LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…drum roll please…the moment we have all been waiting for is finally upon us! The Winter X Games 2022! The games will be held in the same familiar stomping grounds they have been at for the past two decades in Aspen, Colorado at Buttermilk Ski Resort. But will we see the same familiar faces throwing down? The festivities and events kick off Friday, January 21st, and run through Sunday, January 23rd.

How to Watch

This action-packed three-day event is in fact FREE to the general public, but viewers around the world can follow along in a multitude of ways. The games will be streamed through ESPN's online streaming service (ESPN3, WatchESPN), and you can also follow X Games along on social media through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. If you are attending in person, get stoked for sponsor activations, live DJ performances, and of course, what we all really care about, world-class competitions featuring men's and women's ski and snowboard SuperPipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, and Knuckle Huck!

The Schedule

Now that you know how to watch, when is everything happening? We’ve got the recently released schedule for you!

(All times in Mountain Standard Time)

We’re starting out strong on Friday at 12:30 pm with Women’s Ski Big Air followed by Women’s Ski SuperPipe at 7:00 pm. Saturday starts out early with Women’s Ski Slopestyle at 10:30 am. Make sure to get some laps and aprẻs in before 6:45 pm because you won’t want to miss the Men’s Ski Big Air!

To wrap it all up, the X Games are going big starting out with Men’s Ski Slopestyle at 11:00 am, a fun and exhilarating jam session with the Wendy’s Ski Knuckle Huck at 5:00 pm and to finish out the night and the weekend at 6:30 pm, Men’s Ski SuperPipe!

If you’re looking to watch in person, and I highly suggest you do, here are the venue hours.

• Friday, January 21st: 10:00 am - 9:30 pm
• Saturday, January 22nd: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
• Sunday, January 23rd: 10:00 am - 7:30 pm

X Fest will be happening from 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm both Friday and Saturday and 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm on Sunday. If you’re looking to get some laps in between events, Buttermilk’s hours of operation are 9:00 am - 4:00 pm daily.

Breaking Down the Events

Here’s how this is going to go down: I’m explaining this quick and dirty because I know everyone is really just looking for the key skiers to watch.

First up, we have the SuperPipe. Ever heard of Shawn White? What’s his event? The half-pipe and then the SuperPipe? Well, what’s the difference? A SuperPipe, according to the International Ski Federation, has to have a height of at least 22 feet. This is a freestyle event where you go from wall to wall, throwing a series of tricks along the way.

Slopestyle: this is your typical park run at any mountain, only the rails are longer, the jumps are higher, and points are scored for originality, quality, and amplitude. Go big or go home at this event!

The next event is essentially a combination of both SuperPipe and Slopestyle. It’s known as none other than Big Air. Unlike the previous two, where you are going down the course linking a series of tricks together, Big Air gives competitors only one shot at a jaw-dropping trick to throw down and stomp.

Last, but most definitely not least, we have the Knuckle Huck, which is my personal favorite! It’s fun, exhilarating, and the athletes are really just there to have a good time. Knuckle Huck is a party under the lights where they huck themselves over the knuckle! This is only the 4th time this event has been seen on the ski side of things at the X Games, and you will not see a score until the judges announce the one and only winner at the end of it. Get ready to be on the edge of your seats!

Who to Look Out For

Women’s SuperPipe

My money is on Kelly Sildaru. Why, you may ask? Because I’m all about making history this year! At age 19, Kelly has not one, not two, but seven gold medals, and with one more medal—regardless of if it’s gold, silver, or bronze—she will surpass Shaun White and Nyjah Huston for the most X Games medals of any teenager in history with TEN medals. That’s some history in the making you will not want to miss out on.

Women’s Slopestyle

Back and ready for more, it’s the X Games Norway 2020 Gold Medalist, Maggie Voisin! She’s here and ready to win it all for her 10th X Games appearance. Maggie is fired up, and who knows, maybe she’ll take the gold in more than one discipline? Only time will tell. One thing I can say for certain? Megan Oldham is not going to make it easy on her.

Check out Curated's interview with Maggie here!

Women’s Big Air

I am STOKED for this one. Anyone else ready to watch Mathilde Gremaud land another switch double cork 1440? I know I am. She’s a threat in Slopestyle as well, but I’m ready for her to go even bigger in this year’s Big Air event.

Men’s SuperPipe

Will Alex Ferreria take the Gold? If you ask any Aspen local, that’s who they’re rooting for! Alex took back-to-back gold medals in 2019 and 2020, becoming the first skier from Aspen to do so in their hometown. Placing 7th in SuperPipe last year may have lit a fire in him for this year. Keep an eye on Alex!

Men’s Slopestyle

Nick Goepper took the gold last year, but I wouldn’t count out Ferdinand Dahl. Did anyone catch his run 5 of Knuckle Huck in 2021? This man is going to be gunning for gold! However, Alex Hall could be going for the first male skier to ever medal in three different disciplines in the same X Games. Now I’m not saying he’s taking gold in all three, but this is still history in the making.

Men’s Big Air

We have the reigning bronze, silver, and gold medalists from 2021 returning to the 2022 X Games Ski Big Air, and it’s going to be the battle for the ages. Andri Ragettli has a strong case to take back-to-back gold medal wins, but Alex Hall and Antoine Adelisse are hungry for that gold. Don’t miss this epic throw-down. They’re going to throw bigger and badder tricks than ever before!

Knuckle Huck

This one is ANYONE’S game. This 20-minute, no-rules jam session is fun from start to finish. There are no scores throughout the event, and each athlete seems to build off of each other’s energy, run after run. Could Alex Hall take the gold knuckles this year? Could he take the gold medal in three different disciplines? Be on the lookout for this not-so-underdog.

To know what to look out for in snowboarding, follow along here!

Après

I hope you enjoy your turns, weekend festivities, some major steez thrown down by these incredible athletes, and of course, your après! Stay tuned for the highlights recap after this epic and glorious weekend, and we will take a look at the sick equipment each winner used after the jumps have been stomped and après ski has ended!

And in the meantime, if you have any questions on finding the right skis, bindings, or boots for you, reach out to me or one of my fellow Ski Experts here on Curated and we'll be happy to help you out with free, personalized recommendations (in between watching the X Games Aspen 2022!).