The X Games are Here
ASPEN, CO (Jan. 21. 2015)—The small town of Aspen, Colorado is buzzing in anticipation of Winter X Games starting. Since 2002, Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen has been home to X Games, and—like every year since then—all eyes in the snow sports world will be fixed squarely on the action taking place in the halfpipe and on the slopestyle course.
From January 21 through January 25, the best skiers and snowboarders, among other athletes, will be vying for X Games medals. The stable of U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding athletes on-hand consists of long-time legends and Olympic heroes, like freeskier David Wise and snowboarders Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA), Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT), and Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, CA).
“It is really fun to be here in Aspen again,” said Anderson. “This year feels pretty mellow without the pressure of the Olympics. X Games is still a big event, and I am excited to throw down.”
There will also be burgeoning superstars competing at X Games, such as freeskiers Torin Yater-Wallace (Basalt, CO), Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, CO), Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, IN), and Devin Logan (West Dover, VT).
Excited fans at 2014 X Games. (Getty Images-Doug Pensigner)
“People really bring out all the guns at the X Games because it’s been around so long and has such a history [with freeskiing],” said Goepper. “I think X Games is truly the world championship event of the season for freeskiers.”
Every year, young, upstart athletes who already are progressing in their respective sports will also be fighting for X Games notoriety, like halfpipe skier Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, CO) and 14-year-old snowboarding phenom Chloe Kim (La Palma, CA).
“Balancing life as a student and pro snowboarder is definitely hard,” said Kim. “High school is kind of rough and it is difficult to have to do all my schoolwork after training, riding, or competing…. I am really thankful to be here alongside all these legends, though!”
The 19th annual Winter X Games begin Wednesday evening as a talented field of female halfpipe skiers compete in the superpipe final. Eight skiers will be battling it out for X Games gold in the Buttermilk halfpipe, representing countries from all over the globe.
Stay tuned for in-depth, slope-side coverage directly from Aspen, Colorado throughout X Games.
