Last winter, Ross Powers of Vermont took home gold medals in both the Slopestyle and Halfpipe competitions. He also garnered the Games' most extreme athlete honor.

All of last year's medal winners are scheduled to return to the perils and paradise of Mt. Crested Butte in '99. Of the 12 medal winners from '98, 11 are natives of the United States. It was France's Guillaume Chastagnol who prevented the sweep when he cashed in for a silver medal on the halfpipe. This winter's field also includes athletes from Canada, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Finland.

On the ladies' side, Barrett Christy distinguished herself as the only snowboarder, male or female, to challenge in all four disciplines as she snagged silver medals in Slopestyle and Big Air in '98.

The "Tina Tandem" also brought home a pair of gold medals as Tina Dixon clinched the Boarder X top honor, while Tina Basich sealed up the Big Air gold.

All three are planning on returning to Crested Butte in January.

The field of international boarders will put their talent on the line and their adrenaline in the air on the Chris Gunnarson-designed courses that have challenged Winter X Games athletes in each of the previous Games.