And yes, the young action sports phenom will turn 18 in time to vote in the November election. But don't ask whether he's leaning toward Bush or Kerry.

''Answering questions like that could get him in a lot of trouble,'' publicist Mark Ervin said.

Though their sports are based on individual creativity and expression, X Games competitors are paid mainly by corporate sponsors who don't always appreciate controversial comments.

Representatives from brands like T-Mobile or Quiksilver hover at the events, and their logos are omnipresent - attached to helmets, water bottles and uniforms. (Though there are no logos on X Games ramps, as there are at other competitions.)

So with the presidential campaign in full tilt, a few athletes are finding quiet ways to express their preferences during the four-day action sports competition, which continues through Sunday.

Kelly Slater slapped a ''Kerry-Edwards'' sticker on his surfboard, and Andy Macdonald wrote ''Regime change in the USA'' on his skateboard's grip tape.

''It was just my way of showing support for someone besides Bush,'' said Macdonald, who once skated through the White House at an anti-drug appearance with former President Clinton.

Skaters have long struggled against their apathetic image to engage in local politics - fighting safety equipment requirements and city bans on street skating.

Those at the top of their sports also recently organized into a group called Pro Riders Organization, which negotiates with competition hosts and is pushing for group health care and other benefits.

But presidential politics is a different matter. Many athletes are mum on the topic, there are no regular voter registration drives at competitions, and a large number of fans are simply too young for such efforts.

Compared to traditional sports athletes, action sports competitors are uniquely able to use their equipment as a place for political messages. But few have done so.

BMX star Ryan Nyquist said he flat-out doesn't pay attention to the battling campaigns of President Bush and Democratic nominee John Kerry.

''I don't watch TV, I don't read the newspaper,'' he said.

This year marks the first time Slater and Macdonald, stars in their sports, have voiced their politics at the X Games.

Even Slater says the competition is ''not really so much time for politics. It's just time to do aerials.''

Nevertheless, he's proudly displaying the Democratic bumper sticker on his board next to his sponsors' logos. And he wants to take Kerry surfing next month in Florida, which is both his home state and expected to be closely contested in the election.

Macdonald, whose clean-cut appearance is out of place among a crowd of skaters, said he was taken aback when someone called him a conservative recently.

''There's two meanings. . . . Within the community of skateboarding, I look conservative,'' he said. ''I don't have tattoos or body piercings or purple hair.''

As for White, the 17-year-old snowboarder-skateboarder who is touted as a presidential candidate on Mountain Dew-sponsored signs, he said he's actually among the ranks of undecided voters.

''I've got to scope the field, find the options,'' he said with a smile while icing his knee after a recent practice. ''I'm just stoked I'm going to be able to vote.''