ATHLETES TO WATCH

SKATEBOARD

Big Air/Vert Bob Burnquist (Rio de Janiero, Brazil) Five-time overall Skateboard Big Air gold medalist Bob Burnquist is looking for his third consecutive gold this year in Skateboard Big Air at X Games Munich. Always innovative, he was the first skater in history to land a 900 on a big air quarterpipe (his was fakie-to-fakie) and at X Games Foz do Iguaçu he landed the first lien air 720 over the Big Air gap. He'll flash his skill, including switch, in X Games Skateboard Big Air and Vert. Bob is one of just four athletes who has competed at every X Games, and his skill and dedication has earned him 24 X Games medals, tied for most overall in X Games history.

Park Rune Glifberg (Copenhagen, Denmark) This Danish bowl skater is among the oldest in the field at 38 but has an unmatchable style other skaters will be trying to mimic for years to come. He has two Skateboard Park gold medals from 2008 and 2009 to go with his silver from X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013, and a bronze in 2012. One of just four athletes to compete at every X Games summer event, Glifberg has 12 total X Games medals from his 20 appearances. Though he was attempting to defend his Skateboard Park silver medal at X Games Barcelona, he was edged into fourth place in the last few seconds of the competition and just missed the bronze. Rune will be one to watch at X Games Munich 2013 with his determined sights set on getting back on that podium.

Men’s Street Paul Rodriguez (Northridge, Calif.) The only skater to win consecutive X Games Skateboard Street gold medals in 2004 and 2005, Rodriguez won again in 2009 and 2012. With his natural talent and his own private skatepark, it’s no wonder Rodriguez is the only athlete to win four Skateboard Street gold medals in X Games history. Earning Nike’s first skateboarding sponsorship, Rodriguez has had success on the Street League Skateboarding Tour, winning the 2011 Newark, N.J. stop as well as the 2012 Glendale, Ariz. stop. Coming off of a silver medal win at X Games Barcelona, Paul will be the athlete to watch in the Street League Skateboarding competition in Munich as he and the two-time defending champion, Nyjah Huston, go head-to-head in battle for the gold.

MOTO X Freestyle Taka Higashino (Osaka, Japan) Taka Higashino has many firsts at X Games Los Angeles: in 2007, he became the first Japanese rider to compete in an X Games Moto X event. In 2010, he became the first Japanese Moto X competitor to medal when he earned Best Trick bronze and in 2012 he made history again with Moto X Freestyle gold with a first-in-competition trick, The Rock Solid backflip. Defending his Moto X Freestyle gold at X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013, he will be the FMX rider to beat at X Games Munich.

Best Whip Robbie Maddison (Kiama, New South Wales, Australia) Most known for his world-record breaking riding, Robbie Maddison's most well-known leaps of faith have come during the Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. events in San Diego, Las Vegas and Long Beach, Calif. The Aussie daredevil, earned his first X Games medal with a silver in Moto X Best Trick in 2011 with a double Volt. He also tested his driving skills in 2011, getting behind the wheel to compete in Rally events at X Games. Maddison will compete in Moto X Best Whip at X Games Munich, his first X Games event since 2011.

Enduro X Steffi Laier (Dielheim, Germany) This German motocross rider is a four-time FIM Women’s World Motocross Champion, a six-time Women’s European Motocross Champion and was nominated for FIM Motorsport Woman of the Year in 2010. Laier dominates on the motocross courses wherever she competes, including winning the German and European Women's Enduro titles in 2004. In 2012, Laier made her debut in the discipline of Enduro X at X Games, finishing in eigthth place. Back for only her second X Games appearance, Laier will look to earn her first X Games medal in front of her hometown crowd in Munich.

Enduro X Andreas Lettenbichler (Kiefersfelden, Germany) A former trials champion turned Enduro rider, Andreas or "Letti" will be representing Germany in the Men’s Enduro X discipline at X Games Munich. Making his X Games debut in Los Angeles in 2012, Lettenbichler finished in 23rd place. As one of the top Kings of Extreme Enduro riders, Andreas ranked sixth overall in 2012 and donated all of his prize money back into the KoEE series pool for 2013 where he is currently sitting in ninth place overall.

