Confession time: this was by far the hardest episode to write so far. I went through several different versions, and I had to cut out some scenes that just weren't working. (Skye alludes to an adventure in a hot tub. This is all that's left of an extended hot tub scene that went nowhere and I pretty much trashed.) I wanted to cram as much story as I could to set up the finale at the King of the Mountain --- which will, it itself, take up the next three episodes or so.

The problem was that the episode explores several relationships, but I didn't want the story to get too maudlin or too corny. Striking that balance is harder than it seems, and I don't think I was at all successful.

And then I had the problem of the story getting too long. I'd considered yanking the Fan Fest section out of here. But then again, what's a "Hardcore SSX" without the on screen antics of Eddie and Viggo (and now Zoe and Griff)?

In any case, enjoy! See if you can catch a few Simpsons references I stuck in here.

----------

CHAPTER FIVE: Love and SSX

"This is not working out, Skye," Eddie said. "You and me, we got nothing in common. Now, you're dead sexy and all, but there's only so much a man can take from a girl who doesn't even know who Bruce Lee is. I hope this means we can still be friends. And do friend things. Like making out. Oh yeah. I think that'll work."

Eddie looked up from his palm where he had written his speech. Perfect. Nothing could possibly go wrong. He stopped by a mirror in the hallway and checked out his afro. One curl was out of place. He ran his fro-pick through his hair and smoothed it down.

"Rico suave," he thought, checking himself out.

He walked a short way down the hall and knocked on the door to Skye's hotel room. The unlocked door swung open.

"Uh, Skye?" Eddie said, peeking into the room.

Skye stood next to the window. She was talking on her cell phone.

"No," she said in a low voice. "No one here suspects a thing, mate. Everything is falling into place. Tomorrow, we strike."

Eddie cleared his throat. "Is this a bad time?"

Noticing Eddie for the first time, Skye hastily put away her cell phone. "Eddie, love, you know you should knock first. Or were you expecting to catch me in my bloomers?" she added slyly.

"Huh?" Eddie said defensively. "No. I was just…. Uh…." He opened up his palm. All of the writing was smudged. "Oh, dammit," he sighed.

"Tell you what, love," Skye said, massaging his shoulders. "I was about to head down to the hot tub at the rec center. I could use some company. And I had such a cute swimsuit picked out." She lifted the two-piece bikini that had been laying on her bed.

Eddie's face turned beet red and a crazy smile spread across his face.

"Yes, ma'am," he said obediently.

.o°ö'O".O'ö°o.

Two years ago.

"… and that was 'Jet Boy, Jet Girl' by Elton Motello. Before that, we had 'American Badass' by Kid Rock, 'Maps' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and --- by request from Griff Simmons --- an old school selection, 'The Flash Gordon Theme' by Queen. Now, I love bashing little Griff as much as the next guy, but I've got to admit, 'The Flash Gordon Theme' is pretty cool."

"This is DJ Atomika, and you are listening to Radio Big.

"The staff here at Radio Big would like to extend our congratulations to bad girl Allegra Sauvagess for winning this year's SSX tournament. When asked about how she felt winning the King, or rather, Queen of the Mountain, she replied that she always gets what she wants. Wow. If there's any truth to the rumor that 'Big Al' is now dating Psymon --- you heard that right, borderline psychotic Psymon Stark --- then all I have to add is: you go, girl.

"In local news, Martin Stieber was forcibly ejected from a Metro City bar for starting a fight with a patron. This is just the lastest in a string of controversial antics by Mr. Stieber. Martin, who you may remember as 'Marty,' reportedly tested for a blood alcohol of .36. Yeoutch. Witnesses say that the fight started when the bar patron made a remark that no one on the tour would even, quote unquote, 'give a flying beep' about Marty if it wasn't for his far more famous cousin, SSX veteran Mac Fraser. Tour officials are currently debating whether or not to yank Marty's SSX tour pass. Let that be a lesson to all relatives of popular SSX veterans. Tyson Logan, I'm looking at you.

"Now that SSX 3 is over, things seem to have quieted down tremendously on Big Mountain. The spectators have gone home, and most of the competitors have packed. I hear a few have stayed behind to take advantage of the clear ski paths. Keep your eyes open: you might see fan favorite lovebirds Mac Fraser and Kaori Nishidake shredding the untracked courses. If you do go outside, though, use caution: Ski Patrol warns us that visibility is low.

