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Aspen has hosted Winter X Games since 2002, making this week’s version the 25th straight at Buttermilk Ski Area. And, with a delicate remark to shut out Thursday’s pre-event press convention, it sounds prefer it may very well be round for an additional quarter century.
“Thank you to the town of Aspen for 25 years. That’s iconic,” X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom stated. “I can say, which was not the case last year, we are not going anywhere. We look forward to the next 25 years here in Aspen.”
With Bloom, the previous moguls Olympic champion and University of Colorado soccer star, now in his second yr as the pinnacle of X Games, adjustments are starting to stack up. The model unveiled a brand new brand again in September, is about to launch a brand new team-based league this coming summer season, and is seeing a surge in new sponsors.
This yr’s competitors, which begins Friday and runs by Sunday night time, is about to be the biggest since 2020, which was held mere weeks earlier than the world shutdown as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
“For us athletes, the only other time we would sit in a row and look at press like this is the Olympics,” stated Australian snowboarder Scotty James in regards to the impression of X Games on their careers. “As always, X Games in Aspen, the town really embraces this event and I think for us, we always really enjoy coming here. We have an amazing platform to showcase what we’ve been working all year round for. It’s an exciting time to be here.”
Here are a couple of different notes because the motion returns to Buttermilk.
Jamie Anderson is again
The slopestyle snowboard queen has returned. The 35-year-old from Tahoe hasn’t competed at X Games since 2022, having stepped away to turn into a mom. But the 21-time X Games medalist returned to snow earlier this winter on the Steamboat large air World Cup, ending sixth.
She took a nasty fall throughout the slopestyle World Cup competitors earlier this month at Snowmass, however was fortunate to keep away from any main damage. She did compete final week in Laax, Switzerland, the ultimate World Cup occasion earlier than the Olympics, however didn’t make it out of qualifying. She was not named to the Olympic group.
“I feel so happy to be back. X Games is really where my snowboard career started,” she stated. “It’s a privilege to be back, especially as a mom. I didn’t really see this coming, but here we are. Buckle up.”
Anderson shall be among the many first athletes to compete as the ladies’s snowboard slopestyle last will get X Games underway early Friday. She just isn’t anticipated to compete in large air.
Snowmobiles are again
Yes, the vroom-vroom is again at Buttermilk. A longtime Winter X Games staple, the snowmobile contests have been final a part of this system in 2020 however have been scrapped going into the 2021 pandemic contest that was held with out followers. With those self same followers clamoring for the return of motorsports, Bloom made {that a} precedence.
“It’s so awesome to be back. Just to put snowmobiling back on the main stage,” stated Canadian star Brett Turcotte, one of many sport’s high names. “Coming back to the event, I feel awesome. I am motivated. I got a gold medal here in 2020 in snowmobile bike best trick. Crashed both of my runs in snowmobile freestyle, so I got some redemption and am looking forward to it.”
The official return is scheduled for Friday with the snowmobile freestyle last starting at 8:35 p.m., the ultimate competitors of the night time. There shall be a velocity & fashion seeding session at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, with the snowmobile velocity & fashion finals scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday.
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The Olympics are again
While X Games is kind of a Super Bowl for skiers and snowboarders, so are the Olympics. And the Olympics are a sizzling subject this week, with the Milan Cortina Games scheduled to get underway Feb. 6 in Italy. U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Thursday launched its listing of 97 athletes sure for the Games.
It’s not unusual for some athletes to take a seat out X Games throughout an Olympic season — snowboard halfpipe star Chloe Kim is amongst these not anticipated to compete this week — however for essentially the most half, all the most important names are in Aspen able to drop in.
“We get so much good practice here at X Games,” stated Utah freeskier Alex Hall, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in slopestyle. “We get unlimited laps. The course is always perfect, so I think it’s just a great spot to come and train and just figure stuff out.”
Alex and Hanna are again
Roaring Fork Valley locals can catch at the least two of their very own competing at X Games. Basalt’s Hanna Faulhaber is again within the ladies’s halfpipe ski last on Friday (6:15 p.m. begin), and Aspen’s Alex Ferreira will go for his fourth X Games gold within the males’s halfpipe ski last at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Ferreira’s foremost competitors is more likely to once more be Indiana’s Nick Goepper, who simply edged him for X Games gold a yr in the past. As for his or her budding rivalry, there won’t be that a lot to it.
“Alex is such a nice guy. I wish he wasn’t,” Goepper joked. “It would be a lot easier to be a rival with him. But he’s an incredible athlete and coming over to halfpipe and having some targets, so to speak, to chase after is part of what fuels me.”
The 31-year-old Goepper was a longtime slopestyle star earlier than a quick retirement ended with him returning, however in halfpipe as a substitute. He was just lately named to the U.S. Olympic males’s halfpipe ski group alongside Ferreira, Oregon’s Hunter Hess, and Winter Park’s Birk Irving.
But even for him, X Games Aspen stays a very distinctive expertise in spite of everything these years.
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Austrian snowboarder Anna Gasser talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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With X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom at left, Australian snowboarder Scotty James talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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American snowboarder Jamie Anderson smiles whereas listening to Austrian snowboarder Anna Gasser discuss throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Canadian snowmobiler Brett Turcotte, proper, sitting subsequent to Australian snowboarder Scotty James, talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Utah freeskier Alex Hall talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Canadian freeskier Megan Oldham, proper, with British freeskier Zoe Atkin within the background, talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom listens to Austrian snowboarder Anna Gasser discuss throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom, left, sitting with Australian snowboarder Scotty James, talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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American snowboard star Jamie Anderson, second from proper, talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area. At left are X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom and X Games expertise Aimee Fuller, whereas Austrian snowboarder Anna Gasser is on the proper.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Former British snowboarder Aimee Fuller moderates the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Indiana freeskier Nick Goepper talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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American snowboard star Jamie Anderson talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Austrian snowboarder Anna Gasser talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Canadian freeskier Megan Oldham talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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British halfpipe skier Zoe Atkin talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Canadian freeskier Megan Oldham holds the microphone whereas speaking throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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New Zealand freeskier Luca Harrington talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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American snowboard star Jamie Anderson talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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American snowboarder Zeb Powell, proper, subsequent to Canadian snowmobiler Brett Turcotte, talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Canadian snowmobiler Brett Turcotte talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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American snowboard star Jamie Anderson talks throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Former British snowboard star turned host Aimee Fuller palms considered one of this yr’s medals to indicate snowboarder Scotty James throughout the X Games Aspen pre-event press convention on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
“The best thing X Games has going for it is the brand. It’s the name,” Goepper stated. “People know it worldwide. That was the thing I latched onto when I was a kid dreaming about being up in this chair right here. The longevity of the event and the interest now with the new direction it’s going in, I’m pinching myself to still be a part of it and I’m excited to see where that thing that I loved as a kid, where it’s going to go from here.”
For the entire schedule of occasions, go to xgames.com. With winter climate forecast for the weekend, time adjustments and even occasion cancellations shall be doable.
Reach Austin at [email protected]
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