Local skateboarder in X Games 16

Professional skateboarder and former Whitefish resident Sierra Fellers, 23, is in the running for a gold medal in the inaugural Real Street event at ESPN X Games 16.

For the new event, 12 of the world's top pro skateboarders filmed a 60-second video on street terrain. A panel of elite riders, including Pat Duffy, Ed Templeton, Jamie Thomas and Geoff Rowley, will review each video and then pick an overall winner. The grand prize is $50,000 and an X Games gold medal. There is a $2,500 "fan favorite" prize based on online votes.

Fellers told ESPN that he filmed most of his video a few months before the event's deadline, but some of the footage is from a year ago. Filmmaker Mike Marasco edited Fellers' segment.

Fellers said if he won the $50,000, he'd likely put the money in the bank and "take the homies out to a bomb sushi dinner."

He says he's happy with the film's final edit, but "I'm pretty critical with my skating — it can always be better."

In the video, Fellers gaps a 12-step stair case, impressively launches over a flower bed and jibs several picnic tables and park benches.

Fellers currently lives in Long Beach, Calif. He's the only skater representing Montana in the X Games. To see the video entry, visit online at www.xgames.com/realstreet.