Walker Repeats Gold Win at X Games

Tyler Walker with his gold medal after the mono-ski-cross race in the Winter X Games. (Photograph by Jim Walker) Tyler Walker, the grandnephew of Shirley Bentgen of St. Ignace, won his second straight gold medal in the mono-ski-cross event Sunday, January 31, at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.

The X Games introduced the event in 2007, the first time a sport for disabled athletes was included in the competition as a full medal sport, not an exhibition. Athletes race in groups of six, traveling at speeds up to 80 miles per hour, riding atop a single ski, and jockeying for position as the racers navigate tabletop jumps, banked turns, rollers, and gaps.

"This event is really big for adaptive skiing because it gets a huge amount of exposure. People really seem to enjoy watching our event," said Mr. Walker in a press release from the U.S. Ski Team. "It gives us a lot of recognition. It's pretty cool."

He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire in geography and international affairs. Mr. Walker plans to spend the month of February in Aspen, training and free skiing in preparation for World Cup Finals in Aspen at the end of February, and for the Paralympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, in March.

Mr. Walker also captured the gold in the same event in 2009 and 2007, and took a silver medal in 2008.

A member of the United States Adaptive Ski Team, Mr. Walker also competed in the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Torino, Italy. His father, Jim Walker, is originally from St. Ignace, and he has many uncles, aunts, and cousins in the town. He lives in Franconia, New Hampsire.

Among friends cheering him on at Aspen Sunday were his cousin, Ernie Walker of Franconia, formerly of St. Ignace, and Mary K. McIntire of Mackinac Island and Aspen.