Men's slopestyle semi-finals at the 2011 Aspen Snowmass Open kicked off today with perfect bluebird skys. Two heats of competitors were on hand to give their all on the famed X Games course, with high hopes of advancing to the final round.

The rumor around the hill was that the jumps were perhaps the biggest they've ever been here on Buttermilk Mountain. This was no problem for the athletes as they put down runs that could compete with any X Games performance.

As riders dropped into their runs, the Air Force was doing flybys from the Aspen airport. The combined airial trickery from both made for a stellar semi-final day.

After the semis went down the crowd moved to the base of Buttermilk to watch the Sandy Pants Rail Jam. A huge pile of sand from Costa Rica was placed outside of Bumps Lodge and was constructed into a work of art by artists from all over the country. Riders hit rails and boxes constructed around the giant pile of sand, and even hit the sand for many of their tricks.

Men's Slope Qualifier Results – Heat 1
Top Seven Advance

Men's Slope Qualifier Results – Heat
Top Seven Advance

Men's Slope Qualifier Results – LCQ
Top Six Advance

Stay tuned for slopestyle finals tomorrow from Buttermilk Mountain.