X Games After Midnight: Full Contact Partying

After Midnight at X Games in Aspen it's all about the wrist bands.  In addition to the actual X Games competition there is an enormous party scene. It's kind of like a mullet...all business up front...all party in the back.  High School and college students drive to Aspen from all over the Rocky Mountain region.  The VIP and Sponsor's events are littered with corporate executives, agents, managers as well as the friends and family of the Athletes.  If you have the right "hook ups" there's never a dull moment at X Games and it's always open bar and heavy apps.

After 7 years of snapping and rapping, AspenSpin has developed some good connections at X Games.   This year especially we need to throw out some SPECIAL THANKs.   To everyone who hooked me up...thank you, thank you, especially ESPN, RED BULL, MARLEY's MELLOW MOOD, FREESKIER and REPREVE.  Repreve is the official recycling partner of X Games and hooked me up with a satchel full of GREEN BEANIES made from re-cycled plastic bottles. We distributed the Green Beanies to those people who proved that they are recycling and protecting the environment.  If you scroll down to our previous posts from X Games you'll see some of the sick events we attended...Red Bull Media events & parties, the raucous Freeskier party, ESPN's Film / Style / Music programs etc etc.  But Saturday and Sunday nights got fully out of control.  It was full contact partying. 

Click 4 Pix   Marley Safe House       Red Bull Closing Night

Unquestionably at  X Games Aspen 2013 the place to be late night was the MARLEY SAFE HOUSE. Live  music, entertainment, a young hot crowd who was ready to party and an open bar all housed at the former Crystal Palace.  Lines of 500 or more were turned away as the safe house filled to capacity around 11 PM.

On Saturday night the reggae superstar MATISYAHU free-styled in front of a packed house.  The Jewish reggae was flowing.  At around 3 am the VIP room opened.  It was mostly athletes and hot chicks plus 1 blogger. A. Party finally hit the rack at about 6 a.m.  On Sunday night KY-MANI MARLEY (son of Bob) and his band unleashed a reggae fire storm at The Marley Safe House.  He was joined by his son K.J. and others.  It was out of control.

Also Sunday RED BULL threw their X Games closing party with music from BUN B and DIPLO.  Yeah it was a HUGE deal.  The Ballroom at the Hotel Jerome was filled with Gold Medalists, team managers and friends of Red Bull...mostly hot chicks. 

So you get the picture. Party to Party...all night long.  Lets just say our wrist band quotient was high.

Click 4 pix.    MARLEY SAFE HOUSE    

                  RED BULL CLOSING NIGHT

Matiyahu backstage at the Marley Safe House in Aspen. Click 4 pix.Mellowing out in the VIP at The Marley Safe House in Aspen for X Games. click 4 pix.Ky Mani Marley brought the house down at Marley Safe House in Aspen. Click 4 pix.Diplo played Red Bull's closing night bash at X Games. Click 4 pix.Red Bull knows how to party. Closing night at X Games. Click 4 pix.Bun B brought the old school rap to Red Bull's cloing night bash at X Games. Click for pix.Late Night with the Japanese Snowboard Team at Marley Safe House. click 4 pix.

24 Hours of Aspen ( X Games Edition).

Autograph Sesh. in Aspen 4 X Games 2012.My name is AspenSpin and I'm a ski-a-holic.  It may look like I attend all the X Games events at Buttermilk and all the parties...but i don't.  In fact for 2012, I spent 2 1/2 of the 4 days of X Games in Denver attending the Ski Industry Association (SIA) Snow Show...the Ski and Snowboard Industry's main event in the U.S.A.  I spent a 1/2 day sleeping (at night).  That left 1 full day, 24 hours to get it done.

I have a few confessions to make.  I don't like crowds, I hate waiting in line and I try not to ride the bus.  A couple more revelations;  I don't have a VIP pass, free drinks don't excite me and many of the X Games  competitors are young enough to be my grandchildren.  Please realize that in the past 6 years at X Games,  I've snuck into the VIP tent, crashed the Athletes Lounge, been hit on by Athlete's Mom's, been in the production truck, on the  X Games courses and almost had several panic attacks in the crowd.  I've almost done it all.  I've even hit the pipe, the super pipe that is....and dat sh*t is scary.  In fact,  true story... it was just after the first time I rode the Buttermilk halfpipe that I started wearing a helmet.  I digress.   24 Hours of Aspen (X Games Edition).

