YOUR AD HERE »

X Games recognizes 30 years of thrill as Aspen is back as host of winter spectacle

X Games runs Thursday through Saturday at Buttermilk

News |

Austin Colbert

New X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom, right, chats with host Selema Masekela during the introductory X Games Aspen press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Three decades ago, at a Planet Hollywood in New York City, ESPN announced the creation of the “Extreme Games,” with the first event held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island.

Winter X Games made its debut in 1997 at California’s Snow Summit Mountain Resort before moving to Crested Butte for 1998-99, when it headed to Vermont’s Mount Snow for 2000-01.

“My first X Games was in 1999 in Crested Butte, Colorado, where I got to be a sideline reporter for snowboarding,” longtime X Games host Selema Masekela said Wednesday during the introductory press conference for X Games Aspen 2025 at Buttermilk Ski Area.

“That experience in Crested Butte was a life-changer for me. … I never thought that the world outside of snowboarding would care about action sports, and suddenly, we were on ESPN and ABC and global,” he continued. “What an incredible journey it has been. I’ve had the privilege and honor of literally watching generations of the best athletes in action sports come and make their mark.”

With 30 years of weight behind its name, X Games returns Thursday through Saturday for its signature winter event. Buttermilk has hosted Winter X Games since 2002, allowing the city of Aspen to become as much a part of the brand’s story as any athlete.


While Aspen’s future as an X Games host remains unknown — nothing has been solidified past this winter — new X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom reaffirmed on Wednesday that he plans to prioritize Aspen in the upcoming negotiations. X Games wants to move to an eight-city tour — four summer and four winter — beginning in 2026, with numerous cities already having submitted bids to host.

“Think about all the kids around the world who know Aspen because of X Games. We want to stay here. We want to figure it out,” said Bloom, a former Olympic freestyle skier who also was a standout football player at the University of Colorado.

“I have such a deep love and admiration for these sports, and I understand what these athletes go through,” he continued. “I understand the struggle. I know how hard it is. I know how much they care. And unless you’ve sort of gone through that, it’s really hard to understand how important this event is and how important these moments are.”

Host Selema Masekela asks questions to athletes during the introductory X Games Aspen press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
New X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom, center, chats with Utah freeskier Alex Hall after the introductory press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

With negotiations ongoing regarding Aspen’s future with X Games, Wednesday’s press conference meant this year’s event is ready to go full send. Action starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday with women’s ski knuckle huck, followed by the men at 5:45 p.m. Women’s snowboard big air is set for 6:45 p.m., while the nightcap will be the men’s snowboard superpipe final at 8 p.m.

The contests are being live streamed exclusively via The Roku Channel, with both ESPN and ABC also televising much of the action. Tickets are required to attend in-person at Buttermilk, with X Games saying all tickets had been sold out prior to Thursday.

Scotty vs. Japan

Thursday’s finale will feature Australia’s Scotty James, who is arguably the king of halfpipe snowboarding at the moment (and currently on the X Games board of directors). The 30-year-old is fresh off a World Cup win last week at the Laax Open in Switzerland, with Masekela already calling his winning run one of the best ever. It included a cab triple cork 1440.

“That switch McTwist, I’m calling it the McJames,” Masekela said to James. “It’s no longer the Switch McTwist — it’s the Switch McJames. It’s instantly already iconic for the sport.”

James held off his usual competition for the win in Laax, which is more or less the country of Japan. The Japanese team was responsible for the next four places after James at Laax, and for years now, it’s been a battle of Scotty James vs. Japan in the halfpipe.

Expect more of the same on Thursday night, with Japan’s Ayumu Hirano (the reigning Olympic gold medalist), Ruka Hirano, Shuichiro Shigeno, and Yuto Totsuka all set to compete.

Australian snowboarder Scotty James answers a question during the introductory X Games Aspen press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

“The Japanese riders have really elevated their training, and the intensity has gone through the roof,” James said. “It’s a challenge to keep up with them a little bit. But I feel like I’ve found my groove. I’m in a really good place. I think the triple cork is obviously the really important linchpin at the moment.”

What else is new for James, a six-time X Games Aspen gold medalist? Well, he married Formula 1 heiress Chloe Stroll in 2023, and the couple had their first child, Leo, back in October.

“Sometimes, when you start to have children and you get married and you start to look at that next chapter in life, it can be perceived as maybe winding down,” James said. “But in my case, I honestly feel like I’m just getting started. It’s been amazing to have that new addition in my life.”

Red returns for more gold

Summit County snowboarder Red Gerard won Olympic slopestyle gold in 2018, elevating him to superstar status. And it can be argued that the now 24-year-old didn’t get another significant win until last winter, when he finally won X Games Aspen slopestyle gold on his eighth attempt.

Summit County snowboarder Red Gerard, right, next to Utah freeskier Alex Hall, answers a question during the introductory X Games Aspen press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

“Just try to figure out what I did last year, I guess?” he said of his plan for this year. “It was massive for me last year. Something I’d been wanting for a while and to have it happen was epic. This year, I’m just trying to repeat that and do similar things, and I feel like I hopefully have one of the stronger runs, but it’s definitely a big challenge out there. Ever year, it gets crazier, and I’m just happy to get invited back every year.”

Men’s snowboard slopestyle will kickoff Saturday’s events. The roster includes many heavy hitters, such as Canada’s Mark McMorris and Norway’s Marcus Kleveland, among others. Unlike many of his slopestyle peers, Gerard typically does not compete in big air.

Hall stays busy

Park City’s Alex Hall is going to have a busy week at X Games. The Utah freeskier is going to compete in four events at Buttermilk: slopestyle, big air, knuckle huck, and street style.

Last year, he competed in three events, winning silver in both big air and slopestyle, while finishing seventh in knuckle huck. Street style is making its official medal debut this year in Aspen.

Utah freeskier Alex Hall answers a question during the introductory X Games Aspen press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

“It’s a lot. We’ll see how it goes,” Hall said. “That said, it’s a tough week. You have to pick and choose your battles a little. Maybe not do all the practices or do half of some of them.”

Is there a secret to success when doing that many events? Hall credits his love of filming, which can be more demanding both physically and mentally than any competition.

“The filming days are so much harder and longer. When you are out there snowmobiling or riding street, you have to put in 12 hours a day,” he said. “You learn a ton when you are filming as well, and I love to film. Whether it’s backcountry or in the street in the city, I think you can learn a lot from those situations and translate them into competition and maybe give you a little bit of an edge.”

Hall is a three-time X Games gold medalist in Aspen, most recently winning big air in 2022. He’s also the reigning Olympic gold medalist in slopestyle skiing.

acolbert@aspentimes.com

Show CaptionsHide Captions

Instagram
See more