X Games 2013: Over-Stoked in Aspen.

LaValle scores BIG. Photo: Eric Bakke / ESPN ImagesIf you visit Aspen for Winter X Games you better prepare yourself to go BIG. Actually HUGE.  Whether you're an athlete competing on the mountain...a spectator... a life-style brand manager activating a product or just here for the party...there is no room for weakness.

Day one was ...as usual...siiiiiiiiiiiiick.   Levi LeValle won the Snowmobile Freestyle with a 120 foot Superman back flip.  It was the versatile sled head's 6th X Games gold medal and 9th medal overall.  Throwing a back flip on a 450 pound super-charged snowmobile is never easy...but LaValle and the sled-heads displayed their stuff to more than 430 million homes in 184 countries across the World. 

Aspen Spin spent the entirety of Day 1 at Buttermilk. We walked the X Fest to survey the swag. Buttermilk was over-flowing with action. Our favorite new sponsor is REPREVE, the offical recycling partner of X Games.  Repreve is a company who makes threads and fabrics from re-cycled plastic water bottles.  We've taken the pledge to GO GREEN...you should too.   We watched the athletes practice on the Super Pipe (22 foot walls), the Slopestyle course (craziest ride ever) the Urban Street course and the Snowmobile Venue.  Later in the day A-Spin crashed the Athletes tent (shhhhh)...for the full first-class VIP treatment.  Then after an all too brief disco nap...we partied...hard....like it was 1989.   FREESKIER, RED BULL and MARLEY'S MELLOW MOOD all threw simultaneous HUGE parties. In our role as AspenSpin we were required hit 'em all.

Click 4 SICK Pix:

BUTTERMILK Day 1  (Swag fest)

MARLEY's MELLOW MOOD  (Press Event)

RED BULL  (The Sky Hotel Buyout Party)

FREESKIER  (The Blowout from Boulder)

LaValle went HUGE to win Gold in Snowmobile Freestyle. Photo: Allen Kee / ESPN Images.Local Favorite Torin Yater-Wallace stoked to qualifu #2 in Ski Super Pipe (with a 90)Photo: AspenSpin. Click 4 more pix from Day 1 at Buttermilk.Jossi Wells and Colby James West performed at Belly Up at the Freeskier blow out. Click 4 Pix.Red Bull bought out the entire Sky Hotel for X Games. No Curfew, Bro. Click 4 pix.Marley's Mellow Mood cruised into X Games 2013 with a press event. Things may never be the same in Aspen. 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.