Aspen, CO (1/24/2014) - Snowmobile Freestyle competitor Colten Moore collected his second X Games gold medal Thursday, opening X Games Aspen 2014 with an emotional win that he dedicated to his older brother, Caleb, who died from injuries sustained in last year's competition, the only death in the 20-year history of the X Games. Joe Parsons and Heath Frisby took silver and bronze, respectively.
Moore, 24, led after the first of two runs, riding in front of a Colorado crowd that included more than 60 of his friends, family and community members from his hometown of Krum, Texas.
"This is the greatest moment ever, to be able to come back and ride for my brother," Moore said. "And not just for him, but with him, because I know he was out here with me all night. To be able to come out here and get gold is unbelievable. I just give it all to him. I know he was the one helping me do everything I was doing. ... It's what me and Caleb grew up doing, pushing each other to go for it. I just knew that he'd be riding with me."
Moore's father, Wade Moore, was watching just off the course, wearing a No. 31 hat in honor of Caleb Moore's bib number.
"It means everything," Wade Moore said, watching as his son took a victory lap. "He just wanted to ride, that's what he likes doing, he has fun doing it. That's all he and his brother did, and they're still doing it together, I promise they are."
Even though Colten Moore's biggest trick -- a ruler backflip -- came after his run time expired, his first-run score of 91.33 was enough to bump him to the top of the field. That score held up through the second round of competition, leaving Moore to take a victory lap in front of his Texas-flag-waving fans.
Moore said he calmed his nerves before the contest and pushed the gravity of the night's significance aside by telling himself, "Forget about all of this. I'm going to go out there and ride with Caleb. He's out there riding with me and helped me throw down better than I ever have."
"This is the greatest moment ever, to be able to come back and ride for my brother," Moore said. "And not just for him, but with him, because I know he was out here with me all night. To be able to come out here and get gold is unbelievable. I just give it all to him. I know he was the one helping me do everything I was doing. ... It's what me and Caleb grew up doing, pushing each other to go for it. I just knew that he'd be riding with me."
Moore's father, Wade Moore, was watching just off the course, wearing a No. 31 hat in honor of Caleb Moore's bib number.
"It means everything," Wade Moore said, watching as his son took a victory lap. "He just wanted to ride, that's what he likes doing, he has fun doing it. That's all he and his brother did, and they're still doing it together, I promise they are."
Even though Colten Moore's biggest trick -- a ruler backflip -- came after his run time expired, his first-run score of 91.33 was enough to bump him to the top of the field. That score held up through the second round of competition, leaving Moore to take a victory lap in front of his Texas-flag-waving fans.
Moore said he calmed his nerves before the contest and pushed the gravity of the night's significance aside by telling himself, "Forget about all of this. I'm going to go out there and ride with Caleb. He's out there riding with me and helped me throw down better than I ever have."
