Every year something magical happens at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. Attracting thousands of fans at the event and broadcasting to millions worldwide on television, ESPN’s X Games are known as the greatest and highly esteemed alternative sports competition in the world. The best of the best compete at these events and have created big names for alternative sports athletes and a place to showcase there incredible talent and skills. The love for the sport is growing more and more each year, and will remain at home in Aspen until at least 2014.
Birthed in the summer of 1995, “The Extreme Games” were first showcased in the cities of Vermont and Rhode Island. The first winter games were held in California at the Snow Mountain Resort in 1997. Shortly before that, the events were renamed the X Games, and have been some of the most exciting events in the alternative sports era. Skiing and snowboarding have been two of the most popular winter games held at the X Game events annually. At these events, stars are born, legends are made, and fans grow more and more passionate about alternative sports.
Tanner Hall is one of the Winter X Games legends. A truly remarkable talent, Hall would taste his first success in the winter sports winning the Bronze US Free-skiing Open-Slopestyle. He would then go on to win the Gold ESPN Winter X Games-Slopestyle 3 years in a row, while bringing home the silver in 2005. Nabbing the Gold US Freeskiing Open-Slopestyle in 2002 and 2003, and taking the Silver US Freeskiing Open-Slopestyle in 2005.
Tanner would also win the Silver ESPN Winter X Games-Superpipe in 2003 and 2005, and winning the Gold in that event in 2008 would set the record of Winter X Games gold metals at a total of 7. The Gold US Freeskiing Open-Superpipe were part of those 7 medals in 2005 and 2006 as well as the Gold ESPN Winter X Games – Superpipe. Adding to his hardware would be the Silver US Freeskiing Open-Superpipe and would go on to win the 2009 Powder Magazines Male Skier of the year.
Held in January and sometimes early February, the Winter X Games are live on television so that the fans can enjoy the best of the best winter action sports athletes competing for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. The X Games have even grown internationally, holding demonstrations and events in various countries during different times of the year. Other host of
Winter X Games were Big Bear Lake in California, Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, and in Mount Snow, Vermont. Skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling are some of the fan favorites in Winter X Games which are held in the day and evening. Being free to the public is a big bonus, and a strong part of why the event is growing at such a rapid pace over the years. 5 years after the epic Winter X Games were started, ESPN announced establishment of the Global Championship!
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’][/author_image] [author_info]Veronica Dexter began skiing at age 3 at Last Frontier Heliskiing. She currently works as a sports reporter and is passionate about learning more about all aspects of her field.[/author_info] [/author]
