Shuhei Sato going ham in the pipe at X Games Aspen 2014 | Photo: Tim Peare

More Medaled Adaptive Events than Ever Before; Snowmobile HillCross and Speed & Style Return

When X Games Aspen returns for a 14th event in Aspen Snowmass, Colo., from January 22-25, the winter action sports and youth lifestyle festival will descend upon Buttermilk Mountain with an expanded and fully-medaled adaptive sport lineup and the return of Snowmobile HillCross and Speed & Style, showcasing the talents of more than 200 world-class athletes from around the globe. X Games Aspen 2015 – with live coverage on ESPN and ABC and an extensive array of content across digital platforms –will also present a Special Olympics Unified Snowboarding dual slalom competition on Thursday, Jan. 22. Each team will consist of one Special Olympics athlete and one X Games athlete as they race down the X course. Athletes will include X Games and Olympic Snowboard SuperPipe gold medalist and Special Olympics Global Ambassador Hannah Teter.

Previously staged as a demonstration at X Games Aspen in 2011 and 2012, the world’s best adaptive snowboarders will race head-to-head in the Snowboarder X Adaptive discipline for the first time as a medaled event, joining Mono Skier X and SnoCross Adaptive in the competition lineup.

Snowmobile Speed & Style returns to X Games Aspen after taking a brief hiatus in 2014, while Snowmobile HillCross make its first appearance since 2004. Unlike other competitions staged on the X course, HillCross is an uphill race on a course filled with jumps, banks and rollers. Seven-time, multi-discipline snowmobile gold medalist Levi LaVallee will attempt to repeat his dominance in both competitions, where he took home the last Speed & Style gold in 2013 and HillCross gold more than a decade ago.

“We are proud to showcase 19 competitions at X Games Aspen, which will include more medaled adaptive disciplines than ever before,” said Tim Reed, ESPN X Games senior director, events & content. “We also look forward to the new, fresh look of Buttermilk Mountain, which will serve as the backdrop to not only our competitions but to our expanded music and festival areas, embodying the youth culture and lifestyle that exists at the core of the X Games.”

The X Games Aspen 2015 sports and disciplines are as follows:

In addition to being the world’s premiere action sports competition, X Games Aspen will showcase an expanded world-class lineup of music artists and performances, which will be announced at a later date. The event will also feature a number of enhanced festival villages at Buttermilk Mountain, offering spectators a unique and wide-ranging interactive experience to complement the X Games sports.

ESPN and ABC will televise a combined 16 hours of live X Games Aspen 2015 competition. Forthcoming details on the X Games athletes, competition schedule, music and more will be available on www.xgames.com for fans or on www.espnmediazone.com for members of the media. Follow the X Games on Twitter at http://twitter.com/xgames.