Aspen X Games provide born-again snowboarders chance to shine

Source: Denver Post

In a sports world where believing in yourself is an essential tool — you need that kind of faith before you can hit a three-rotation 1080 on a snowboard — the notion of believing in something bigger can be difficult to fathom.

But a swelling corps of Jesus fans is making itself known in the inherently hedonistic world of extreme sports.

At this year’s Aspen X Games, born-again Christians sport Jesus stickers on their rides. They eschew the party scene that saddles just about all the action. They wade through the excesses, living a chaste life while pushing the boundaries of their sport, hoping their lifestyle inspires others.

“Snowboarding can only take you so far,” says Tommy Czeschin, a 12-year pro boarder on the U.S. Snowboarding Team and new father from Mammoth Lakes, Calif. “You can win lots of events but still be empty inside.”

It is not just born-again Christians who are bringing a new spirituality to the X Games. As this event matures, so do its participants.

Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter grew up visiting a local friary in Vermont. It was there, hanging with the monks, that she learned her own form of faith.

“I just express it with meditation, yoga and candles,” says Teter, who earned Olympic gold in Turin’s 2006 Winter Games.

But the traditional Christian athletes are the most visible.

Four years ago, Daniel “Floyd” Ralph founded the country’s first Snowboarders For Christ group in Breckenridge. Several of the extreme sports’ biggest names have joined the fold.