years. He earned three Winter X Games medals as a competitor, including Skier X gold in 2001. Along with his older brother Reggie, the pair became the first siblings to earn Winter X Games medals. Crist will help call the action on the X Course as an analyst for the X Course competitions. Crist joined the ESPN team in 2010.

Chris “Uncle E” Ernst is considered by many to be the father of skiercross. He is credited for helping to shape a new category of ski racing and forging a new discipline in action sports. A former ski aerialist, Ernst is a live event announcer for numerous winter sports events and is also the founder of EXP Productions. Ernst will serve as the play-by-play commentator for the freeski sports competitions at the Winter X Games.

Mike Douglas is an undisputed pioneer of freeskiing and has been an integral part of the Winter X Games telecast team since 2001. A member of the Canadian Freestyle Ski team in the early 1990s, he helped design the first Salomon 1080 ski and helped to usher in the twin tip revolution. Douglas also competed twice at the Winter X Games in the Skiing Big Air competition. Douglas will serve as an analyst for the Ski Slopestyle, Ski SuperPipe and both Big Air events at Winter X Games 15.

Chris Burandt is one of the best all-around professional snowmobilers in the world and helped pioneer the sport of snowmobile freestyle in the early 2000s. Before moving into the Winter X television booth in 2010, Burandt stood atop the podium in competitions all across the globe, including gold in the Winter X Games 11 Snowmobile Freestyle contest. Burandt will serve as an analyst for select snowmobile events at Winter X Games 15.

Keir Dillon competed in nine Winter X Games, collecting a pair of Snowboarding SuperPipe medals in the process. Three years ago, Dillon added TV reporter to his already impressive pro snowboarding resume and is now a fixture of both the X Games and Winter X Games telecasts. In 2010, Dillon was named as the host for the ESPN 3D telecast of X Games 16. Dillon will continue to serve in that capacity, joined by Chris Ernst and Jamie Little. Dillon will also serve as an analyst for the snowboarding events on the ESPN and ESPN 3D telecasts.

 

Sarah Burke was named one of the most influential skiers of the past 35 years by Powder magazine and was the first woman to land a 720, 900 and 1080 in competition. Burke has won almost every major freestyle skiing competition in the world, with the Winter X Games being no exception. Burke has five Skiing SuperPipe medals, including three consecutive gold medals and back-to-back silvers before that. Burke will serve as a reporter for the ESPN 3D telecast.

A complete roster of Winter X Games 15 play-by-play hosts, analysts, reporters and commentators:

Hosts

● Sal Masekela: ESPN / ESPN 2

● Dana Jacobson: Jeep X Center

● Keir Dillon, Chris Ernst and Jamie Little: ESPN 3D

Snowboarding

● Sal Masekela: SuperPipe, Slopestyle, Best Method, Big Air, Real Snow and Street Play-by-Play

● Keir Dillon: SuperPipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, Real Snow and Street Analyst

● Kevin Pearce: SuperPipe Analyst

● Todd Harris: Snowboarder X Play-by-Play

● Zach Christ: Snowboarder X Analyst

● Tina Dixon: SuperPipe, Slopestyle, Big Air and Street Reporter

● Jamie Little: Snowboarder X Reporter

Skiing

● Chris Ernst: Slopestyle, SuperPipe and Big Air Play-by-Play

● Mike Douglas: Slopestyle, SuperPipe and Big Air Analyst

● Todd Harris: Skier X Play-by-Play

● Zack Crist: Skier X Analyst

● Jamie Little: Skier X Reporter

● Jenn Brown: Slopestyle, SuperPipe and Big Air Reporter

Snowmobile

● Paul Page: SnoCross and Adaptive SnoCross Play-by-Play

● Cameron Steele: Freestyle, Speed & Style and Best Trick Play-by-Play

● Chris Burandt: Freestyle, Speed & Style, SnoCross, Adaptive SnoCross and Best Trick Analyst

● Tes Sewell: Freestyle, Speed & Style, SnoCross, Adaptive SnoCross and Best Trick Reporter
For the full telecast schedule and Winter X Games media information, including press releases, logos and additional images from past events, log on to www.espneventmedia.com. For general information and updated athlete lists, log on to www.xgames.com. Follow the Winter X Games on Twitter at Twitter.com/xgames.

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Contacts: Alex Rozis, [email protected] or 310-642-1533