A host of Winter X Games and Olympic medalists headline the first wave of invited athletes for Winter X Games Europe 2011, to be held for a second consecutive year at Tignes Ski & Snowboard resort in France March 16-18, 2011. Winter X Games Europe will welcome 150 world-class athletes competing in Snowboard and Skiing events. The event marks only the second time a Winter X Games event will be held outside the United States.

ESPN and ESPN2 will combine for more than nine-and-one-half live and tape-delayed hours of coverage in the U.S., while ESPN3.com will provide more than 13 hours of live competition on the 24/7 live broadband sports network. ESPN will collaborate with CANAL + Networks (CANAL +, CANAL + SPORT, Sport +) again to show the Winter X Games in France and French-speaking territories (Caribbean, French speaking Africa) live (or on-delay). Additionally, Winter X Games Europe will be broadcast live and on-delay on ESPN UK and Ireland. Also, live or tape-delayed coverage on ESPN networks in Australia, Brazil, Africa, Israel, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Latin America. Highlights of the Games will be broadcast in Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Serbia and Slovenia.

Following last month’s Winter X Games 15 record-breaking attendance in Aspen, Colo., spectators in Tignes can look forward to eight different competitions over three days, including Ski and Snowboard SuperPipe and Slopestyle for men and women as well as Snowmobile demonstrations. Last year, more than 66,000 fans attended the inaugural Winter X Games Europe over three days.

“After being in Aspen for many years, it is great to have the same caliber event at my home mountain of Tignes,” said multiple Winter X Games medal winner and skier Xavier Bertoni. “Tignes is a great host to the event and I’m looking forward to the second edition this year.”

Winter X Games medalist and US Olympian snowboarder Louie Vito, said, “X Games is the biggest contest of the year. Going to X Games, you can always expect a perfect set up and the best riders, and now that we have two – one in Aspen and now in Tignes – I couldn't be more stoked be able to compete in both!”

Among the first wave of invited athletes includes:

* Torah Bright (AUS) – Two-time Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe and 2010 Winter Olympic gold medalist
* Kelly Clark (USA) – Three-time and current defending Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe and 2002 Winter Olympic gold medalist
* Torstein Horgmo (NOR) – Two-time and current defending Winter X Games Snowboard Big Air gold medalist
* Jenny Jones (GBR) – Two-time Winter X Games Snowboard Slopestyle gold medalist
* Louie Vito (USA) – Winter X Games 15 Snowboard SuperPipe bronze medalist

*PLEASE NOTE: The invited athlete list is constantly being updated and is subject to change.

Here is the complete invite list so far: