X Games 2012 / Planet X.

A moving tribute to the late Sarah Burke. The Winter X Games 2012 was dedicated to her spirit. Photo: Christian Pondella / Espn Images ESPN's Winter X Games 2012 was the BIGGEST of All-Time.  If we can believe Sal Masekela, Ladies and Dudes, it was the BIGGEST X Games on the Planet.   Almost every event had some historic significance in X Games lore.  The tricks are BIGGER, the sponsors are BIGGER and the attendance is BIGGER. 

X Games is so BIG,  Disney and all their assets, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN3, ESPN.Com and ABC will begin presenting Six X Games per year starting in 2013,  Two in the U.S. and four overseas.  16 hours of prime-time action was beamed into 232 Million Homes in 192 Countries.  That's pretty BIG.

Aspen has hosted the last 11 Winter X Games and AspenSpin has covered the last 6. It's been an unbridled thrill ride to watch the progression and growth of the X Games franchise and Disney's commitment to action sports.   It's unclear whether the mutually beneficial relationship between ESPN and Aspen/Snowmass will continue.  It's BIG business.  Putting it into perspective Walt Disney Company (Market Cap. $70 Bil) is #65 on the Foutune 500 list and General Dynamics (related to Ski Co. Market Cap. $25 bil)) is #86.  That's BIG.  AspenSpin and a lot of local bars, hotels and restaurants are hoping that the deal can be made to keep Winter X Games in Aspen.

Saturday a new record attendance of 45,600 people was established.  Over the course of 4 days  108,000 souls traveled through the round-a-bout via free buses on the two lane road that covers the 4 miles between Aspen and Buttermilk. In the history of Winter X Games over 1 million fans have attended the events.  After 11 years, Planet X is pretty dialed in here in Aspen.   It's hard to believe than another venue can compete with Aspen...but who knows?  It's all about the Benjamins.

A few words about the X Games Athletes.  They are younger and more professional than ever before.  These kids are highly trained, highly skilled, highly motivated SNOW WARRIORS. They send it, they go HUGE and they crash hard. The progression of action sports has created serious risks.  The recent death of skier Sarah Burke cast a giant shadow over the X Games. Everyone at X Games knew her and loved her. She was the best and the brightest, and Planet X lost a great big shining star.  ESPN dedicated the entire Winter X Games 2012 to her memory.  Going BIG is fun, being on TV is fun, getting sponsored is fun...but please STAY SAFE...ladies and dudes.

The 10 most important moments of Winter X Games 2012.

1) The Sarah Burke Tribute.  Honoring the best ever.

2) Shaun White's  5-peat and perfect score of 100 in Super Pipe.

3) Heath Frisby's front flip on a 450 lb Snowmobile in Best Trick.

4) Roz Groenewoud honoring her teammate Sarah Burke with the highest score ever in pipe

5) 18 year old, Mark McMorris Double Gold and Triple Cork in Snowboard BIG Air.

6) Tom Walisch  highest score ever in Skiing Slopestyle.

7) Bobby Brown making it look easy off the money booter in Skiing BIG Air.

8) Colton Moore crashed then earned Gold in Snowmobile Freestyle.

9) Kara Turski 3-peats Gold in Skiing Slopestyle

10) Kelly Clark dominates Super Pipe with 2nd straight Gold and 13th win in a row this season.

Whatever happens in the negotiations between X Games and Aspen/Snowmass...it's been a great run. A  Hopefully we'll all get to do it again next year.  If, not...we will be watching on TV.                  

Shaun White goes inverted in practice. He scored a perfect 100 in the finals. Photo: Tomas Zuccareno / ESPN Imagess

Bobby Brown's super-stylie launch earned hin GOLD in Skiing BIG Air. Photo: Christian Pondella / ESPN Images.

