The X Video games kicks off in the present day with the Ladies’s Slopestyle Ski Race at 11:30 a.m., heralding new possession hopes which might be the subsequent stage within the continued development of the game.
At a press convention Thursday, new X Video games CEO Steve Flisler made his opening remarks, which have been simulcast on YouTube and Twitch.
“The theme you may see right here, you may hear in the present day, you may hear all weekend is that we’re right here to construct the subsequent chapter of the X Video games,” Flessler mentioned. “We’re taking nice elements which were constructed over the previous 27 years, after which we’re actually excited to be constructing the long run with all of you as nicely.”
For Flisler and Co. , whose new MSP Sports activities Capital program MSP Sports activities Capital acquired a majority stake within the X Video games from ESPN in October, exemplified by probably the most embodied fan competition, the return of music and the introduction of the “Stroll of Fame”, that includes a few of the traditionally nice athletes who They are going to come by means of this occasion.
On programs, the subsequent chapter is all frontiers that come subsequent within the aggressive panorama. Final 12 months, it was Alex Corridor 2160 in Massive Air and Megan Oldham’s back-to-back doubles championship in Slopestyle, each occasions by no means earlier than seen. This 12 months, an athlete might have gained three gold medals for the primary time, or another unprecedented world bout on aggressive slopes.
It’s a competitors that differs from a traditional World Cup occasion, and even the Olympic Video games. One thing about milk air makes athletes wish to strive one thing new in it.
Within the case of Corridor’s unprecedented cycle depend, it was an concept that got here on a whim, one thing he mentioned he was not significantly happy with.
“It is probably not my kind of skating,” Corridor mentioned in a Zoom interview with the Aspen Each day Information, which led as much as the X Video games. “It is nice, however truthfully me and the folks in my circle snicker at it.”
A historic spinner, Corridor gained gold within the occasion and has 4 names in three disciplines: Massive Air, Knuckle Huck and Slopestyle. He mentioned successful Olympic gold simply months after his X Video games stint was a fair greater deal for him.
The gimmick is a footnote on his thoughts, however she’s moved the goalpost into an unknown in aggressive snowboarding and snowboarding a little bit additional, evocative of an X Video games aptitude.
“That is the Mecca and the head of motion sports activities,” mentioned snowboarder Scottie James, winner of 4 gold medals and 7 X Video games medals relationship again to 2016. “You are doing stuff you by no means thought you would do. The X Video games provide you with that chance. To attain this not like every other occasion.
“There are such a lot of actually inventive and enjoyable ways in which permit us to precise ourselves the way in which we wish to and X provides us the platform to try this after which inform these tales as nicely.”
Returning this 12 months is a separate course for Massive Air and Knuckle Huck, separate from Slopestyle, which has discovered a short lived dwelling prior to now two years to accommodate COVID restrictions and streamline manufacturing.
Oldham highlighted the inclusion of two “shark fin” jumps within the slopestyle course, one thing she mentioned she hasn’t seen wherever else for the reason that X Video games 2020.
“One of many actually nice issues in regards to the X Video games is the work that goes into constructing the course for the athletes,” Oldham mentioned. “It actually forces you as an athlete to push your limits and take a look at some new inventive issues.”
How do you watch
When you nonetheless have a house on ESPN (and ABC), the X Video games may also be streamed free of charge on Twitch and YouTube, a primary for the occasion, in accordance with an X Video games press launch Thursday.
“Our purpose is to make the X Video games expertise extra interactive, for each followers attending and viewers on content material platforms all over the world,” mentioned Fleissler.
Friday’s occasions—ladies’s snowboarding downhill, huge air snowboarding, snowboarding, snowboarding, and males’s snowboarding superpipe, taking place in that order—will air on ESPN, with Saturday’s—males’s downhill snowboarding, ladies’s snowboarding SuperPipe, and SuperPipe Ski and Snowboard Massive Air—shifting to ABC, returns to ESPN Sunday with ladies’s downhill snowboarding, males’s downhill snowboarding, Knuckle Huck snowboarding, and males’s Massive Air and SuperPipe skis.
The complete schedule of occasions is offered at XGames.com.
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