Top 5 U.S. Riders to Watch at the 2015 Winter X Games

The Winter X Games are here once again and the action begins in Aspen on Thursday, January 22 and runs through Sunday, January 25. From freeskiing, to snowmobile big air, to the ever popular snowboard superpipe, the 2015 Winter X Games are shaping up to be another classic installment of everyone's favorite winter extreme sports.  Always the highlight of the weekend's festivities, the snowboard superpipe and slopestyle events are sure to be the crowdpleasers and boast some of the deepest talent that the X Games has ever had. While Shaun White has become a living legend with his gravity-defying air and mind blowing tricks through the years, there are many new U.S. riders looking to make a name for themselves.

1. Nate Holland - Sandpoint, Idaho

Nate Holland is one of the most popular American snowboarders and is one of the most talented in the world when it comes to snowboard cross. At the Winter X Games, Holland has taken home gold seven times (2006-2010, 2012, 2014). After gaining back his gold in 2014, Holland will no doubt have his sights set on retaining the top spot and getting on another winning streak. Holland has been a leader in the sport of snowboard cross and has competed in the Olympics three times as well, with his highest finish being fourth place at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

2. Jamie Anderson - South Lake Tahoe, California

The 24-year old snowboarder competed in her first X Games in 2004 when she was just 13 and picked up her first X Games medal with a bronze at the 2006 Winter X Games in the slopestyle event. She reached glory with gold in 2008 as well as 2012 and 2013 and has found herself on the podium in every Winter X Games but one since 2006. The young rider has been one of the most consistent and dominated forces in women's slopestyle and reached the Mount Everest of her sport when she took home the gold medal in slopestyle just last year at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

3. Maddie Bowman - South Lake Tahoe, California

The 21-year old has already established herself as one of the best freestyle skiers in the world, competing in the superpipe at the Winter X Games. After picking up the silver medal at the 2012 games, Bowman has dominated the Winter X Games, taking home the gold medal each of the last two years as she will be contending for the 3-peat this weekend in Aspen. Bowman also continued the gold medal dominance for the Americans at the Olympics, taking home the gold medal in the halfpipe in Sochi, Russia in 2014.

4. Chris Burandt - Denver, Colorado

A veteran of Winter X Games, the 36-year old snowboarder has seen the sport grow to one of the most popular and exciting events at the Winter X Games. Burandt has seen plenty of success in the motorsport at the X Games, picking up the gold medal in 2007 in snowmobile freestyle and the silver medal in the 2010 snowmobile knockout competition. Competing once again in 2015, the seasoned Winter X pro will be looking to at more hardware to his already distinguished resume.

5. Bobby Brown - Denver, Colorado

The 23-year old freestyle skier has been a very successful rider at the Winter X Games over the past several years competing in both the big air and slopestyle events in Aspen. Brown picked up two gold medals for his first time on the podium in 2010 when he took home the top spot in both slopestyle and the big air event where her scored a perfect 100. He followed it up with a silver in big air in 2011 before reclaiming the big air gold in 2012. Brown has missed out on the podium each year since 2012 and will look to find his way back to the top this weekend.