Aspen, CO (Monday, January 26, 2004) - Minnesota native and U.S. Snowboard team rider Steve Fisher (St. Louis Park, MN) boosted from a 12th place finish just a year ago to win the Winter X Games halfpipe live on national television Monday night. In a three run final, Fisher’s first run of 93.33, that included a huge backside 540, a cab 900 and even the elusive 1080, secured him the win.

A big weekend for U.S. Snowboarding, Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT) topped the women's pipe, while teammate Lindsey Jacobellis (Bondville, VT) finished fourth, then won the women's snowboard cross Monday afternoon. In the men's SBX Seth Wescott (Farmington, ME) nabbed silver before Fisher and teammates put an exclaimation point on the pipe as ’02 Olympian Tommy Czeschin (Mammoth Lakes, CA) finished sixth and Mason Aguirre (Duluth, MN) and Andy Finch (Fresno, CA) landed seventh and ninth respectively.

"I'm really proud of our U.S. Snowboarding athletes tonight," said U.S. Snowboarding Director Jeremy Forster. "We have some truly talented athletes working with some dedicated U.S. Snowboarding coaches in our program. Steve and Hannah showed that in the superpipe this weekend, as well as Lindsey in the boardercross. It was a great weekend for U.S. Snowboarding."

"This is so killer," said U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley. "To me it just shows what good solid coaching and a consitent program does."

But the drama started in the afternoon as favorite and No. 1 qualifier Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) was injured during practice earlier in the day as was unable to compete. Fisher then waited and watched as ’03 Park City Grand Prix winner Keir Dillon (East Stroudsburgh, PA) moved into second with a 92.66 point run. He waited as Olympic silver medalist Danny Kass (Hamburg, NJ) rocked a 93 point run with a huge 1080 to cab 900 bumping Dillon to third. Then with Olympic gold medalist Ross Powers (South Londonderry, VT) set as the last rider to drop the Aspen pipe, Fisher still waited. Powers opened with his signature huge method, but lost speed after his McTwist and was unable to keep the momentum to the bottom of the pipe, ended the night fifth behind 15-year-old Japanese superhero Kazuhiro Kokubo.

Fisher’s first major win came in April of ’03 as he topped the U.S. Snowboard Finals in the same Aspen pipe. He is now a staple in the final of every major pipe contest in the country and a constant threat on the World Cup circuit after nailing bronze in the ’03 World Championships.

WINTER X GAMES
Aspen, Colo. – Jan. 26
Men’s Halfpipe Final
1. Steve Fisher, St. Louis Park, Minn., 93.33
2. Danny Kass, Hamburg, N.J., 93.0
3. Keir Dillon, East Stroudsburg, Pa., 92.66
4. Kazuhiro Kokubo, Japan, 90.66
5. Ross Powers, South Londonderry, Vt., 90.0
6. Tommy Czeschin, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 86.33
7. Mason Aguirre, Duluth, Minn., 84.66
8. Luke Wynen, Reading, Pa., 84.0
9. Andy Finch, Fresno, Calif., 72.0