Yeah, we can't even begin to think about the next Winter X Games either, however, we're being forced to. The second annual Real Snow all-urban video contest is returning in 2012 and the riders competing have been announced. With some returning snowboarders alongside fresh faces eager to get in on the action, this video contest adds a whole different side to the highly competitive X Games. 2011 marked the first year to include this competition and the first year to acknowledge street riding as part of the games. Along with the Real Snow video contest there is also a Real Snow rail jam held in Aspen and the setup we saw last year was a force to be reckoned with.

Eight riders and eight 60-second edits attempting to capture the burliest, most technical, and stylish urban riding around make up this showdown. Returning riders Dan Brisse (who scored gold last year), Louis-Felix Paridis (silver), and Nic Sauve (bronze & Fan Favorite) will join urban riding beasts Halldor Helgason, Jed Anderson, Scott Stevens, Bode Merrill and Pat Moore. Nothing like a heavily stacked roster to get your blood pumping.

Photo courtesy of SNOWBOARDER Mag, Huggy

Up until Winter X 2012 (January 26-29), this group of rippers will be combing the streets in an attempt to find and drop in to a spot better and gnarlier than the next. ESPN's words below with all the details of voting:

An expert panel of respected riders and industry heavies will decide who brings home the Winter X Games medals, but beginning in January, you get to decide the Fan Favorite -- the winner of which will take home $50,000.

All eight Real Snow video edits will be released on XGames.com/realsnow on January 10. Voting for the Fan Favorite will go down in a bracket format similar to July's X Games Real Street, with riders going head-to-head in two-man match-ups for one week at a time. On January 17, the four riders with the most votes will advance to a two-bracket semifinal. The final two will advance to a final, two-rider bracket on January 24. The winner of the Fan Favorite will be announced Sunday during the live telecast of the 2012 Winter X Games; medal winners from the judged portion of the event will be announced Saturday during the ESPN2 telecast (2-4 p.m. ET).

Be sure and keep up with these videos as they drop. Until then, check out the contest teaser below: