Real Snow riders announced for WX '12

Winter X Games 2012: Real Snow

Winter X Games 2012 announces the return of Real Snow, the all-urban, all-video snowboard contest.Tags: actionsports, snowboard, Real Snow, Winter X Games

Winter X Games 2012: Real Snow

The snow season is on and things are about to get Real at Winter X Games. Again.

Following the debut of the urban-video showdown at Winter X last January, the Real Snow contest is back for its second year. In this latest incarnation of the all-video, all-urban snowboarding contest, you'll see eight riders -- Winter X rookies and vets alike -- who will be judged based on style, technicality and the gnar-factor of their tricks, edited into a tight, 60-second video.

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Oli GagnonLouif Paradis with a backside 270 to fakie on a down rail somewhere near home, Quebec City.

Right now, 2011 Real Snow medalists Dan Brisse (gold), Louis-Felix Paradis (silver) and Nic Sauvé (bronze and Fan Favorite), plus five new heavy-medal contenders -- Jed Anderson, Halldor Helgason, Scott Stevens, Bode Merrill and Pat Moore -- are scouring the streets in search of the craziest, most unique urban features to hit and document.

An expert panel of respected riders and industry heavies will decide who brings home the Winter X Games medals, but beginning in January, you get to decide the Fan Favorite -- the winner of which will take home $50,000.

All eight Real Snow video edits will be released on XGames.com/realsnow on January 10. Voting for the Fan Favorite will go down in a bracket format similar to July's X Games Real Street, with riders going head-to-head in two-man match-ups for one week at a time. On January 17, the four riders with the most votes will advance to a two-bracket semifinal. The final two will advance to a final, two-rider bracket on January 24. The winner of the Fan Favorite will be announced Sunday during the live telecast of the 2012 Winter X Games; medal winners from the judged portion of the event will be announced Saturday during the ESPN2 telecast (2-4 p.m. ET).

"It feels pretty crazy to be picked to participate in a contest like this," says Real Snow rookie Jed Anderson, bearer of a coveted Videograss movie ender-part. "It's an awesome opportunity and I'm just grateful that I am a part of it."

"Filming in the city before the mountains get snow is a lot of fun," says first-time Real Snow entrant Pat Moore, who is as known for his backcountry stylings as his urban ones. "Hopefully we motivate some kids to give snowboarding a try who may not live close to the mountains."

Check the teaser above for a taste of what's to come, then get your mouse and track pad fingers ready to watch and vote on January 10.