When it comes to sick video games, it might as well start in the same place.

That was the concept behind the recently released X Games Pro Boarder game from Electronic Arts, in which game players can choose to be World Snowboard Champion Terje Haakonsen or X Games Big Air gold medalist Tina Basich, among others.

In a true case of art imitating life, the developers at Electronic Arts sat down with Haakonsen, Basich and four other snowboarding stars: Todd Richards, Peter Line, Shannon Dunn and Daniel Franck.

PRO BOARDER ENTRANTS
Amateur qualifers
Name	Age	Hometown
Billy Caruso	14	Plymouth, Mass.
Matt Forsythe	21	Gig Harbor, Wash.
Mike Ziegler	10	Poylestown, Pa.
Jason Papadopoules	27	Garnerville, N.Y.
Mario Vega	9	Houston, Texas
Martis Johnson	13	Chicago, Ill.
Jeremy Camp	19	Garland, Texas
Chris Howard	13	Burbank, Calif.

And to take the concept a step further, the X Games wanted to see if the athletes featured in the game could manipulate their animated selves as well as they do in the flesh, making Pro Boarder an official event at the '99 X Games.

Want a little more intrigue? ESPN and Electronic Arts took the video game to the streets and wound up with eight qualifiers from around the United States who earned trips to Crested Butte to compete for an actual Winter X medal.

Here's how it works: Friday night at the X Games, eight professional snowboarders will compete in one bracket of the medal tournament while the eight amateur qualifers compete in the opposite bracket. One pro and one qualifier will advance to the gold-medal match.

Regardless of the final outcome, one lucky -- and quick-fingered -- amateur is going to take home a medal in Pro Boarder. And if he can beat a legend like Terje Haakonsen, so much the better.

As for the pros, it still remains to be seen if they're as good at the game as they are on their boards.

"Some of the guys are juge gamers," game producer Jack Rebbetoy said. " During production we'd be sending off prototypes, and they had some really good suggestions. They know video games, and they're all pretty stoked about the final outcome."

They should be, because it's all about them. Rebbetoy and his production team -- most of whom are into snowboarding already -- worked hand in hand with the athletes to make sure the animated versions were true reproductions of the real thing, from their signature moves right down to their body language, outfits and even sponsors.

"We wanted to make sure the athletes had as much input as possible," Rebbeoty said. "Not just take their name and slap it on there, but make it something they can be proud of."

Their dilligence apparently paid off. Reviews from the athletes themselves have been glowing.

"We've been waiting a long time for a game which captures the snowboarding experience," said Basich. "I'm totally stoked to be part of X Games Pro Boarder. Seeing yourself and the other top riders in the game pulling huge airs and crazy tricks is a very cool thing."

But pulling them in tournament play against some of the hottest young game players in the land might be another matter. Basich and the rest might find there are 9-year-olds out there who can pull off their patented moves better than they can -- at least on the computer.