Roz Groenewoud soars to GOLD in Pipe to honor teammate Sarah Burke. Photo: Christian Pondella / ESPN ImagesColton Moore crashed and then layed it down to capture Gold in Freestyle. Photo : Matt Morning / ESPN Images

Shaun White explodes to claim Vert Gold at X Games 17

Shaun White, the biggest "brand name" in Action Sports proved that he is also the hardest worker. It was obvious that Shaun had put in the practice time on the vert ramp (and the gym...check his guns) as his run was clearly bigger and more stylie than the the other competitors. White had a fierce look on his face the entire time as he bested his friend,chief rival and defending 3-peat Champion ..Pierre-Luc Gagnon (PLG) in dramatic fashion on the final run of 12 minute jam session. Shaun had the power and the arsenal of tricks to complete his transition from the snowboard to the skateboard. He laid his claim to GOLD in both Summer and Winter X Games...and he had a blast doing it. The vid says it all.

X Games CONQUERS the World

SuperStars of Action Sports. Shaun White, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Shekler and Pierre-Luc Gagnon line up at X Games 17, L.A. nHow BIG can X Games get?  Pretty darn BIG.

X Games 17 kicked-off last night in Los Angeles with a star-studded press event and a benefit for the Jimmy V. Foundation on the event deck at L.A. Live.   ESPN's X Games has taken over downtown Los Angeles for the weekend (at least the area surrounding Staples Center) with eyes on GLOBAL DOMINATION. This is the fist time in 9 straight years in L.A. that the entire X Games will take place at one single location.  The course set-up and the logistical process defies comprehension.  ESPN and AEG are a formidable team.

ESPN a division of Disney, and sister station to ABC has announced plans for 6 Global events in 2013 (2 in the U.S. and 4 overseas) expanding their franchise to the world.  X Games 17 has athletes competing from 17 different countries, it will  broadcast 25 hours of live HD programming (more on-line) and the events will be shown in 192 countries and 232 million homes.   How BIG is the baby???  B----I----G.

AspenSpin will be living the dream..live in L.A.  We'll give you a first person account of X Games 17... along with plenty of photos.  Here's a few things we're keeping our eyes on.

PASTRANATHON:  Travis Pastrana, one of the most decorated (17 medal, 11 Gold) and most popular X Games athletes of all-time will be competing in 2 events in Moto X (Best Trick and Rally Cross).  In between the two comp.s he'll be taking a private jet to Indianapolis for a Nationwide race as he transitions his talents to NASCAR.  T.P. who said "I'm always under-prepared and over enthusiastic" seemed ready to tackle a BIG weekend. First up he's shooting for a 720 in best trick which will "take the monkey off my back".  Newly engaged to pro skateboarder Lyn Z Hawkins, Pastrana is working hard this weekend.

SKATEBOARD BIG AIR:  This event is extremely exciting ...and dangerous for the athletes.  An 80 foot ramp leading to a 70 foot gap followed by a 27 foot quarterpipe..... that's just sick.  JAKE BROWN will attempt a 3-peat in 2011.

BMX and SKATEBOARD STREET:  The course looks re-donk.  In the pre-game jam session, guys were going incredibly HUGE, just throwing it.  Raw street elements like stairs, rails, ledges and gaps make this a fun and super creative competition.  The best riders will win.

SHAUN WHITE:  AspenSpin loves Shaun White...there we said it.  Whether he's shredding the snow or skating vert Shaun White loves to compete.  Who says skiers and snowboarders can't get along.  Shaun White is probably the biggest brand in action sports...and he's also one of the most gregarious and professional of all the athletes.  The pressure that surrounds him...everybody wants a piece... would be unbearable for most people.  Shaun takes it all in stride.  He's friendly, he's funny and he's always nice to the kids. 

Look for more pix soon.

Ryan Sheckler the youngest gold medalist in X Games history (at age 13) holds court at age 21.

Jamie Bestwick a dominating force in BMX Vert shoots for a 5-peat.

Travis Pastrana: "Under prepared and over enthusiastic" for X Games and Nascar.Ashley Fiolek was born without hearing. That hasn't stopped her from winning the last 2 Golds in Moto X Racing

I LOVE MY LIFE; Shaun White

Shaun White sent this vid. to AspenSpin.com  Its going viral as we speak.

Progression, Amplitude, Shredability, Mega Mo and Money Booters.