"Radio Big would also like to remind you that in a few months, several of our competitors will be headed to South America for the infamous International Electric Bohemian Snowboard Festival. The Festival then moves on to Tibet, Europe, and, if the schedule permits, Antarctica. I'm sure that's going to thrill all ten scientists that live down there. After that, the tour returns here to Big Mountain in, what I understand, will be a radical shake-up to the SSX tour format. Stay tuned to Radio Big for all SSX tour news and updates.

"Up next, we have a delightful, off-beat request from Kaori Nishidake. This is 'Riding On the Rocket' by the beloved Japanese Ramones clones, Shonen Knife."

"Hello, this is Naoko Yamano of Shonen Knife, and you are listening to Radio Big."

Kaori boarded down the mountain at a tentative speed. She wore her powder blue Gore-Tex tights and matching Blue Art Deco helmet --- an ensemble she liked to call "Nicely Done." Her trusty pink MComm, decorated with "Love Hina" stickers, was strapped around her arm.

"Ooh! Sugoo sugi!" Kaori cheered, bouncing with excitement as her song played. "Sore wa sugoi ne!"

Mac boarded next to her. He wore a dirty black-and-white baseball tee with trendy graphic of Chairman while a gaudy gold chain with an "MF" pendant dangled from his neck. He had also grown his hair long. Kaori had hinted that she liked it that way, which was fine, but it was starting to itch.

He was less enthusiastic about DJ Atomika's radio broadcast.

"What did he say?" Mac thought. "'Lovebirds'? Godammit, Atomika."

The surreal mix of fog and ice swirled around the two snowboarders. Mac could barely see the outlines of several felled timber, the remnants of a logging camp that had been abandoned for the winter. For the most part, the path was clear, though a little icy.

Meanwhile, Shonen Knife played on the radio. "Riding on the rocket, I wanna go to Pluto/ Space foods are marshmallow, asparagus, and ice cream…."

"Can't a guy and a girl just be friends?" Mac thought, still peeved.

There was a short break in the fog as they approached a clearing. Kaori spotted a log that rested at an angle on a small hill. She winked mischievously at Mac. Hunching over to gain speed, Kaori did a grind on the log and launched herself into the air. Mac wiped the snow off his goggles as he watched her slim body silhouetted against the afternoon sun. She pushed at the heel of her snowboard with the toes of her right foot. She bent her left leg, stretched her right arm to the sky, and curved her left arm around her hip. Glistening snowflakes surrounded her as she twirled in the air like a luminous ballerina.

As Kaori landed in the snow, Mac came to the sudden realization that he had been staring.

"Godammit," Mac thought. "What if I'm wrong?"

The fog had started to thicken as Mac pulled up along side Kaori. For a while, they rode side by side in silence. Other than the ghostly shapes of trees passed them by, the only thing that they could see was each other.

"Hey, Kaori," Mac said, finally breaking the silence, "did you ever have the hots for me?"

Kaori looked back at him in shock. "N-nani?" she stammered.

"Ha!" Mac shot back. "I knew it! You can understand English! All this time, too."

He boarded off into the fog.

"Baka!" Kaori yelled. Mac knew that she could understand some English. What game was he playing? She scooped up some snow and threw a snowball at his rapidly retreating figure.

Mac laughed, ducking the snowball. It was stupid to ask the question. Kaori was his only friend on the slopes. If it went any further, it would be over.

"Are we still racing to the bottom or what?" Mac called back. "Pitter patter, let's get at her!"

Kaori screamed something, panic in her voice. Mac didn't understand. Sometimes, he wished he could help her learn English, but he didn't even know the first step. But, had he understood her, he would have saved himself several months of pain.

For Mac suddenly realized that there was absolutely nothing under his feet. He looked behind to see that he had boarded off the edge of what looked like a frozen waterfall. There was a long drop ahead of him that extended farther below than he could see.

"Oh, damn," Mac yelled as he plummeted through the fog. "I'm boned!"

Kaori stopped at the edge and watched as Mac disappeared from sight.

"MAC!" she screamed.

.o°ö'O".O'ö°o.

Today.

This looked familiar.

Mac looked behind him. He had boarded off the edge of a frozen dam. There was a long drop ahead of him. This time, he could see the obstacle that lay below: four large metallic turbines. Each looked heavy enough to survive a collision with a semi. Mac did not find any of this very reassuring.

