A year after pushing to get 1998 Skier X champion Denis Reys into the race, Bartalo did the same for Enak Gavaggio. And like Reys, Gavaggio proved Bartalo's instincts correct at the 1999 Winter X Games.

But even after he won the Skier X gold medal Friday it was difficult to determine exactly where Gavaggio came from. The Frenchman's broken English might not have offered answers, but his skiing spoke volumes as to why Bartalo insisted he be allowed to race in this year's event.

"The boy's fast, but I'd never even heard of him before," said Shane McConkey, who won the silver medal.

"He's got World Cup experience, and he's a great skier. He earned it, he wasn't a darkhorse. It was just that nobody had heard of him here before," said bronze medalist Jeremy Nobis, who spent eight years on the U.S. Ski Team (1988-1995).

After a couple of interviews this much was figured out. Gavaggio, 22, came to the Winter X Games expecting to win. He is indeed a former member of the French National Team (1996-97). And in his first season of free skiing, he's won all four of the European skiercross events he's entered.

"The race is very fast with big jumps. To win you had to be mad," Gavaggio said. "I was the second one (out of the gate), but by pushing I got by guys."

Gavaggio survived a day of brutal accidents and a competition dominated by Shaun Palmer until the final. Palmer won his preliminary and semifinal heats with ease and entered the final as the odds-on favorite despite the world-class field of skiers.

But after being the first out of the gate all afternoon, Palmer was just a little anxious to get out fast again in the final. As a result, he got a ski tangled in the starting gate and never was a factor, finishing sixth.

"I just went a little early and caught my tip in a hole in the (gate)," said Palmer, who also failed to medal in Biker X on Wednesday. "I just went out too early. I really wanted to beat these guys and it didn't happen. But I'm just happy to make the final with these World Cup skiers."

"I sure would like to get a gold in (snowboarding). I come all the way out here to choke in Biker X. I wanted to win this one and surprise the whole industry like I like to do. We'll see, I'm going to go up there right now and see if I can defend the title."

Palmer did indeed defend his Boarder X crown, winning a third straight gold medal. His full week of work continues over the weekend when he competes in Snocross.

Gavaggio, when asked if he was concerned about Palmer's strong skiing in the prelims and semis, responded as though he were "The Palm."

"I don't know Shaun Palmer, so why should I be nervous of him," Gavaggio said.

With Palmer stuck in the gate, Gavaggio took the lead from the top of the course all the way down to the finish. There were no serious accidents in the final, but the semifinals and consolation final produced the carnage everyone expected.

Taking the worst fall was Kent Kreitler, who tangled with Rey in a semifinal heat. Kreitler's left knee appeared to be seriously injured, but he refused to stop skiing. And to the amazement of the crowd, he took the lead in the consolation final -- only to fall again when his knee gave out.