Winter X-Games Explained
The Winter X-Games 2021 start this weekend (29-31 Jan) in Aspen Colorado. To understand more about what they are and where to watch them, see our easy guide below.
The What Games?
The X Games is an annual extreme sport event, and the Winter X-Games is for snow based extreme sports.
Extreme Sports?
Different to more traditional alpine sports such as downhill skiing, the X-Games are not a celebration of speed, rather they celebrate skill, finesse and outrageous stunts. Watch events such as Big Air or the Superpipe and Slopestyle competitions and you’ll see what we mean.
Big Air? Superpipe? Slopestyle?
These are the 3 main events which are then subdivided into ski and board, men’s and women’s.
Big Air – simplicity itself, head down the hill and launch into the sky performing spins, twists and tricks to make the ultimate stunt. Each athlete gets two or three runs, judges score them according to the difficulty of the stunts performed, the execution of the stunts and the style including the all-important landing.
Watch the 2019 men’s snowboard Big Air event - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UhYq4sTG-0
Superpipe – instead of using a large jump, the athletes head down a half-pipe performing various tricks including spins and holds. As they pick up speed, the jumps become bigger and the landings become harder. Judges then score 2 or 3 runs based again on difficulty, execution as well as the height gained and style of the tricks.
Watch the 2019 men’s snowboard superpipe event - https://youtu.be/gOSglCTVUPM
Slopestyle – this event combines elements of Big Air and Superpipe with competitors heading down a pre-set course of obstacles, rails and jumps. The combination of technical rails with big jumps makes for a captivating spectacle. Judges then sore 2 or 3 runs on difficulty, execution and landings.
Watch the 2019 men’s ski slopestyle event - https://youtu.be/LOFiLdwYVRc
Do the athletes compete in the Olympics?
Once upon a time, downhill skiing was the be-all and end-all of the ski calendar but since the 1990s, the X-Games and extreme sports in general have now become much more popular. This culminated in the inclusion of a freestyle skiing as a demonstration event in 1988 and a full event in 1992. Slopestyle and Superpipe were made Olympic events in 2014 and Big Air will make its debut in 2022.
So who’s in it?
There was a big North-American dominance in the early years of Freestyle skiing, competitors such as Shaun White helped popularise the sport and bring it to a wider audience.
Today, entrants come across the globe including the UK where competitors such as James Woods, Isobel and Zoe Atkin as well as Gus Kenworthy will be flying the flag.
Where can I watch it?
Catch it on BT Sport/ESPN from 7pm on Friday 29th January