"Alright," he thought. "I gotta squeeze between them somehow. First, I need to slow the descent."

Mac stretched out his arms and bent his legs, catching air on the flat of his board and the folds of his shirt.

"Now," he thought as he approached the turbines, "I've got to tuck in before I get rocked."

It almost worked. Mac's timing was off, and he hit his board against the top of one of the turbines. The impact caused him to spin out of control. He landed face first onto the frozen lake below and skid several yards before coming to an abrupt stop at a snowbank.

A few seconds later, someone grabbed him by the arm and led him to spot nearby. He laid back against a log, too wiped out to move. His rescuer sat next to him.

"Now that is what I call a train wreck," she said. With some effort, Mac turned his head, and his eyes met the deep blue eyes of Allegra Sauvagess.

"What are you doing here, Allegra?" Mac asked.

"Geez, don't thank me or nothing," Allegra said, smirking. "I only pulled your broken body out of a frozen lake."

"They can rebuild me," Mac said, finding the strength to scoot up to a more comfortable position. "I don't think I broke anything this time. That's good. Just skinned my face bad, I think."

"Did it skin your hair, too?" Allegra joked. "I could never figure out why you went skinhead, Mac. I though the long hair was pimp."

Mac rubbed the back of his head, running his palm through the bristles. "What, I thought crewcuts were in this year."

"Chicks don't dig bald," Allegra said as she rummaged through her backpack. "Anyway, I'm here the same reason as you, Mac," she said. "Last minute practice. I've been scoping the entire trail, from The Peak to Metro City. Can't blame you for wiping out: the dam is a doozy. There is a little secret, though, on how to get down in one piece. Ah, here it is."

She removed a green thermos from her backpack and poured a cup of coffee. "Try this," she said, handing the cup to Mac. "It'll warm you up."

Mac took a sip. "Irish crème?"

"You know me so well," Allegra said.

"It's working," Mac said. "Hey, sorry about being the King of Douchebags earlier. Thanks for rescuing me. You're my favorite superhero."

Allegra snorted, blushing a little. She played with her braids, watching Mac as he poured himself another cup. "Hey," she said, "if you're not doing anything after the big race tomorrow, you want to … head some place quiet to decompress? You know, just to get away from the noise and the hype and the expectations. I've got a boss flatscreen at my place…."

Mac laughed. "Is Allegra Sauvagess asking me out on a date?"

"And what's s funny about that?" she said, swatting him on the head.

"Agh!" Mac howled. "That's still sore!"
"Duh. That's why I hit you, loser."

"I didn't mean anything. I just figured I was never your type. You seemed to be attracted to the self-destructive nihilist types like a certain Psymon Stark."

Allegra snatched the Thermos from Mac and took a long, hard swig. "Screw him," she said. "I wanted to be with someone fun. That guy was all image. I actually caught him reading Critique of Pure Reason once. What kind of nihilist reads Immanuel Kant? And did you hear the rumors that he cried like a girl when I broke up with him? All true."

"Are you saying I'm more your type?" Mac asked.

"Not only that," Allegra said, scooting closer to him. "I'm also saying I'm free. Unlike a certain other woman you seem to be obessed with."

Mac gulped. "What are you…. Why does everyone say that?"

"Gee," Allegra said flatly, "I wonder." She poured Mac another cup. "I'll make it easy for you," she said, looking up at the dam. "I'll teach you the secret of how to board down the dam. But only on one condition."

Mac noticed an odd twinkle in Allegra's eye. "And that is?" he asked.

.o°ö'O".O'ö°o.

In her hotel room, Kaori looked at the ridiculous gold chain with the "MF" medallion. It was so ridiculously gaudy, like the big clock she once saw a rap artist wear around his neck. But in a strange way, it reminded her of the best parts of Mac Fraser: bold, unashamed, and fearless.

Mac had given her this chain the day he took an unfortunate leap off a frozen waterfall. She had radioed the ski patrol, made her way down the cliff, and waited beside the unconscious Mac. He snapped back to consciousness just as the paramedics arrived.

As they lifted him on the stretcher, he told the paramedics to give her to take the medallion. "Because I'm a bonehead, and I too broken to join you on that World Tour," he explained when she asked. "Keep that chain with you. When you get down to South America, or Europe, or wherever, it's like I'll be riding right next to you, partner. Win that tour for us both."

