WX15: New events and invited athletes

Shazamm/ESPN ImagesTucker Hibbert (left) will be going for the first Snowmobile five-peat in SnoCross at Winter X 15, while Bobby Brown (center) and Gretchen Bleiler (right) will both look to defend their gold medals from 2010's Winter X.

Winter X Games will celebrate its 15th anniversary in Aspen, Colo., Jan. 27-30, 2011. This year will mark the 10th consecutive year Winter X will be held in Aspen and will feature new events, 200-plus athletes and primetime coverage Sunday. One new discipline makes its debut and one discipline returns with a new format. In addition to 24 hours of live HD programming on ESPN and ESPN2, ESPN 3D will televise 18 hours of original Winter X Games coverage. Programming will also be available on ESPN International, XGames.com, ESPN360.com, SportsCenter and ESPN2's X Center.

Snowboard Best Method will feature six snowboarders in a final-only 10-minute jam for best method. The final will be fan judged and voted on via text messaging and online. Snowmobile Speed & Style made its Winter X debut in 2008 and will return this year with a format that proved to be successful at X Games 16 this summer for motocross. It will feature eight athletes competing in a single elimination format with two riders competing head-to-head. Both riders will receive a Freestyle "style" score. The first rider across the finish line receives "speed" margin of victory bonus points which will be added to the Freestyle score.