Every day, I walk approximately four miles around my local lake with a good friend of mine. It’s a wonderful male bonding exercise as we discuss a broad range of topics. One of these topics is the recent surge of late forty/mid-fifty-year-olds that are obsessed with exercise. Certainly, mid-morning in the gym has become popular with this age group (as I can testify from personal experience).
However, this same demographic is now involved in extreme activities like iron men competitions, marathons, and triathlons. In fact, several of my former school friends (who previously had sedentary existences) now adhere to this type of highly active lifestyle. That is why a contest like the X-Games would almost certainly appeal to them.
Generally, this an era where people want faster cars, superfoods, supersized homes, and thrill-seeking experiences. The X-Games was founded in 1995, and it is specifically designed for athletes who are obsessed with extreme sports. This event is hosted by the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) and was first held in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island.
Originally it took place during the Summer months, and the contestants compete for awards (gold, silver, bronze) and prize money. However, due to the popularity of the competition, it was also rolled out into the Winter months, showcasing a variety of cold weather extreme sports.
For the first few years, the Winter X-Games was held in places like Big Bear Lake, California; Mount Snow, Vermont; and the Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. However, since 2002, this extreme sports event has taken place at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen. This mountain is considered the easiest of the four resorts, and it is exceptionally family friendly. At the base, there is The Hideout, which is an integrated recreational and educational facility for children between the ages of 2 ½ to 6 years old.
This year, from January 24th through the 27th, the X-Games returned to Aspen and was a resounding success. Essentially, 200 of the world’s most elite athletes participated in various skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobile events. This is the 18th consecutive year that the contest has been held at Buttermilk, which is virtually the perfect setting for the event.
In addition to all the extreme winter sports, there was also ample live music performances from artists like Lil Wayne, Louis The Child, Chainsmokers, Kygo, and many more – along with other associated and interactive festival activities.