X Games facts for kids
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| Sport | Action sports |
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| Founded | April 12, 1994 |
| Inaugural season | 1995 |
| Owner(s) | 1995–2022: ESPN 2022–present: MSP Sports Capital |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN ESPN2 ABC |
| Notes | |
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The X Games are super exciting events where amazing athletes compete in action sports. Think skateboarding, BMX, freestyle motocross, skiing, and snowboarding! These events were started by ESPN, a big sports TV company. Even though ESPN sold the X Games in late 2022, you can still watch them on ESPN and ABC.
Athletes from all over the world come to the X Games to win bronze, silver, and gold medals. They also win prize money! Besides the sports, X Games events are like big festivals. They have live music, chances to meet athletes, and fun activities for families.
The very first X Games happened in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island, USA. Over the years, many athletes have made history at the X Games by landing incredible new tricks. For example, Tony Hawk landed the famous 900 in skateboarding. Shaun White did the Double McTwist 1260 in snowboarding. And Travis Pastrana pulled off a double backflip in freestyle motocross!
The X Games became very popular because of their cool sponsors, top athletes, and lots of fans. In 1997, 38,000 people came to the first Winter X Games. Just two years later, a record 83,500 people attended the Winter X Games on the East Coast. The X Games also try to be eco-friendly. They use special fuel for vehicles and organize recycling programs.
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What Are the X Games?
The X Games are a series of competitions for action sports. These sports are often called "extreme" because they involve high speeds, heights, and daring moves. Athletes push the limits of what's possible in their sports.
Winter X Games History
The first Winter X Games took place in Big Bear Lake, California, in 1997. Even though not many people watched it at first, those involved felt that action sports were a new and exciting trend.
For the next few years, the Winter X Games moved around. It was held in Colorado and Vermont. In 2002, the X Games in Aspen was a big deal. It was the first time an X Games event was shown live on TV! This led to more people watching than ever before. To make live TV possible, they added nighttime competitions. Aspen has hosted the Winter X Games every year since 2002.
In 2002, ESPN also started the X Games Global Championship. This event brought together top athletes from different parts of the world. They competed in both summer and winter sports at the same time.
Global X Games Events
The X Games have grown to be a worldwide event. X Games Asia has been held every year since 1998. In 2003, the X Games Global Championships took place in both the USA and Canada. Teams from five continents competed.
Since 2013, the X Games have added more host cities around the world. These include Barcelona, Spain; Munich, Germany; and Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Winter X Games Europe has been held in Tignes, France, and also in Norway. In 2018, an event was held in Sydney, Australia. In 2022, the X Games came to Japan for the first time in Chiba.
X Games Competitions
The X Games feature many different types of competitions. Here are some of the main ones:
Summer X Games Sports
- Moto X: This includes events like Moto X Best Whip, Moto X Quarterpipe, and Moto X Best Trick.
- Skateboarding: Athletes compete in Skateboard Vert (on a halfpipe), Skateboard Park, and Skateboard Big Air.
- BMX Freestyle: This features BMX Vert, BMX Park, BMX Street, and BMX Big Air.
- Real Video Series: These are video contests where athletes film their best tricks in different styles like Real Street or Real BMX.
- Esports: Yes, even video games are part of the X Games now! They've had competitions for games like Call of Duty and Rocket League.
Winter X Games Sports
- Skiing: Ski Big Air, Ski Slopestyle, and Ski Superpipe are popular events.
- Snowboarding: Snowboard Big Air, Snowboard Slopestyle, and Snowboard Superpipe are key competitions.
- Knuckle Huck: This is a fun event where skiers and snowboarders do tricks off the "knuckle" of a jump.
- Real Video Series: Similar to summer, these include Real Snow and Real Ski Backcountry.
Past X Games Sports
Over the years, the X Games have featured many different sports. Some past summer sports include Surfing, Rallycross, and Mountain Bike events. Other unique past events were Street luge, Windsurfing, and Bungee jumping. Past winter sports included Snowmobile events, Skicross, and Ice climbing.
Memorable X Games Moments
The X Games have a rich history filled with amazing performances and record-breaking tricks.
Summer X Games Highlights
- 1995: Tony Hawk won gold in Skateboard Vert. Mat Hoffman won his first gold in BMX Vert.
