On January 29th, the 2003 ESPN Winter X Games VII invaded the town of Aspen and the mountains of Buttermilk, coming back to Colorado for the second year in a row. David Perry, the Senior Vice President of the Aspen Skiing Company reflects on last year's games, "When the Winter X Games came to Aspen last year for the first year, I was there as a visitor." Aspen drew close to 40,000 spectators over the four-day event - the biggest winter sporting event Aspen has ever hosted. "The town received an automatic vibe plant - the atmosphere was electric for the entire weekend."
For seven years this annual event has showcased the continuing evolution of sports that defy gravity. These games have been fueled by women and men who push themselves to the edge for the love of snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, and Moto X.
The Sidelines
This particular week the thermometer rose to the low 70's, and the warmer weather had people running around in tank tops and in high spirits to see the athletes soar on the sunny slopes. Observing the events was a sport in itself. As I viewed the map of where each competition was taking place, I couldn't help but wonder, "Just how does one get up the hill to the Superpipe?" I soon found out. It was a zigzag trail to the top, straight up. And since most people didn't have their snowshoes with them, it was a comedy of errors that would have been a perfect Warren Miller film clip. Cameramen and observers alike slid down on their asses, some on purpose... and some not. At the bottom of the mountain, the awards stage was packed with a mosh pit of kids, fighting to see their heroes and heroines crowned in glory, or win free stuff from Coolio, who happened to be in town for the event.
Burton, ESPN Skatepark, local radio stations, and other companies had booths set up at the games, as did Boarding for Breast Cancer (BBC). Friday night they held a fund raising event where breast molds of Pro-Riders Tina Basich, Barrett Christy, Megan Pischke, and others made by local Colorado artist Jill Stephens, were auctioned off. "It went really great," says Lisa Hudson, one of BBC's founders. Almost all of the art pieces were bought, "Everyone just rallied," and all proceeds went to the support of breast cancer awareness and the BBC cause. For more info check out www.b4bc.org.
Other causes arose at the X Games, from nude women running crazy down the mountain with "No Fur" signs, to anti-war demonstrations and the handing out of bibs that said, "Make Turns, Not War." The Colorado Coalition for Peace took the opportunity to get some recognition and possibly some X Games airtime by handing out these bibs in a quiet protest against the war - not wanting to make a scene, just a stand. Later that day, well known "Gonzo" author Hunter Thompson took the stage in downtown Aspen for a PEACE rally and march through town.
The Evolution of Action Sports
When it comes to the actual evolution of the games themselves, ESPN takes their direction from the athletes, "and where they're taking their sports," says Ron Semiao, the senior vice president of ESPN and the creator of the X Games concept. "The big change that we made last year in the Winter X Games was in the skiing area where we added the skiers in the Superpipe and on the Slopestyle course and replaced the Big Air. That's the direction the kids were going. We try to follow the progression of the athletes."
Many of us have watched the X Games on ESPN, but there's nothing like the experience of being in right in front of the men and women, or in some cases, girls and boys, while they're breaking down all logic of what a body can or cannot do with a pair of skis, snowboard, or a motocross bike. One thing's for sure. At the rate these sports are headed, the only thing to expect is the unexpected. History is being made as each Winter X Game goes by - new athletes are pulling new tricks, and are hopping from one type of competition to another. We can only expect that with every X Game, there will be a new game in whatever town they happen to invade.
The Nightlife
The X Games also provide a chance for these busy athletes to meet up with their friends, mingle with some of the people cheering them on from the side lines, and join in the many festivities that take place beyond the competition, from watching rail slide demos to nighttime concerts.
After a full day of climbing up and down mountains, and experiencing the adrenaline rush of watching these competitions, there wasn't a lot of energy left to "get our freak on." Instead, we all piled into our beautiful three story pad at the Resort Quest rentals in Snowmass (resortquestsnowmass.com), dialed in with a stylin' kitchen, stereo, and large living room (hacky-sack friendly) with a great picture window view of the snow capped mountains. We invited a few of the beautiful people we met from Vail and Australia over and it was a party, Collegian Style!
Another night we hit downtown Aspen for a group meal. Now keep in mind we travel pretty heavy with writers, photographers, video crew, CT&A Magazine staff, boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers, rock stars and folks we meet on the road. As you will soon find out, we tend to seek out the BEST Mexican food and margaritas wherever we go, and alas we did not fail in beautiful Aspen with our discovery of the Cantina Restaurant. As we stuffed and drank ourselves into oblivion, a parade of multi-colored lights beamed through the restaurant's large windows. Was this one of those flashbacks my mother warned me about? It was a mobile institution of Aspen, an ass-shaking club for five - it was the Ultimate Taxi. Complete with 3-D glasses, psychedelic lights, internet service, and electronic keyboard and horn that the driver played to the tune of Stevie Wonder classics. The Ultimate Taxi was a great way to keep the atmosphere lively on our way to the next party! Aspen's nightlife is legendary and there is always something going on. |
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