Our favorite time of year has finally commenced — IT’S X GAMES ASPEN WEEK and we are HYPED!
For the 25th edition of ESPN’s annual winter action sports competition, X Games Aspen 2021 will feature the world’s top action sports athletes competing in the disciplines of Ski and Snowboard at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass, Colorado for the 20th consecutive year.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the typical four-day event has been narrowed down to three and will only feature Ski and Snowboard disciplines, rather than the traditional format that included Snowmobile and Sno Bike. The iconic X Fest does make a return — virtually of course — where fans all over the world can enjoy the culture of X Games in the comfort of their own home.
While Celeb Secrets won’t be packing their bags and flying to Aspen later this week, our team will be covering virtually to get you breaking news on all things X Games. Just like we always do, we’re giving you a run-down of what you can expect from the best show on snow this year. Keep scrolling to learn more and don’t forget to tune into ESPN, ABC, ESPN2 and the ESPN App starting this Friday at 2PM ET to catch the competitions right in your living room!
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for breaking updates straight from Buttermilk Mountain!
(Photo by Eric Lars Bakke / ESPN Images)
The Competitions
Kicking off Friday (January 29th) and wrapping on Sunday (January 31st), the best world-class athletes will be competing in various ski and snowboard events for medals, prize money, and of course the bragging rights that come with it. The best part? Each competition is available on the ESPN App with special TV presentations on ESPN, ABC and ESPN2.
X Games is known for taking things to the next level with its disciplines and this year’s is no different. Featuring fan favorites such as Slopestyle, Big Air, and SuperPipe for both men and women and X Games’ newest discipline Knuckle Huck, the event will be covering it ALL this year. Be sure to visit Xgames.com for the updated schedule of the competitions as well as the previews of the courses.
(Photo by Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images)
The Amazing Athletes
All of your favorite athletes are touching down in Aspen this week to prepare for what could be one of the most important (and exhilarating) competitions of their lives. This year’s roster is talented than ever, as some of the best skiers and snowboarders in the world will all be under one roof.
Out of all the athletes competing this year, Celeb Secrets compiled a list of athletes you should keep your eye on this weekend — skiers Colby Stevenson and Eileen Gu; and snowboarders Shaun White and Chloe Kim.
(Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)
Colby Stevenson
The first rookie in history to win two golds at an X Games (Aspen 2020 — Ski Slopetyle, Knuckle Huck), Colby Stevenson was also the first rookie to win Ski Slopestyle. Entering Aspen 2020, 19 Ski Slopestyle comps had been contested since 2002, and not a single victory went to a rookie. The Twentieth time was the charm. What made Stevenson’s X Games debut even more impressive is that he suffered a traumatic brain injury in May 2016. Doctors didn’t know if he could walk out of the hospital, let alone ski again. He went on to make a remarkable recovery, winning his first World Cup eight months later in January 2017.
You can follow Colby on Instagram at @colby_stevenson.
Eileen Gu
Eileen Gu is definitely one to watch in freestyle skiing. At only 17-years-old, the San Francisco native is a force to be reckoned with, proving that age is clearly just a number. She earned her first World Cup victory at the FIS Freeski World Cup slopestyle in Seiser Alm, Italy, when she was 15 in January, 2019; and took home the gold in Halfpipe and Silver in Slopestyle at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland.
On June 7 2019, Gu announced her naturalization as a Chinese citizen on her Instagram account, sharing that she would compete for China in the upcoming Olympic Games.
“I have decided to compete for China in the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics,” the post said. Eileen had been competing for the US in international events since the 2017/2018 season.
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Listed in all three disciplines this year — Slopestyle, Big Air, and SuperPipe — Gu is also a model and earned a spot on China Forbes 30 under 30 in 2020.
You can follow Eileen on Instagram at @eileen_gu_.
(Photo by Eddie Perlas / ESPN Images)
Shaun White
Let’s face it. When you think of snowboarding, you automatically think of the man, the myth and the legend that is Shaun White.
The 34-year-old is making his return to Buttermilk Mountain for the first time since 2017, where he finished 11th in the Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe competition. Stepping away from X Games and other competitions that season to train for future contests, White gave it all he had at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he blew minds with a nearly perfect 3rd run that earned him another Olympic gold medal.
Shaun first made his X Games debut in 2000 at age 13, where he then blossomed into an international superstar. He currently owns 8 X Games Snowboard SuperPipe gold, 5 Slopestyle gold, 11 ESPY awards, and 3 Olympic halfpipe gold medals, among other accolades.
Dropping in at X Games Aspen 2021 will be his 25th appearance across 21 years and, at 34, he’ll be the oldest athlete in the field. He’s definitely a one to watch this year, as riders like Ayumu Hirano and defending gold medalist Scotty James will be at their best performance wise to fight for that coveted top spot.
You can follow Shaun on Instagram at @shaunwhite.
(Photo by Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images)
Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim blew minds in 2016, earning two X Games gold (Aspen and Oslo) and made history at the Park City Grand Prix by landing back-to-back 1080s, scoring a perfect 100 (the first time either had been done by a woman). Kim earned bronze at X Games Aspen 2017 before reclaiming her spot with a gold at X Games Aspen 2018 and then taking gold at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang a month later. She again claimed gold at Aspen 2019, before deciding to focus on her Princeton University studies instead of riding the 2020-21 season.
Just last week, Kim made her return to the SuperPipe by competing at the 2021 Laax Open in Switzerland and it was truly an unforgettable moment. The pressure didn’t seem to bother her, as she grabbed the top title by landing a huge method air, a frontside 1080 tailgrab, switch 720 Weddle, frontside 900 tailgrab and a classic McTwist with a slight alley-oop angle for a score of 89.75 points.
There’s no stopping Chloe Kim when it comes to snowboarding, and seeing her make her X Games return will truly be one to watch this weekend.
You can follow Chloe on Instagram at @chloekim.
(Photo by Kaitlyn Egan / ESPN Images)
X FEST at Buttermilk Mountain
With X Games unable to host spectators onsite in Aspen, a virtual X Fest experience will instead bring the fan experience into homes around the globe, with an immersive, interactive environment that complements X Games Aspen’s live telecast and gives fans a virtual onsite experience.
Upon entering the virtual X Fest, fans can customize their own avatar and explore the base of the mountain filled with experiences and a music stage. Experiences will include a Wendy’s Knuckle Huck arcade game; an AR model of the new 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which marks the arrival of the most capable, technically advanced and eco-friendly Wrangler yet; an igloo filled with exclusive Monster Energy curated video content and the GEICO music stage with performances from electronic artists.
The virtual X Fest is an immersive, interactive environment that complements the X Games Aspen live telecast and gives fans a virtual onsite experience. As fans explore the virtual X Fest, they earn entries into a sweepstakes for prizes, including two Polaris snowmobiles.
The virtual X Fest opens January 27 at XGames.com/xfest.
