Iconic winter X Games involves Calgary

The iconic X Games motion sports activities competitors is coming to Calgary in February subsequent 12 months.

WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park will host the three-day competitors starting Feb. 19, and the town will even see worldwide musical acts Levity and Steve Aoki carry out as a part of the occasion.

The Calgary cease marks the primary time within the 31-year historical past of the X Games that the competitors shall be hosted in Canada. 

“X Games is one of those events you dream of hosting in your city,” stated Tourism Calgary president and CEO Alisha Reynolds. “There is truly no better city than Calgary to host this electrifying event.” 

The occasion will see a number of the world’s prime skiers and snowboarders compete in occasions like Big Air, Knuckle Huck, Slopestyle and Superpipe. 

Officials estimate roughly 15,000 to twenty,000 spectators will attend the three days of competitors.

Reynolds estimates the occasion will herald roughly $25 million for the town’s customer economic system.

Canadian athletes excited to host

Calgarian Brendan Mackay, a freestyle skier with Team Canada, is worked up to have the occasion come to his hometown. Mackay remembers what a podium end at his first X Games in 2020 meant for his profession. 

“That was honestly for me a huge career-defining moment,” stated Mackay. “That really set into motion what has been a really great athletic career since then.”

Growing up watching the video games on TV impressed Mackay, and he says internet hosting may have an excellent greater influence on the subsequent era.

Historically Aspen, Colo., has hosted most of the winter X Games occasions and subsequently produced a number of the sports activities’ greatest athletes, says Mackay.

“So I think having that come to Calgary will be so impactful on all the young kids who get to go out and watch it,” he stated. 

WATCH | Breaking down Brendan Mackay’s bronze-medal run on the Olympics:

Mike Atkinson breaks down Brendan Mackay’s bronze-medal run in males’s freeski halfpipe

Mike Atkinson analyzes Brendan Mackay’s bronze-medal run within the males’s freeski halfpipe, breaking down the technical methods and execution that earned him a spot on the Olympic podium.

Professional snowboarder Craig McMorris, who grew up in Saskatchewan and credit month-to-month journeys to Canada Olympic Park for his success, can also be excited for the occasion to lastly come to Canada. 

“Canada has exported the best action sports talent in the entire world — full stop,” McMorris stated. “It’s lastly now our time to host the X Games.”

New format for Calgary X Games

In 2026, the X Games launched a brand new league format the place athletes compete individually but additionally earn factors for membership groups, including a championship race that followers can observe all through the season. 

At the X Games Calgary media occasion on Monday, CEO Jeremy Bloom additionally unveiled the 4 golf equipment for the winter league, which is able to draft athletes later this week. They embody X Games Club Whistler.

“So Canadians will have a club to root for,” Bloom stated.