Photo Source: Aspen X Games
By Josh Lenahan, Staff Writer
Lil Wayne, professional snowboarders, the brapp of snowmobiles, the smell of hops, and bottomless champagne powder. What kind of place could have all these mouthwatering, beat bumping, fun things within a five-minute walk of each other?
As Lloyd from everyone’s favorite Colorado-centered movie “Dumb and Dumber” put it, “A place where the beer flows like wine, where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. A little place called Aspen.”
With live music performances from Lil Wayne, Louis the Child, Kygo, and the Chainsmokers, X Games Aspen is a hotspot for action sports fans and concert goers alike. This last X Games in late January turned Aspen into action sports’ biggest stage of the year.
With snow sport events ranging from slopestyle, big airs, halfpipes, snowmobile and snow bike racing, and more, the action at X Games was nonstop. The music shows were sold out, but artists hosted after parties downtown – adding to the already world-renowned Aspen après-ski scene.
Pizza at the Aspen Alehouse, music at Belly Up, or a blast back in time to Aspen’s Red Onion –open since 1892 – the town offered something for everyone day and night.
Nestled in Colorado’s beautiful Roaring Fork Valley, Aspen is split into four alpine skiing areas accessible by shuttle throughout the day. All X Games events are held at Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain. Kicking off on a Thursday, the sporting events stretched through the following Wednesday. With a modern bus system throughout the Valley, Aspen made it easy for everyone to get around throughout the weekend. It made driving unnecessary.
If you happen to be an IKON pass holder, you could ski all day while catching snow sports in between laps, then enjoy some of Colorado's best après-ski locations downtown. To put it simply, there’s no reason to be bored during an X Games Aspen weekend. The snow sports themselves are worth the effort to get to Aspen – the slopestyle course as well as the skiing and snowboarding competitions make for memorable X Games.
This year IKON pass holders can enjoy 5,300+ combined skiable acres, 4,400 feet of vertical drop, and some of the best snow Colorado has seen in years. The beautiful Valley, home to the infamous Maroon Bells, buzzes with life during an X Games weekend, and this last one was one for the books.
Eighteen years in, Aspen has been the longest re-occurring X Games host and doesn’t seem to be ditching its commitment anytime soon. After renewing a five-year agreement with X Games, Aspen will have hosted the games for 23 consecutive years by 2024.
“Aspen is truly a special community and we could not be happier to commit to another five years,” said Tim Reed, X Games vice president, in a recent news release.
An essential piece to the puzzle that is the World of X Games, Aspen has been crucial in the success of the world’s biggest action sports events.