X Games Aspen wrapped up in January and X Games Norway finished in May but fear not—there are still plenty of extreme activities on the 2018 sporting calendar.
After beginning yesterday in Minnesota, X Games Minneapolis should continue to deliver plenty of adrenaline-packed hijinks over the weekend during events like Moto X Freestyle, Skateboard Big Air, and Dave Mirra’s BMX Park Best Trick.
It should also give you a chance to check out some of the gnarliest athletes on the planet doing what they do best: risking life and limb.
Since you might not be too knowledgeable with the X Games and their participants—past and present—we’ve rounded up five extreme athletes you’ll want to familiarize yourself with right quick.
Three of these ladies competed in Aspen and two will be getting after it in Minneapolis … but you’re going to want to know all five. And follow ’em on the ‘Gram.
Leticia Bufoni
Sport: Skateboard Street
Her deal: A native of Brazil, Bufoni is one of the best-known skateboarders in the world, male or female. A two-time Women’s Skateboard Street gold medalist, Bufoni took six straight medals in skateboarding at X Games events from 2010-2014.
Silje Norendal
Sport: Snowboard Slopestyle
Her deal: The winner of three consecutive X Games gold medals in 2013, ’14, and ’15, Norendal learned to snowboard in Norway by hitting the slopes with her mom at age 4. Norendal showed so much promise in the sport that her parents sent her to NTG snowboard school when she was as a teenager.
Anna Gasser
Sport: Snowboard Big Air
Her deal: Hailing from a small town in the Austrian Alps, Gasser won Big Air gold in Aspen earlier this year and carried that momentum to the Winter Olympics where she took gold in the same event in PyeongChang. Last year was also a good one for Gasser as she was named Best Female Action Sports Athlete at the 2017 ESPYS.
Lizzie Armanto
Sport: Skateboard Park
Her deal: A California girl, Armanto makes her living as a full-time skater, a rarity for female boarders. A gold-medal winner at X Games Barcelona in 2013, Armanto is a character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game and has shown her acting chops in commercials for Frosted Flakes alongside Tony the Tiger.
Jamie Anderson
Sport: Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air
Her deal: Most proficient at Slopestyle, Anderson has 13 X Games medals in the event, including four gold. She also won gold during the event’s Olympic debut in 2014. Anderson loves carving up the white stuff but also enjoys going green and is a literal tree-hugger.
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