Winter X Games Brings Memories of Joy & Heartache for K&N Supported Colten Moore

K&N Filters supported freestyle extraordinaire Colten Moore is preparing for the snowmobile freestyle event in the upcoming Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado

K&N Filters supported freestyle extraordinaire Colten Moore is preparing for the snowmobile freestyle event in the upcoming Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado taking place January 28-31, 2016. As a native Texan the fact that there's no snow to be found in Texas doesn't slow Colten down. "On the snowmobile, we just put wheels on the skis and put a radiator on it. We put carpet down so that I can ride on it and I just basically jump the sled into the foam pit over and over and over. I try to learn new tricks and bigger tricks and get it all dialed in," said Colten Moore.

Although Colten Moore is excited about trying to win his seventh X Games medal, it also brings back tremendous feelings of loss for his brother Caleb Moore

Colten Moore's parents installed a foam pit years back at their place in Texas. This allowed Colten and his brother Caleb to practice jumps and freestyle safely as they pursued their adrenaline-filled passion. In a couple of days, Colten will head north to Colorado, where he'll spend a little over a week riding on snow and perfecting his landings before the X Games begin. Although Colten is excited about trying to win his seventh X Games medal, it also brings back tremendous feelings of loss.

On January 24, 2013, Colten's brother Caleb Moore under-rotated his snowmobile while flipping during the freestyle competition at the X Games. Caleb was thrown off the machine, which then hit him directly in the chest, causing bleeding around his heart. At the hospital in Aspen, there was no cardiothoracic surgeon on hand, so the decision was made to transfer him to a hospital in Grand Junction. Due to bad weather, bad luck, and other factors, nearly six hours passed before Caleb was airlifted to Grand Junction, Colorado.

Just after touching down at the airport in Grand Junction, Caleb Moore's heart stopped beating. Caleb was in respiratory arrest for about 20 minutes, which caused irreversible brain damage. One week after the accident, the Moore family made the agonizing decision to take Caleb off of life support and donate his organs, per his wishes. "Growing up, he (Caleb) led me and taught me everything I know," said Colten. "I've had to go through a lot and basically grow up some, and start leading myself and teaching myself new things. He was always the responsible one, so now I'm learning how to do that."

On January 24, 2013, Colten's brother Caleb Moore under-rotated his snowmobile while flipping during the freestyle competition at the X Games

Colten admits he feels a strong connection with his brother Caleb whenever he rides, and it's one of the reasons that he continues to do what he does. "Every time I go out and ride, I pray to my brother, I pray to God, and I talk to them," said Colten. "After his accident, I wrecked too, so I wasn't able to ride for a while, and I was kind of bummed out. But honestly, the first time I hopped back on a quad and got to ride, it was the happiest I'd felt in a while, and it felt like he was right there with me, riding with me. I just feel close, like I have the best guardian angel there could possibly be now, right there, watching out for me and helping me."

The Moore brothers have relied on K&N filters in everything from X Games competition, to touring with the Nitro Circus, racing Pro Lite trucks, or even Polaris RZR side by sides

Perhaps more exciting for Colten than the upcoming 2016 Winter X Games is the release of his book called "Catching the Sky" which is scheduled to be released on January 19, 2016. The book, which was co-authored by award-winning journalist Keith O'Brien, reveals what it was like for Colten to grow up with his brother Caleb and get fully immersed in a high-octane lifestyle. It also brings to light the gripping details of Caleb's death after he crashed during the 2013 X Games.

"It was a big opportunity for me to go get the story out even more and tell more detail," said Colten. He continued, "[The book] kind of answers the questions a lot of people have had. It's better to tell what actually happened, because if you don't, then you have people out their making their own opinions or guessing their own story of what happened. This way, the truth can be told and stuff doesn't get out of whack with people and their opinions and gossip and whatever."

K&N Filters has supported Colten Moore, and his late brother Caleb, for several years pre-dating Caleb's passing. The Moore brothers have relied on K&N air filters and K&N oil filters in everything from X Games competition, to touring with the Nitro Circus, racing Pro Lite trucks, or even Polaris RZR side by sides. Use the K&N Search By Vehicle tool to find K&N performance filters for almost anything with an engine. Then take advantage of the K&N Dealer Search tool to find a local authorized K&N dealer.