Aspen Winter X Games
The X Games in Aspen Bring a Show to the Snow
Winter X Games 2012
Jan. 26 - 29, 2012
Aspen, CO - Buttermilk Mountain
There’s skiing, there’s Olympic skiing, and, then there are the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. The annual Winter X Games is all about next level extreme winter sports competition, pitting many of the world’s best winter athletes against each other in a weekend crammed with mad skills, big air, sick tricks and live music.The Winter X Games are a relative newcomer on the world of international sports, but thanks to breathtaking tricks and competitors that keep raising the bar higher and higher, they are quickly gaining in popularity. Now, people come to Aspen from around the world to take part in this incredible sports competition.
More than 200 winter athletes from around the world will be on hand this year to compete in the world's premier winter action sports competition and party. The events are all outside, and all are free to the public.
History of the Winter X Games
The X Games began developing in 1995, and Big Bear Lake, California hosted the very first Winter X Games in 1997. The event jumped around to several major ski resorts across North America in its first few years, including Crested Butte Resort in Colorado and Mount Snow in Vermont, but since 2002, it has found a home at Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain.
The Games really took off in popularity through their television coverage, and the world got to see all the thrills and spills live. Last year, nearly 400 million people in more than 150 countries watched last year’s Winter X Games on TV.
Big Sports Stars and Bigger Air
There is a wide range of exciting events in skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, with medals up for grabs in several disciplines, including Freestyle, Slope Style, Super Pipe, Big Air and Best Trick.
Today, the Winter X Games attract big-name athletes, from snowboarding legend Shaun White to pro-boarder Hannah Teter, skier Chris Del Bosco, and up-and-coming Canadian snowboarder Nic Sauve.
The Winter X Games have been held in Aspen for the past decade, and the best way to get fully immersed in all the Winter X Games’ action, both on and off the hill, is staying in one of the Aspen vacation condos right smack on the slopes of Buttermilk Mountain.
XFest Sports and Music Festival
Along with all the high-octane sporting events, the Winter X Games comes with its own live music festival. There are DJs who spin tracks during the athlete runs, including big name DJs such as DJ Irie and DJ Naka G. Live bands perform nightly, with acts ranging from new up-and-comers to major headliners. In 2011, performers included My Chemical Romance, Ke$ha, KiD CuDi and B.o.B.
There is also an interactive X Village set up at the mountain, with climbing walls, video-game competitions, and lots of product-sponsored events.
Major Winter X Games enthusiasts can also look ahead to March 14th through March 16th, when the Winter X Games Europe 2012 will be staged in Tignes, France.