For 2012 I devised the ultimate X Games strategy.

1)  Watch all the events on TV.

2)  Spend no more than two hours at the venue, Buttermilk.  10am -12am on Sunday.

3)  Grab as much swag as possible.  Free sh*t makes me happy , what can I say.  (Who wants a key chain or wrist band?)

4) Take as many sick pix as possible to capture the energy and excitement of the crowd.

5) Focus on a couple of the main parties.  I can't go to 'em all...mostly because I'm not on the list...but I identified a couple of key events to pinpoint my efforts.  The MARLEY SAFE HOUSE offered One Love and all the comforts of home...so I just chilled there most of the time.

Here are the results;  Please Click my pix.

AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS in ASPEN.

AWOLNation Show

U.S. SkierCross VIP Party

MARLEY SAFE HOUSE

The EXPN ZONE (Put the Swag in the Bag).

Rocky and da shorties at The Marley Safe House in Aspen. Click for more pix..It's good to see Matthew working hard at his craft. Marley Safe House in Aspen. click for pix.

 Swag grabbers delight . Sunday morning at X Fest. clcik for more pix.@braveskimom and her whole clan at the U.S. Skier Cross VIP event in AspenAWOLNation played a kick A$$ set at the base of Aspen Mountain. click 4 pix.

Winter X Games 2012 in Aspen (Yeah, it's Siiiick)

Winter X Games 2012 Aspen, Colorado.Winter X Games 16 in Aspen kicks off today.  We're not sure, but it's possibly the final X Games in Aspen.  The billion dollar contract between Aspen / Snowmass and ESPN will expire after this years games.  Negotiations are on-going, but it's unclear where Aspen stands on the hierchy of cities viying to host 100,000 + action sports fans and create the infrastructure to hold the events.  Not being privy to the negotiations, it's impossible to predict the outcome...but if they were sticking around...wouldn't they have announced something at the press conference (like they have in the past). 

Has X Games out grown Aspen? It's possible. So with that uncertainty and the pall left by the recent loss of skier and friend to all, Sarah Burke hanging in the air X Games 16 begins now. 

AspenSpin is clickng photos like a mo fo, trying to keep up.  Here's a few MONEY $HOTS  to keep u interested.   More SICK PIX coming soon.

ARMADA TEAM MEETING at Aspen Sports  (Click 4 pix)

ESPN Press Conference.

OAKLEY Event at Optical Shop of Aspen.

RED BULL House Party

POWDER VIDEO AWARDS

REVENGE of the POW (late night).

Armada Team Meeting at Aspen Sports.A momment of Silence for Sarah Burke at the ESPN Press Conference.Kevin Pearce is back on snow...with Russ and Kristy at the Oakley event.Chillin' at the Red Bull House. Eating lasagna and playing video games.The POWDER VIDEO AWARDS 2012. A. Party with the award winners for BEST POWDER.Crushing it at PVA's The Oscars of Skiing.Late Night at the Marley Safe House (undisclosed location). Get there if you can.Even later night at the PVA after party. The entire freeskiing world was dancing for Sarah.

The Party Train

When Aspen is rolling there is no other party train like it.  The pedestrian mall is in close proximity to over 100 drinking establishments. During X Games there are several additional sponsor-related venues.  You can get your swagga on and still walk or take the bus anywhere.  The dirty little secret is printed on t-shirts; Aspen, a drinking town with a skiing problem.  Luckily there was no fresh POW...so AspenSpin was able to turn it on one more time.  We went non-alcholic and non-energy drink all weekend in an effort to keep up with the pace.  We had some good times and snapped some great pix.   Click the links to see the photos.

OAKLEY MEDIA BASH (+1) 

MARLEY SAFE HOUSE   

               BIG BOI 

BACKBONE MEDIA LOUNGE