Shaun White 4-peated while wearing ladies pants and a black leather. Photo: Eric Bakke / ESPN ImagesThe X Games is the Olympics of Action Sports..... and its a MACHINE. Winter X Games 15 is the 10th Anniversary of Winter X Games in Aspen. Its been a wild, wild ride.  ESPN's baby is "all growed up".  Aspen /Snowmass and ButterMilk are locked in as the site for the 2012 X Games....but ESPN has been non-committal about an extension past next year. The seemingly symbiotic relationship may be on thin ice. AspenSpin's spyder senses indicate a change of venue may be coming after 2012...we'll see if that 's the call.  X Games has been good to Aspen, and Aspen has been good to X Games. One result.....Aspen Spin has some sick pix coming soon.

ESPN's X Games brings many things to Aspen....most obviously....a younger demographic.  On Saturday, a record 41,800 fans attended the X Games and for the weekend a roof shattering 114,200 souls came to B-Milk. We're not sure how the numbers were tabulated or who was on the clicker...but it was crowded.  Security at Buttermilk was slightly overwhelmed and buses into the games were temporarily halted. 

The crowds were dense and the on-course competition was fierce. Rock star Shaun White 4-peated in super pipe. Seasoned pro's like Sarah Burke (4th Gold), Tucker Hibbert (5-peat) and Lindsey Jacobellis (4-peat) added Gold medals to their hardware collections.  Young guns such as  Big Air Skier Alex Schlopy,  Stylie French Canadian Sebastian Toutant and 15 year old Aspen local Torin Yater-Wallace took center stage with breakthrough performances.  A changing of the guard seemed to occur right before out eyes.  The weather in Aspen was picture-perfect all weekend.  The "non-alchololic" family friendly, schwag-heavy events at Buttermilk yielded to major league partying in town.  Music was abundant.. Lance Herbstrong, The Mile Markers, Big Boi and The Marley Family  and O.A.R. were a few of the acts gigging in Aspen.  Sponsor parties, autograph signings and  un-limited free stuff was everywhere.  A-Town was swingin' for the fences, but Ajax was empty.

X Games is BIG Air...and like the Olympics its BIG biz.  The partnership between ESPN and Aspen Skiing Company is a combination of business titans.  ESPN is a division of the powerful media conglomerate Disney and Aspen Ski Co. is a privately held asset belonging to the billionaire Crown Family.  Both entities like to be in control...so the fact that they work in harmony is testimony to the HUGENESS of the business opportunities at X.  Sponsors who want to stay relevant with the action sports demo line up to participate.  Jeep, US Navy, Oakley, Samsung, The North Face and more.  Other consumer brands who are not "official "sponsors rent spots along the X Fest corridor or in the Gondola Plaza in town.  Still more brands go the grass-roots route and set up "pop up" promotions in all kinds of crazy spaces---even in the trunks of their cars.  The schwag flows like beer---and everyone knows the beer flows like wine and beautiful women instinctivly flock  here like the salmon of Capistrano...i'm talking about a little place called Asssspen.

ESPN completely takes over Buttermilk  for a month and re-tools the smallest of our 4 mountains.  Aspen/Snowmass gets phenomenal TV exposure, a connection with a younger demographic and boat lodes of dollars from tourists and promoters.  The town of Aspen takes a beating as many of our younger guests forfeit their security deposits upon entering the Roaring Fork Valley.  The partying is excessive and the cops are much busier than usual.  While it's mostly good clean fun... A-spin never condones binge drinking. Aspen will miss Winter X Games in 2013 if ESPN decides to take The Machine to Canada...or some other "not as cool" location.  However, that is indeed our prediction....2012 will be the final X Games in Aspen.  It's been a fantastic run, and honestly we hope A-Spin is reading the tea leaves incorrectly this time.  

Our pix will be up soon.

Daniel Bodin took two Golds at X Games 15 in Aspen. Photo: Eric Bakke / Espn Images

Shaun White combines BIG Air and BIG Biz at X Games 15 in Aspen. Photo: Christain Pondella/ESPN Images.Yeeeeeaah. 15 year old Aspen Local is the youngest medalist in X Games history. Photo: Tomas Zuccareno /ESPN Images