Title: President & GM

Company: X Franchise

Bio: Chris Stiepock manages the organization and execution of ESPN's owned, organized and televised events, including the X Games, Winter X Games, all International X Games events, and multiple platform extensions - in short, Stiepock is credited for growing the X Games brand domestically and globally.  His influence runs deep: Stiepock also oversees action sports programming on ESPN's networks, including ESPN's action sports website. Prior to being named Vice President & General Manager of the X Franchise, Stiepock held the position of X Games General Manager from 2005- 2008. In that role Stiepock took the lead in development and operations for all aspects of X Games events in the US, multiple X Games events held internationally, and all brand initiatives.  ESPN first hired Stiepock in October 1994, as the Director of Marketing and Communications for what was then the "Extreme Games." Stiepock spearheaded the Winter X Games and a myriad of auxiliary events through which his successes led to him before promoted to general manager of the ESPN Original Entertainment Events in January 2001. Sports Business Journal named Stiepock the fifth most influential person in the action sports industry in 2005. For all of his accomplishments - where would snow sports be without Winter X? - and for his hand in making the X Games among the most recognized sports brands in the world, Chis Stiepock is undeniably one of the most influential figures in action sports.   

Title: VP Marketing Partnerships

Company: Alli

Bio: Before we were doing the Dew, snow sports feared the blatant void in televised competitions. The fall of events like the Honda Ski Tour/Jeep King of the Mountain that were reliant on bankrupt car manufacturers and brands that pulled out as title sponsors in a floundering economy, the industry shuttered.  Nationally televised events provide a major platform for exposure both snow sport athletes and brands to get in front of a mainstream arena.  Where would funding for televised snow sport competitions come from? Alli came to the rescue introducing the first Winter Dew Tour stops in the 2008-09 season.  Alli's John Stamatis, VP of Marketing and Partnerships and Chris Prybylo, now GM of the Winter Dew Tour were instrumental in building a winter entity for the Dew Tour brand. Established and revered in summer actions sports, the Dew Tour brand lent credibility and liaisons through which Stamatis and Prybylo were able to secure NBC air time and leverage sponsorships dollars necessary to launch the Winter Dew Tour now alive and well in it's third year. With the addition of women's ski slopestyle at the Nike 6.0 Open at Breckenridge, the Winter Dew Tour has grown to include men's and women' slopestyle and halfpipe competitions in both ski and snowboard categories.