After several years of trying, Clearwater’s Brett Turcotte won a gold medal at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado on Thursday, Jan. 25.
“Words. Do. Not. Explain!” he posted on social media. “Finally did it, so pumped on my first event of three here at @xgames! GOLLLDDD!”
READ MORE: Brett Turcott plans charity snowmobile event (Jan. 12, 2017)
“I just busted my butt to get here,” he said after the finals. “I’m speechless. All this time and effort and dragging the family across the world. … My whole family is here so this couldn’t have happened at a better time.”
The local snowmobiler took the gold in the speed and style event, beating out Levi Lavalle of Minnesota by just 0.3 of a point to win. The event combines points from judged tricks with a bonus for finishing first. Lavallee has previously won seven gold medals at the X Games.
Last year, Turcotte won silver for best snowmobile trick at the X Games
READ MORE: Turcotte wins silver at Winter X Games (Jan. 31, 2017)
He won the silver medal with a Coyote Indy – a backflip performed hanging from the snowmobile’s handlebar, twisting his body sideways while kicking his feet.
Turcotte started competing at the X Games as a snocross racer in 2007.
He won silver in 2008 but took a break from the X Games after 2011.
In 2015 he returned as a freestyler and finished seventh in the event due to a mechanical problem.
However, he came back to take bronze in snowmobile freestyle in 2016.
The Clearwater snowmobiler still could win one or two more medals this weekend. Friday night he’ll compete in freestyle and on Sunday will take part in the debut of the snowbike best trick.
There is no snowmobile best trick event during this year’s X Games.
Turcotte turned 30 years old on Tuesday.
The Clearwater Times has been reporting about Turcotte’s snowmobiling career for almost 20 years. In 1998 the newspaper reported that he had won second place in a BC Snowmobiling Federation hill-climb near Vernon.
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