One of the biggest spectator events during the winter here in Aspen/Snowmass area is ESPN’s Winter X Games. The X Games is a 3 day action packed event that is free to the public. The X Games brings the best skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers from around the world to the area to compete.
This year’s X Games were practice for a lot of athletes about to head to Sochi for the XXII Olympic Winter Games. This is the first year that the Olympics will include events like men and women’s ski half pipe, ski slope style, and snowboard slope style, all events featured at the X Games.
While Shaun White did pull out of the X Games to prepare more for the Olympics, that didn’t stop the crowds. The crowd at Buttermilk on Saturday was record breaking, with an attendance of 48,000.
It was announced this past week, that ESPN and Aspen Skiing Company signed a contract that will keep the X Games here at Buttermilk through 2019. It was said that the availability of Buttermilk to host the event, the appeal of Aspen/Snowmass, and the quality of the course-which many athlete’s at last Wednesday’s press conference describe as the best in the world- were all contributing factors that won the bid.