"It's pretty ridiculous, my head is still spinning," said Fisher, who also won on his first run score in '04. "It was just like last time and my nerves were killing me. I knew that my score was probably good enough for a top three, but it held."

In the best of three format, the 2004 X Games champion's 92.00 point first run topped White's second run score of 91.00, while 2006 Olympian Mason Aguirre (Mammoth Lakes, CA) held on for third with 90.66.

Showdown Set
After qualifying second for the 10-man final behind White on Saturday night, Fisher boosted three different runs on Sunday, each towering well over the thousands that lined the 550-foot Aspen pipe. The judges choice rolled out like this: huge frontside air, backside 540, frontside 1080, cab 720, enormous frontside 900 and closed with a crippler 720. The run was good enough for Richards, who was doing live TV commentary, to predict Fisher for the podium.

After falling on his second run and accidentally drifting his first straight air on the final run into a frontside 360, he then waited for White. "I will say, this is all pretty nerve wracking," he said at the base of the pipe after the final run. "That didn't quite go as planned - I started to go backwards on the first hit and I was like, 'what now.'" Yet he stomped that too.

Then as White slid out while landing what is normally a routine mctwist, Fisher knew it was a lock. "That was insane, when he sketched, I knew it was in the bag, but I had to wait for the judges," who awarded White 88.00 points and Fisher the gold.

"Fisher was just way bigger than everyone else and he stomped everything clean, there was no doubt about his victory," said Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "He's been working so hard to get his riding back to where it should be and he proved that tonight."

Olympics fueled the fire
When Fisher didn't make the Olympic Team in 2006, he decided to really get back into riding. He says buying a snowmobile and spending time in the backcountry helped refocus for the season.

"When I didn't make the Olympics, that's when I found my riding again. I got a snowmobile and starting having fun again with snowboarding," he said. Then U.S. Snowboarding went to New Zealand for a summer camp and according to Jankowski, Fisher made a deal with himself.

"He was riding so strong in 2004 and kind of hit a plateau, but in New Zealand he decided it was time to step it up. He got all of his tricks back, added some new things - he just attacked it and went directly after what he was worst at and made it what he was best at," said Jankowski.

He also picked up a new board sponsor with Sims and rolled into Aspen with confidence and speed thanks to U.S. Snowboarding's dedicated wax tech Stu Soars. While some riders the final had trouble holding their speed the entire length of the pipe, Fisher was flying.

"This is the first year we've had a dedicated technician," said Jankowski, "and Stu really dialed in his board - I'm confident he had the fastest board in the final." He then also credited the entire U.S. Snowboarding staff, including assistant coach Rick Bower, for "getting the job done" with former X pipe medalist Tommy Czeschin (Mammoth Lakes, CA) also making the final, finishing 8th, and Michael Goldschmidt (Stratton Mountain, VT) barely missing out on Sunday's big show.

As for Fisher, the second X Games victory is "a lot sweeter, I'm back," he said.

Next up is the second stop of the Chevorlet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix set for Feb. 2-4 at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, featuring halfpipe and slopsetyle competitions.

11th WINTER X GAMES
Aspen, CO - Jan. 28, 2007
Halfpipe Finals
Men
1. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 92.00
2. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 91.00
3. Mason Aguirre, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 90.66
4. Kevin Pearce, Norwich, VT, 89.66
5. Danny Kass, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 89.00
6. J.J. Thomas, Golden, CO, 81.33
7. Antti Autti, Finland, 81.00
8. Tommy Czeschin, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 80.33
9. Mathieu Crepel, France, 76.00
10. Chad Otterstrom, Breckenridge, CO, 63.33

For complete results:
http://expn.go.com/expn/story?pageName=wx11_results_snbpipem

-- Best in the World --