Let the games begin! Back for its 23rd year, The Winter X-Games are just over a week away and will be televised live from Jan. 26-28, 2024 in Aspen, CO. Fans and those interested in watching can view the games live on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. While many of us enjoy focusing on the insane history making tricks, inside the competition that is only part of it.
For the athletes, the judging consists of not only the amazing tricks they can pull off, but also on their form, their use of air and obstacles in the circuits, and of course, if they fall.
This incredible winter sports extravaganza features the two main sports of skiing and snowboarding and offers several competitions for a range of styles of each. Both sports will contain the divisions of Slopestyle, Big Air, Knuckle Huck and Superpipe for both men and women separately.
Slopestyle features courses that resemble the sloped courses that are commonly seen at winter sports resorts, including a few rails, objects and a few jumps. All of which help to highlight an athlete’s versatility on the course. Allowing for some seriously cool tricks to be achieved. Last year in this division, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott took home the gold for the women’s snowboard slopestyle. Megan Oldham took home the gold for the women’s ski slopestyle. Leaving Mark McMorris and Colby Stevenson to take home the gold in the men’s snowboarding slopestyle and ski slopestyle, respectively.
The Big Air competition is just as it sounds, it is all about the big air. This competition also features a slope type course, containing no objects. Instead it contains one of the largest jumps that competitors will face in the games. It largely focuses on the athlete’s ability to catch “Big Air” while providing another opportunity to make history with a new trick. At last year’s 2023 Winter X-Games, Reira Iwabuchi won gold in the women’s snowboard big air competition. Meanwhile, Megan Oldham won her second gold medal in this event in the women’s ski big air competition. For the men’s class last year, Marcus Kleveland and Mac Forehand both won gold for the men’s snowboard big air competition and the men’s ski competition, respectively.
Knuckle Huck is a fairly new division that was welcomed into the X-games in 2020 specifically for men, where the athletes are primarily judged on their tricks. The course contains a slightly steep bump at the top of the course, also called a knuckle, and then must continue down the course and land their best tricks possible. This year, the 2024 Winter X-games will be welcoming the new women’s class for the Knuckle Huck competition. Because last year’s Winter X-Games held only the men’s classes, there were no female winners. Because of this, Marcus Kleveland took home his second gold medal from these games in the men’s snowboard knuckle huck. Leaving Jesper Tjader to win gold in the men’s ski knuckle huck competition.
Finally, the Superpipe competition is just as it sounds, an over 590 foot long pipe styled course that allows athletes to achieve big air and nail some gnarly tricks. This competition allows athletes to complete various runs with only their best run counting for their score. In last year’s winter games, Gaon Choi won gold for the women’s snowboard superpipe competition. While Zoe Atkin won gold for the women’s ski superpipe competition. In the men’s class, Scotty James took home the gold for the men’s snowboard superpipe competition, while David Wise took home the gold for the men’s ski superpipe competition.
For fans who may be new to the X-games or just want to learn more, have no fear as the X-games website offers an X-Games Aspen 101 page, It simply and easily explains all rules, regulations, courses and styles to help fans develop a better understanding of this chillingly exciting competition. The website also details information on the athletes and provides updates of all the current information about upcoming games.
This year, over 50 Athletes were invited to the games, including each of last year’s gold medal winners and many other fan favorites. Among the invited are also professional snowboarders Chloe Kim who owns 6 gold medals and Anna Gasser who owns 4 gold medals. Along with professional skiers Alex Hall who owns 5 gold medals and Tess Ledeux who owns 4 gold medals.
Every year these fantastic and sensational games contain new tricks and skills that make history. Keeping viewers on the edge of their seats and yearning for more with its action-packed events. Be sure to mark your calendars because this year’s Winter X-Games are going to be the biggest and best one yet!
For more information go to https://www.xgames.com/events/x-games-aspen-2024.