"Kaori?" Sid said, talking over the phone. "Are you OK, Kaori? You haven't said anything in almost a minute. I said if you're free tonight, we could go down to the Karma Sushi or head down to the art house. I understand that they're playing Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise."

Kaori instinctively tucked the gold chain under her sweater.

"Sid," she said finally, "I am sorry. I need some time alone."

"Wh-what are you saying?"

"I have not been honest to you. And I have not been honest to myself. There is … there is something I need to find out first."

"Find out? Find out what?"

.o°ö'O".O'ö°o.

In his stately cabin, the largest single occupancy residence in all of Big Mountain, Sid closed his cell phone. His hand trembled with rage. He wanted to crush to phone into small, bite-sized fragments of plastic and electronics. Instead, he just flung it across the room, where it smacked against his Andy Warhol painting. No sense ruining his manicure.

He staggered into his den, where a hearty fire roared in his fireplace. A large mural of Kaori Nishidake hung above his mantelpiece. Beside it were large posters duplicating Kaori's cover photos from Powder, Maxim, and Better Homes & Gardens. Several Kaori action figures decorated his bookshelves, including the latest one where Kaori dressed in a very revealing plaid skirt.

"That outfit was my idea," Sid reflected ruefully.

Sid slumped into his black Italian leather armchair. He poured himself a glass of vodka.

His mind had been clouded in confusion before, but now, things were becoming clear. His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

"Mac Fraser," he finally said with a drunken slur. "Tomorrow, you are going to die!"

He threw his class into the fireplace. The glass and alcohol ignited in a small yet impressive eruption, which reflected in Sid's wraparound sunglasses.

Sid stood up unsteadily. "Do you hear me, Fraser?" he howled to no one in particular. "You are going to die!"

The last effort proved to be too much, and Sid collapsed back into his seat, falling asleep.

.o°ö'O".O'ö°o.

HARDCORE SSX

(Scene opens to the tune of "The Distance" by Cake. Graphics are highlight reels of champions from the previous tours: Mac Fraser from the first Tour, Elise Riggs from the second, and Allegra Sauvagess from the third. Each scene is surrounded by graffiti-like artwork. Word briefly flash on the screen asking: "WHO WILL BE THE NEXT BLACK DIAMOND ROCK STAR?" )

(The scene dissolves to the view of the announce booth aboard a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. Our two hosts are sitting at a desk adorned with ads for Old Spice: Red Zone, MTV2, and the new Bravo sensation "Top Chef.")

EDDIE: Welcome to the final race of the On Tour season… and, unless we can find another station, the final episode of "Hardcore SSX"! Thanks a lot, Bravo.

VIGGO: Hey, give 'em a break, man. At least they gave us a whole three hours today for the King of the Mountain.

EDDIE: I am Eddie "The Mighty" Wachowski, and this is my studio partner, Viggo "Swiss Miss" Rolig.

VIGGO: For the last time, Eddie, I'm Swedish!

EDDIE: Today, our Bravo TV airing….

VIGGO: And… not a "Miss."

EDDIE: Today, our Bravo TV airing of the "King of the Mountain" will be broadcast by several international affiliates.

VIGGO: That's right, compadre. I would like to offer a hearty "Cheerio" to our partners at BBC in Europe and "Hola" to our partners at Marisol TV in South America….

EDDIE: Hold on. There's a Marisol TV?

VIGGO: Yeah. Marisol managed to leverage her fashion empire into some sort of Oxygen-meets-"House of Style" cable network. I heard it's big in Venezuela. She tells us that we're apparently on Hugo Chavez's TiVo.

EDDIE: Crunchy. We are announcing today from inside the S.S. Black Diamond, a converted helicopter-airplane thing…

GRIFF: (offscreen) Tiltrotor!

EDDIE: … where we'll be following the action from a whacked out table the sky. This is one high tech chariot, people. (camera pans across the cabin) Multiple video screens, state-of-the-art sound system, digital cameras. It's like one of those "Pimp My Ride" cars.

VIGGO: You know, all they ever do on that show is stick TV's where the doors are rusted out…,.

EDDIE: We are frikkin' riding in style. The NFL SkyCam has got nothing on us!

VIGGO: Get on with the pre-race show, Xzibit.

