2013 Winter X Games
Hosted by ESPN, the 2013 Winter X Games returns to the groomed slopes of Aspen/Snowmass Resort, Jan. 24 to 27, 2013, for its 12th consecutive year at this ski resort in Colorado. Over the course of four days, the world’s best freestyle snowboarders, skiers and snowmobilers will flaunt their high-flying talent on Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain.
The base village at Buttermilk lends itself to a proper venue for the event courses, the village and, perhaps most importantly, the spectators. More than 100,000 fans are expected to attend this dynamic action sports festival, bringing with them an appetite for adrenaline and excitement.
“It’s a crazy mashup of people who are watching their idols compete,” explains Jeff Hanle, spokesman for Aspen/Snowmass Resort. “The events appeal to everyone, and they’re all there to enjoy the energy. Once you see it, you’re amazed. It’s like the action sports’ version of the Olympics coming to town.”
Leaving a Legacy
The X Games is synonymous with record-breaking feats and gravity-defying stunts, but it has come a long way since its debut in 1997, when events like modified shovel racing and snow mountain bike racing were a part of the festivities.
During the 2011 games, Aspen local Torin Yater-Wallace became the youngest athlete in the history of the Winter X Games to win a medal, earning silver in Ski SuperPipe. In 2012, Olympic superstar Shaun White also became the first athlete in X Games’ history to earn a perfect 100.00 score during Snowboard SuperPipe finals, and walked away with a fifth consecutive gold medal win—a title that no other X Games athlete holds.
Indeed, fans have come to expect heightened levels of skill and performances by their favorite athletes every year. Gretchen Bleiler, another Aspen local and four-time X Games gold medalist snowboarder, explains that the event, as a whole, is constantly evolving.
“The X Games is the event to lay it all on the line and ride bigger and better than ever,” she says. “It’s the event that every athlete looks forward to.”
In the Air
When nighttime descends upon Aspen’s slopes, bright lights flood the terrain parks, and thousands of people gather around the courses to witness athletes make history during the final rounds.
On the slopestyle course, snowboarders and skiers link together a seemingly effortless run filled with obstacles, including handrails, jumps and other features, throughout the 1,600-foot-long trail. The monstrous SuperPipe, a 22-foot-tall half pipe, is specifically built to give skiers and snowboarders the upper hand with technical tricks and amplitude. The Ski and Snowboard Big Air event lives up to its name, with athletes competing for the biggest air and most original trick on an 80-foot jump.
Perhaps most intriguing to spectators, however, are the snowmobile events, a sport that isn’t as widely publicized in the action sports realm. Athletes nimbly whip their 800-pound machines in midair during the Snowmobile Best Trick or get inverted during the Snowmobile Freestyle.
Fresh Start
Devoted spectators might notice a few missing events from this year’s schedule, but the reintroduction of Snowmobile Snocross and Speed & Style, or the relatively new addition of Snowboard Street, is part of the X Games’ plan to keep the event fresh and progressive. Even the village area will reinvent itself for 2013, displaying more interactive exhibits that pay tribute to the lifestyle and culture of action sports. While sports remain at the core of the X Games, cultural activities, involving film festivals and videos, fashion and gear, music and art, are certainly a big component of the action sports lifestyle and will serve to add more flavor to the event’s overall experience.
And with the addition of three new disciplines to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia—ski superpipe, snowboard and ski slopestyle—spectators will surely be on the lookout for notables at the 2013 X Games. As this much-anticipated event takes over Aspen, cheer on your favorite athletes and future Olympians.
Insider’s Knowledge
The Winter X Games is the largest non-holiday event in Aspen, so the area gets extra cozy. Navigating this small ski town can be tricky, but The St. Regis Aspen Resort’s concierge staff offers a few suggestions.
For starters, take the free and frequent shuttle, which stops directly across from the St. Regis, around town. A vibrant nightlife and restaurant scene adds to the city’s appeal, but given the number of visitors reservations are encouraged.
Alternately, guests can enjoy live music on Friday and Saturday nights from resort’s intimate Shadow Mountain Lounge and relax with a signature cocktail. Because St. Regis is a hub for many competing athletes, it’s not uncommon to see X Games superstars roaming the lobby.
