X Games returning to Buttermilk for 26th year with major changes

X Games is returning to Buttermilk Ski Area this winter for its 26th season with some noticeable changes.

January’s event — which will take place Jan. 29-31 — will kick off the X Games League’s inaugural winter season. Tickets went on sale Monday, with a three-day general admission ticket starting at $159.

In previous years, athletes at the Buttermilk competition have competed as individuals. Now, four teams consisting of five men and five women will compete against each other, according to Jeff Hermanek, senior director of live events for X Games, at a Tuesday Board of County Commissioners meeting.

He added that teams can be made up of any combination of skiers and snowboarders. Teams choose their athletes in a draft, which is scheduled to happen this Wednesday in Los Angeles.

“They’ll compete for prize money and medals, as they would as individuals,” Hermanek said. “Teams will accrue points toward the league champion event in Finland.” 

The league will have two additional stops in Calgary and Ruka, Finland, where the finals will be held. The winter season will follow the X Games League’s inaugural summer season, which hosted skateboarding and BMX competitions. 

In Aspen, visitors can expect ski and snowboard contests, as well as concerts, similar to previous years. Snowmobiling and motorsports competitions, however, will not be held this year after returning last year from a five-year hiatus. One of the reasons, Hermanek said, is because those disciplines did not align with the league format.

“The biggest thing that’s pushing it right now is the current structure of the league,” he said, “which is focused on skiing and snowboarding.”

While the competitions during the day will be free, all evening events will require a ticket. Hermanek confirmed the evening events will include big air and halfpipe competitions, as well as concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.

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County Commissioner Greg Poschman expressed some frustration over the fact that taxpayer dollars are being used for the event. 

“When it becomes a paid event, I want a piece of it for the county,” Poschman said. “I don’t think we should be subsidizing it.”

Poschman also brought up environmental concerns and urged the host to consider using the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s new fleet of electric buses. Poschman also serves as chair of the RFTA Board.

“This is an opportunity to show young people and the world through all the media attention we’re getting that it’s possible to electrify mobility,” he said. 

Deric Gunshor, vice president of events for Aspen Snowmass, responded, “The more electric resources we could get from RFTA, the better.”  

Commissioner Jeffrey Woodruff also asked if they’d considered alternatives to diesel generators.

“You just got off the mountains and your lungs are full of fresh Buttermilk air, and then you get dumped in the parking lot with a bunch of diesel generators for flood lighting,” Woodruff said. 

Gunshor and Hermanek responded that, while they’ve previously included solar generators, they simply cannot rely on their performance. Their commitment to using shore power, however, has lessened their reliance on generators in the first place. 

“We go to great lengths to minimize as much use as generators as we can,” Gunshor said. “We’re using every bit of shore power as we can.”

In June, X Games and Aspen Snowmass announced a three-year host agreement that will keep the contest at Buttermilk through the 2028-29 winter season. 

Gunshor said that Aspen Snowmass is excited to continue the partnership. 

“We continue to see it as a really important event in terms of the youth movement,” he said, “And getting people excited about winter sports.”