The most meaningless sports huckfest this weekend won't be in Land Shark Stadium for the re-conceptualized NFL Pro Bowl. It will be in Aspen, Colorado, where more than 200 action sports stars are hitting the slopes for ESPN's 14th Annual Winter X Games just a few weeks before the torch for the Olympic Games is lit in Vancouver. Although the international fervor of the Olympic Games will certainly outshine this year's freestyle ski and snowboard extravaganza, Vancouver-bound athletes such as Shaun White, Nate Holland, Lindsey Jacobellis, and Simon Dumont will be present in Aspen to show off their dizzying aerial pageantry to a nationally televised audience.
After combing through ESPN's exhaustive list of X-Game invitees, we decided to compile our own list of the 14 hottest snow bunnies competing on the slopes of Buttermilk Mountain this weekend. In addition to providing pictures, we've also included ample video evidence to demonstrate each girl's impressive shredding skills, take-no-bullshit attitude, and gnarly presence in the snow. This gallery may not be as good as living the dream and going big in fresh tracks after a dumping of pure Rocky Mountain powder, but it's damn close. Check it out after the jump.
14. Grete Eliassen Skier Age: 23 Home: Grand Marais, MN; Salt Lake City, UT
In 2005 and 2006, Grete Eliassen won back-to-back gold medals for the super pipe. Eliassen has already managed to nab the bronze in slopestyle at this year's event.
13. Jennifer Hudak Skier Age: 23 Home: Sunday River, Maine
A longtime skiing contender as a free skier in the half pipe, Jennifer Hudak took home a silver medal at last year's X Games.
12. Hannah Teter Snowboarder Age: 22 Home: Sierra-at-Tahoe, California
Hannah Teter became the youngest member of the US Snowboarding team in 2003; three years later she took home the gold medal for Team USA at the Olympics in Turin, Italy. This year Teter will head to Vancouver to continue ripping up the half pipe on the sport's biggest stage. In addition to winning X Games gold in 2004, Teter also has six World Cup championships. This weekend she will be competing in the half-pipe at the X Games.
11. Maude Raymond Skier Age: 22 Home: Montreal, QC, Canada
We really don't know that much about Maude Raymond, other than that she's from Canada, occasionally skis for Meathead Films, and is slated as an alternate for the slopeside event at this year's X Games. What we do know is that she's hot. That's pretty much O,K. with us.
10. Torah Bright Snowboarder Age: 23 Home: Cooma, Australia; Salt Lake City, Utah
During the 2006 Winter Games, Torah Bright finished 5th for Team Australia. One year later, she took home the gold at Winter X Games and won the World Super Pipe Championships, ousting the reigning Super Pipe champion, Kelly Clark. Unfortunately, she was knocked out of the competition this year after suffering a concussion on the first day of the Games. Don't fret. This beauty from Down Under will be back and brighter than ever for Team Australia in the Olympics.
9. Leanne Pelosi Snowboarder Age: 30 Home: North Vancouver; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Accomplished snowboarder Leanne Pelosi will compete in this year's X Games Slopestyle competition.
8. Chanelle Sladics Snowboarder Age: 25 Home: Oceanside, California; Breckenridge, Colorado
Chanelle took home the Bronze for Slopestyle at the Winter X Games in 2008. At this year's X Games, she's running off the momentum of her 2009 win at the Asian Open slopestyle event.