BMX FREESTYLE

Park Ryan Nyquist (San Jose, Calif.) With 17 X Games appearances and two consecutive X Games BMX Freestyle Park medals under his belt for 2013, Nyquist is looking for the gold at the X Games Munich event. Even 17 years into his storied pro career, Nyquist proved his continued relevance in 2012 by earning a silver medal in BMX Freestyle Park at X Games Los Angeles 2012. In addition, Nyquist also won Dew Tour Dirt and the Red Bull Skylines Park event in 2012. With 16 X Games medals, his competitors are well aware that his unique tricks and vast experience combine to make him one of the most lethal contest riders in the sport. As the second most-medaled BMX rider in X Games history, Nyquist is one of the gold medal favorites competing in BMX Freestyle Park in Munich.

Big Air/Vert Zack Warden (St. Louis, Mo.) Warden lit up BMX Big Air at X Games Los Angeles in 2012 with three first-time tricks for the event, and they were big ones: bikeflip and bikeflip backflip over the gap and a triple tailwhip on the quarterpipe. His combos earned him silver -- his first medal in five XG appearances. He one-upped himself at X Games Foz do Iguaçu in 2013 winning BMX Big Air gold, and then followed it up with a consecutive gold medal at X Games Barcelona. Not only does Warden dominate in BMX Big Air, he also competes in BMX Vert and has landed both the bikeflip and triple whip in Vert, along with one-of-a-kind tricks like the downside whip to regular whip and the tailwhip-catch-tailwhip. As the defending two-time consecutive BMX Big Air gold medal champion and a strong competitor in BMX Vert he will be a BMX double threat at X Games Munich 2013.

RALLY CAR

RallyCross Tanner Foust (Capistrano Beach, Calif.) Tanner is a stunt driver and TV host by profession who is currently filming Top Gear USA. Foust switched from Formula DRIFT in 2011 to focus on the European Rallycross Championship and the Global RallyCross Championship. He is the first American to win an ERC round, it was in Portugal in May 2011, and he finished 2nd overall on the ERC series in 2011 and 3rd in 2012. He also has 6 X Games Rally Car medals: three gold (2007 Racing, 2010 Racing and RallyCross); two silver (2011 RallyCross, 2008 Racing); and one bronze (2009 Racing). Foust is one of three to compete at all eight X Games Rally events, with Ken Block and Travis Pastrana. As the two-time defending GRC overall winner for 2011 and 2012 he will be a threat to the RallyCross podium at X Games Munich 2013.

RallyCross Ken Block (Park City, Utah) A four-time X Games Rally Car medalist, he's earned global fame due to his incredible promotional efforts, including the viral Gymkhana video series and a 171-foot jump for an episode of Stunt Junkies in 2006. Block surprised everyone at X Games Los Angeles 2012 when he finished in second place behind Sebastien Loeb in the RallyCross final, despite driving on a punctured tire. Also contesting the World Rally Championship and Rally America series in 2013, Block scored a career best finish of seventh on the WRC at the March 2013 stop in Mexico. One of only three drivers to compete at all eight X Games Rally competitions, Block will return for his ninth X Games in Munich.

MOUNTAIN BIKE SLOPESTYLE

Mountain Bike Martin Soderstrom (Uppsala, Sweden) In 2012, Martin Soderstrom ranked 2nd in the Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour. This success is due to an amazing season where he made his way to the podium with first place finishes at Switzerland’s Rocket Air and Rain or Shine Jam. Equally noteworthy is his win at Freestyle.ch, his 2nd place at 26Trix and at Crankworx Whistler’s Red Bull Joyride. Martin is an all-round talent, famous for his double tailwhips, 360- whips and truck drivers, all together with his own unique style. As one of the most diverse mountain bike athletes today, Soderstrom is the athlete to watch at the highly- anticipated debut of the Mountain Bike Slopestyle competition at X Games Munich 2013.