MNSS SUPERCROSS RACER RYAN VILLOPOTO KICKS OFF THE 2012 SUPERCROSS SEASON ON THE PODIUM IN FIRST PLACE

Explosions and fireworks marked the start of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season in front of a sold out Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. The Sports Syndicate’s Ryan Villopoto started the new season right where he left in 2011, on top of the podium. The 2012 supercross class is one of the most highly competitive fields the sport has ever seen. Villopoto made it seem almost effortless as he led every lap of the 20-lap main event building a lead as high as 20 seconds over the competition. “I’m really happy with tonight,” said Villopoto. “We’re right where we need to be with my KX450F and fitness, and we will just keep pushing into next week. The track was pretty tough and awkward,” said Villopoto. “There are a lot of rounds left, so we will just keep doing what were doing and stay consistent.” Ryan will race the next round of the AMA Supercross series on January 14th in Phoenix, AZ.

MNSS SNOWBOARDER MARK MCMORRIS WINS THE O'NEILL EVOLUTION BIG AIR CONTEST IN DAVOS, SWITZERLAND

Mother Nature is certainly having fun with us this year, isn't she? Winter finally arrived, right in time for the Big Air portion of the O'Neill Evolution TTR 6Star event. Fresh powder wreaked havoc on the early qualification rounds, forcing the men to compete in slow, snowy conditions. The best of the best persevered, however, and in the end Mark McMorris came out on top with a backside double cork 1260 mute into a gap switch hard way to 270 out on the down-flat-down rail, taking first place with a score of 95.60. Congrats to McMorris for his first win of the 2012 season. To watch video of Mark's winning run click to visit www.expn.com.

MNSS SNOWBOARDER MARK MCMORRIS LAUNCHES HIS OFFICIAL WEBSITE ONLINE NOW

The Sports Syndicate's Mark McMorris has risen to the top of his league for snowboarding Big Air and Slopestyle disciplines in a very short time. Now on the slope of his success he has launched his very own official website. Follow Mark's snowboarding adventures throughout the year by reading his website news and also on Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, etc. To check out the official website of Mark McMorris visit www.markmcmorris.com.

MNSS SNOWBOARDER TORSTEIN HORGMO 2ND PLACE AT 6STAR OAKLEY AIR & STYLE IN BEIJING

The Sports Syndicate's Torstein Horgmo, the triple cork innovator who won Winter X Big Air gold in 2011 with a triple flip and broken ribs, is a podium threat in any competition. He appeared confident and relaxed in Beijing, beating Sage Kotsenburg in semifinals before moving on to topple Mikkel Bang in the head-to-head finals with a massive Cab double cork 1080 Indy and the night's second highest score (94.00), entering the Super Final behind Badertscher. Norwegian riders swept the podium at the Oakley Air & Style, in Beijing, with Ulrik Badertscher on top, ahead of Torstein Horgmo and Stale Sandbech. Torstein Horgmo commented: ’Norway did OK today. There is no secret to it, we just all got juiced and we just follow some bad ass dudes, we just try to keep up.’ The battle for the TTR Big Air Tour Title will have 3 more chapters, with the Relentless Big Air presented by Quiksilver in Stuttgart following on December 16-17. In 2012 it’s on to Davos for the O’Neill Evolution from the 2nd to the 8th of January, and finally the TTR Big Air Tour crowning will take place at the Billabong Air & Style in Innsbruck, the final Big Air event of the year.

MNSS SKATEBOARDER GREG LUTZKA WINS IN BERLIN AT THE 2011 WCS TELEKOM PLAYGROUNDS EVENT

The Sports Syndicate's Greg Lutzka recently won the 2011 Telekom Extreme Playgrounds WCS event in Berlin. This unique event is invite only so they always make sure to take real good care of the skaters. The head to head format made for some heated match ups between some of Europe’s best skaters and several more widely known pros that compete on American soil. Greg Lutzka put together big tricks every run including 270 variations on to the rail, Frontside 360 ollies and Frontside Flips over the grass gap, and Backside 180 Flips and Frontside big spins up the stair step up Euro Gap. Lutzka even pulled a Frontside flip to switch Frontside 5-0 down the hubba ledge during the 15 minute Best Trick session.

MNSS MOTOCROSS RACER RYAN VILLOPOTO CASHES IN ON $1 MILLION PAYDAY AT INAUGURAL MONSTER ENERGY CUP

The Sports Syndicate's Ryan Villopoto lead the way to a million dollar payday with a 1-1-1 main event result in the premier class, earning him the coveted $1 Million and a spot in history. While Villopoto had already completed a dream season with championships earned in supercross, motocross and at the Motocross of Nations, he decided to go for one more win at the Monster Energy Cup. With his competition keeping him honest, Villopoto knew that the start would be crucial to breaking away from the pack. He led all 30 laps of the three main event races, which earned him the top prize of $1 Million. “The start was the key to the race tonight and I had an amazing bike underneath me to get me to out front early in every race,” said Villopoto. “We did a lot of testing on the 2012 KX450F and it really showed tonight. I’m really happy all the work paid off so I could win this one for all the people that have stuck by me at Kawasaki.” With the last scheduled race complete, Villopoto will get a chance to take a short break before testing resumes. The countdown now begins for Anaheim 1 that will take place at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on January 7, 2012.

MNSS SNOWBOARDER JOHN JACKSON JOINS THE BURTON SNOWBOARDS TEAM

Burton Snowboards has announced that The Sports Syndicate's pro snowboarder John Jackson will now ride for Burton, representing both hardgoods and softgoods. Burton employees, team riders and industry guests were the first to hear the news, breaking out in cheers and applause all around as John joined his fellow Burton pro riders on stage. John is widely recognized as one of the most dynamic riders in the world and makes it look easy to dominate backcountry terrain. At this year’s TransWorld Riders’ Poll Awards, John became the first snowboarder in history to win ‘Video Part of the Year’ twice. And he didn’t stop there. John also took home his second consecutive ‘Rider of the Year’ award. This year, John continues to blow minds with his part in the highly acclaimed movie, Art of Flight. Now that he’s riding for Burton, John will keep doing what he does best, snowboard and film video parts. “It’s rad to be a part of such an insane company and team who’ve paved the way in snowboarding since the beginning,” said John Jackson. “I can’t wait for the snow to fly to test out some new gear and let ‘er rip. It’s an honor.” To check out John's Welcome To Burton video visit www.burton.com