EDDIE: Oh, right. People, our live coverage starts one hour from now, right here in Metro City. We're going to follow our SSX competitors as the…

(mike boom falls on announce table with a loud crash)

GRIFF: (offscreen) Oh, SNAP!

VIGGO: The hell?

GRIFF: (offscreen) I'll… get that fixed before we take off. For now, just … try talking into the mike, there. On the table.

EDDIE: I… I would, except I kinda lost my train of thought.

VIGGO: God, I almost lost my bladder.

(EDDIE stares.)

VIGGO: Relax. I didn't. (leaning over the fallen mike boom) Anyway, folks, our live coverage starts an hour from now, here at ground level in Metro City. We begin when we follow our competitors as they are transported by helicopter to The Peak.

EDDIE: That should be cool. They're going to be hanging outside the chopper and standing on the skids.

VIGGO: Each competitor will then be sequestered in a starting suspended by trellis fifty feet above the ground. When the race starts, we will join the racers via live feed down a canyon that leads through a dense forest. Half a mile down the slope, we will track the racers as thy make their way through an abandoned logging camp.

EDDIE: (leaning over mike) There's a lot of felled logs, and we might catch some SSX favorites doing some totally wicked grinds.

VIGGO: The race takes an icy turn as the path exits to a frozen lake and a steep drop thanks to a hydroelectric dam. Dubbed "Hot Dam" by our imaginative race organizers, this could very well be the most dangerous area of the tour. The Dam is over 700 feet high, a vertical drop that steep even for seasoned SSX veterans.

A short distance later, the racers rejoin civilization at Mind the Gap. A few thousand SSX fans have already gathered here to cheer on their favorites, the largest crowd outside of the big one in Metro City.

EDDIE: There's no doubt, though, that they're having more fun up there than the total squares down here. Superbabe ski goddess, Zoe Payne, will be joining the announce team at The Peak… but right now, she's at Mind the Gap covering the fourth annual "Love and SSX Fan Fest"! Zoe, are you there?

(camera switches to the Fan Fest at Mind the Gap. However, all the viewers at home see is a close-up of Zoe's chest.)

ZOE: Thanks, Eddie. I am standing here at the ice sculpting contest. The first entrant is entitled "Snowball." No innuendo whatsoever. I'm standing here with the sculptor of the piece. Sir, how would you describe…. Hold on a second.

(Zoe attaches the Mega Masher, an oversized mechanical fist with matching heart tattoo, to her left hand. After flexing her fingers, she lets her fist fly straight at the lens. Luther falls, and the camera, cracked in one corner, now points at the sky. Zoe stands over the camera.)

LUTHER: (offscreen) Owned. Unhhhhh…

(Zoe looks around.)

ZOE: Hey, JP….

JP: (offscreen) Who is this JP? I am Nigel, the lovable SSX mascot. Ugh. I feel dirty.

ZOE: Whatever. Do you know how to hold a camera?

JP: Ah, êtes-vous sérieux? Oh, my dream come true!

ZOE: (picking up the camera) Hold this, dreamboy. And if I catch you filming the goods, Ms. Mega Masher is going to have a private meeting … with your face.

(After a few seconds spent adjusting, the camera is now focused on Zoe, the sculptor, and his masterpiece… a snowman.)

SCULPTOR #1: Two hundred six bones, fifty miles of small intestine, full pouting lips. This fellow is less an ice sculpture ... than a god.

ZOE: It's a snowman.

SCULPTOR #1: (angrily) It's a real man made out of snow.

ZOE: Whatever, fruitcake. I'm moving on to the grand prize winner of the ice sculpting contest.

SCULPTOR #2: It is a tribute to one man's unrelenting yet unsatisfactory obsession.

ZOE: Viggo, I think you might like this one. Apparently, it's an ice sculpture of you.

(screen goes back to the announce booth)

VIGGO: (surprised) No way.

EDDIE: I have got to see this.

(screen returns to the ice sculpting competition, this time showing a finely detail ice sculpture of Viggo. He is leaning over in a pose showing him pushing away from a pole where his tongue has frozen.)

SCULPTOR #2: I call it "The Passion of Viggo."

ZOE: It's an incredible likeness. What do you think, guys?

(back to the announce booth)

EDDIE: Ahahaha! Ice BURN!

VIGGO: Christ.

