SNOWMOBILE FREESTYLE BLAZING INTO X GAMES.

Byline: KEITH LAIR

CYPRESS - Jimmy Fejes has his eyes on blazing a new Winter X Games snowmobile trail this week.

It's not Jimmy Fejes on the side of his Yamaha snowmobile, hauler or business cards. ``Jimmy Blaze,'' his nickname, is painted on his snowmobile, hauler and business cards. The 25-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, shakes your hand and says, ``Hi, I'm `Jimmy Blaze,''' and he prefers to be called by that moniker.

That's because ``Blaze'' has one purpose: He wants to blaze a trail for freestyle snowmobile, which will make its Winter X Games debut this week. Fejes is one of 10 invited snowmobile athletes who will compete in the inaugural competition at the 11th annual games, to be held Thursday through Sunday at Buttermilk Mountain in the Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., ski complex. Elimination rounds are Thursday with the four finalists competing Sunday in the next-to-last-event during prime-time television.

``Snowmobile freestyle is just taking off,'' Blaze said. ``Nobody was really doing it until about five years ago. And now, having our sport in the X Games. ... It's a kick. More people will see what we do on TV. It's a huge potential for our sport.''

Blaze's best move is the backflip. He perfected it about threeyears ago, he said, and critics say he does it at the expense of his other tricks. He even recently did it on a 90-degree Southern California day, taking his 500- pound bike on skis across grass and up and over a pair of kicker ramps in front of Yamaha employees, competitors and various media members.

``You can do any trick on these sleds that you can do in freestyle motocross,'' he said. ``Only a handful of people can do backflips.

We're progress, just like they are.''

In many ways, freestyle snowmobile is just like freestyle motocross.

Freestyle motocross was once considered a sideshow to other events; shown as a demonstration with other action sports events. Freestyle snowmobile is the same. Fejes did demos in Australia as part of the Crusty Tour. He does demos for other action sport exhibits, too, and will do his stunts during events of the World PowerSports Association, which sanctions North American snowcross races. The WPSA is the sanctioning body for snowcross and freestyle snowmobile events at the XGames and is considering a freestyle tour next year.

This week's event essentially replaces freestyle motocross, which has taken part in both Winter and Summer X Games. The motorcycles will remain on the Summer X tour, which returns to Southern California in August for a fifth straight year. In the past, ice has hampered the ability of motocross riders to perform tricks; and freestyle snowmobile has become more recognized with those in the industry.

The hardest part of the X Games, Blaze said, will be the altitude. He trains at about 4,000feet above sea level, about 20 miles from Anchorage.

Buttermilk Mountain is at nearly 8,000 feet. He says he has been doing some training at 7,000 feet in Montana.

``Everything is different at that altitude,'' he said. ``Sleds can do it at all that altitude; even double backflips. I'm prepped for what is happening. This is like a fantasy come true.''

Blaze said he has been riding snowmobiles since he was 2 years old, and he has been a pro freestyle competitor since he was 18.

``There's no question we can do these money tricks,'' he said. ``We can do jumps as much as 150 feet or more depending on the drop. We do that kind of stuff all the time in natural terrain.''

Event organizers plan on jumps of 45-100 feet.

``It's just the right time for freestyle for us.''

[e-mail]

[phone], Ext. 2272

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Jimmy Fejes, aka Jimmy Blaze, crashes while attempting to do a backflip on a snowmobile in 2005.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images