- 1997: Tony Hawk and Andy Macdonald teamed up to win Skateboard Vert Doubles. Tony Hawk also had a "Perfect Run" in Skateboard Vert.
- 1999: Tony Hawk finally landed the 900 spin after many tries! Travis Pastrana won the first-ever Moto X Freestyle event.
- 2000: Dave Mirra landed the first-ever double backflip in BMX Park.
- 2001: Bob Burnquist had an amazing Skateboard Vert run that many call the best ever. Stephen Murray landed the first double backflip in Bike Stunt Dirt.
- 2002: Mike Metzger landed the first backflip in X Games motocross history.
- 2003: Ryan Sheckler became the youngest X Games gold medalist at 13 years old in Skateboard Park.
- 2006: Travis Pastrana landed the world's first double backflip on a dirt bike. He also won the first X Games Rally event.
- 2009: Anthony Napolitan landed the first-ever double front flip on a bicycle. Ashley Fiolek, who is deaf, won the Women's Motocross Super X.
- 2010: Cam Sinclair made an incredible comeback, landing a double backflip to win gold after a serious injury.
- 2012: Jamie Bestwick won BMX Vert for the sixth time in a row! Sébastien Loeb, a world rally champion, won gold in RallyCross.
- 2013: Mitchie Brusco landed the first 1080 in Skateboard Big Air. Alana Smith became the youngest X Games medalist at 12 years old.
- 2015: Vince Byron landed the first 540 flair on a vert ramp in BMX Vert, beating the long-time champion.
- 2017: Bob Burnquist retired from the X Games after competing every year since 1995.
- 2019: Mitchie Brusco landed the first 1260 in Skateboard Big Air. Kokona Hiraki became the youngest X Games medalist ever at 10 years old.
- 2021: Gui Khury landed the first 1080 in a skateboard vert competition.
- 2022: The X Games brought back Flatland BMX after 19 years.
- 2023: The X Games returned to having in-person audiences in the USA for the first time since 2019.
Winter X Games Highlights
- 2007: Peter Olenick landed the first double-flip in halfpipe skiing.
- 2009: Shaun White won back-to-back golds in Snowboard Superpipe.
- 2011: Kelly Clark landed the first 1080 by a woman in Superpipe. Torstein Horgmo landed the first triple cork in snowboarding. Shaun White won Snowboard Superpipe for the fourth time in a row.
- 2012: The games were dedicated to skier Sarah Burke, who had passed away. Shaun White scored a perfect 100 in Snowboard Superpipe, a first in X Games history. Heath Frisby landed the first-ever front flip on a snowmobile.
- 2013: Tucker Hibbert won his sixth gold medal in Snowmobile SnoCross. Shaun White won Snowboard Superpipe for the sixth year in a row. Henrik Harlaut earned a perfect score with a nose butter triple cork in Ski Big Air. Sadly, snowmobiler Caleb Moore passed away from injuries during the event.
- 2016: Max Parrot landed the first cab triple cork 1800 in Snowboard Big Air.
- 2017: Marcus Kleveland landed the first quadruple cork in competition history in Snowboard Big Air.
- 2020: Mark McMorris earned his 19th career medal, becoming the athlete with the most winter medals at X Games.
- 2022: Alex Hall landed the first 2160 in Men's Ski Big Air.
X Games Locations
The X Games have been held in many different places around the world.
- The Summer X Games have often been held in the USA, including cities like Newport, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Minneapolis. In 2022 and 2023, they were in Ventura, California.
- The Winter X Games have mostly been held in Aspen, Colorado since 2002.
- Global X Games events have taken place in places like San Antonio, Texas, and Whistler, British Columbia.
- X Games Asia has been hosted in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, and China. In 2022 and 2023, it was in Chiba, Japan.
- Europe has hosted events in Barcelona, Munich, Tignes (France), and Oslo (Norway).
- South America has hosted events in Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.
- Australia hosted an event in Sydney in 2018.
X Games Movies
Two movies have been filmed at the X Games. Ultimate X: The Movie was filmed at the 2001 X Games in Philadelphia. X Games 3D: The Movie was filmed at the 2008 X Games and Winter X Games in Los Angeles and Aspen.
See also
In Spanish: X Games para niños
