TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Most winters, the hills around southern Idaho come alive with the sound of snowmobiles. When it comes to getting big air and pulling tricks, many Idahoans have some idea of what it takes to reach the big time.
Idaho News 6 caught up with X Games double-medalist Willie Elam about his big weekend in Aspen, where he won gold and bronze medals for getting his sled upside down.
"And then I have two medals from this last week, that's all. A gold and bronze," Elam said.
HEAR ABOUT THE X GAMES FROM LIFE-LONG MAGIC VALLEY SNOWMOBILE CHAMP WILLIE ELAM
For a champion snowmobile racer and freestyler who spends so much time in the air, Elam is a down-to-earth guy.
When asked about having a signature trick to throw in when he needs something extra, Elam said he doesn't rely on flashy moves.
"Not too much— like a lot of us do the same sort of stuff, I guess— flip tricks and upright tricks," said Elam. "I don't have like a ton of the huge ones like a couple of the guys, but I can do most of them. I always kind of kept it a little safer."
He lets his performance on the snow do the talking, as he did at the X Games in January.
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"It's the Olympics of our sport. It's kind of what everybody that's in the freestyle scene kind of goes after is X Games and then medals and stuff like that," Elam said.
Jeremiah Higley is one of the owners of Adventure Motor Sports, where you can often find Elam when he's in town. The news of Elam's victory created quite a celebration.
"My whole house erupted: cheering, group text, group messages," Higley said.
For the local community, Elam's achievement carries special significance.
"For us locally as power sports enthusiasts, and fans of Willie, X Games is far superior to anything that would happen with the Super Bowl," Higley said.
Higley told me that having a local legend on staff to share knowledge and insights on gear and equipment is priceless— something that doesn't happen often, especially in a smaller town.
"'Cause in a year, nobody will remember who won the Super Bowl but we'll remember forever what Willie did," Higley said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