EDDIE: I love how he captured how clueless you look. One hundred percent accurate.

VIGGO: Oh, come on! That only happened to me once.

EDDIE: What are you talking about? It happened to you every time you got on a ski lift! It was on the cover of Powder and ranked as one of the Top Ten moments of SSX 3 by ESPN the Magazine!

VIGGO: That pole … it was just there. Taunting me. It was maddening. Can you BLAME ME?

EDDIE: So how did it taste?

VIGGO: Since you asked … delicious.

EDDIE: Freak.

(The camera returns to Zoe. This time, she is standing among a large crowd of people in colorful costumes.)

ZOE: Guys, getting back to the "Love and SSX Fan Fest," as you can see behind me, SSX fans can be the wildest, most obsessed fans on the planet. Though some seem a bit confused. I swear, there's one guy here dressed up as "The Yeti" from Ski Free. He's got rakes for arms and everything. However, standing behind me is one of the most recognizable uber-fans, BUNNY-SAN.

(BUNNY-SAN waves to the camera. He is a fat sumo wrestler, clothed only in a mawashi loin cloth and a bunny mask.)

ZOE: Bunny-San here is most famous for managing to make the SSX roster on the third tour. It was also the last time SSX tour organizers allowed fans to vote in an SSX rider via online poll. Hey, Bunny-San, mi amigo, got anything to say to our viewers at home?

(BUNNY-SAN indicates with his hands that he cannot speak. However, he does hold up a small chalkboard where he has scribble the words: "MY MASK IS STUCK. GET HELP.")

ZOE: (laughing) Oh, Bunny-San. You are such a joker.

(BUNNY-SAN shakes his head sadly.)

ZOE: It looks like a fight has broken out. JP, zoom in on those fans over there near the Heli-Pad.

JP: (offscreen) Oui.

(One fan is wearing a spiky wig and is sporting temporary tattoos and black make-up in a terrible attempt to dress up as PSYMON. The second fan is sporting a dreadlock wig, sunglasses, and a Manchester United jersey in a terrible attempt to dress up as MOBY.)

PSYMON COSPLAYER: Dammit! SSX Tricky was the best tour! It wasn't the same stupid mountain! They went around the world! Tokyo Megaplex!

MOBY COSPLAYER: God, are you crazy? I cannot believe my freaking ears! SSX Tricky was a funhouse! SSX 3 got the tour the respect boardercoss deserved from the sporting community!

PSYMON COSPLAYER: Gah! SSX Tricky!

MOBY COSPLAYER: SSX 3!

PSYMON COSPLAYER: SSX TRICKY!

MOBY COSPLAYER: SSX 3!

(The two COSPLAYERS grab each other and start slapping. A crowd gathers around them and eggs them on.)

ZOE: Uh, there is nothing more ugly than a nerd fight. As much as I'd love to go all Mega Masher on their asses, I have this creepy feeling that it would encourage some sort of sick fantasy fetish. So, I'm outta here. That wraps up our coverage of the "Love and SSX Fan Fest." Hey, I'll catch up with you guys at The Peak. This is Zoe Payne: peace out.

(the camera returns to the announce booth)

EDDIE: (giggling) Hey, did you see that fatass standing in the back there? That was the worst Luther costume I have ever seen!

VIGGO: Look again, idiot. That guy was wearing an afro wig. I think he was cosplaying … as you.

EDDIE: What? No. NOOOOOO!

VIGGO: We'll return to Hardcore SSX after this brief commercial ….

EDDIE: I'm gonna claw my frikkin' eyes out!

VIGGO: Jesus Christ! Chill out, spaz! We'll return to our special race-day episode after a word from our sponsor!

.o°ö'O".O'ö°o.

The Unknown Rider stood on a rooftop in Metro City. He lifted his goggles and surveyed the scene with a pair of binoculars. A crowd gathered around the Metro City helipad as the official SSX helicopters descended from the sky. These people were so easily amused. Haven't they seen aircraft before?

He turned his next to look at a spot high up the mountain. They could barely be seen at this distance, but there they were. Two art deco towers emerged from the snow. In between was a frozen drop of ice and concrete. Hot Dam.

He put away the binoculars and smiled. There would be a little surprise waiting for the riders there. And then he would witness the complete and utter destruction of SSX at the hands of the Unknown Rider.

But for now… the race was about to start.