In the surfing world, claiming a wave in competition serves dual purpose: honest-to-god exuberance over a wave well ridden–or a sly way to convince judges the ride was worthy of a better score. At Winter X, athletes can be guilty of playing the same game. So it’s no surprise that this weekend features some of the best claims in the world of winter action sports. When you land that run you’ve been working on for weeks (but it might just be on the cusp), the right amount of celebration could sway the judges in your favor. But choosing the right kind of claim is key.
Kevin Rolland: Calling for the boys to buy his first drink at the club. Or perhaps just a vive le France over his Superpipe Gold.
Kelly Sildaru: The Slopestyle champ is too young to realize she’s bringing back an awesome dance move.
Ben Ferguson: Just a quiet claim but still kind of a “Can’t touch this!” moment.
Henrik Harlaut: Nothing quite like the switch claim with some Wu-Tang steeze.
More celebratory than strategic, the claims of Skier X are the result of roughly one minute of pure adrenaline. Hard to hold back.
Brady Leman: A five-parter! Too much testosterone for only one claim.
Kelsey Serwa: Signaling for help on a desert island…into Ray Lewis celebrating a sack.
