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Submitted by sas on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 13:46
This time each January, Buttermilk Mountain is bustling, not only with skiers and snowboarders, but also with those setting the stage for one of the most exciting events of the winter season, the Winter X Games. This year the games will be held from January 26 – January 29, a four day extravaganza of big air, big jumps, huge crowds, and fearless athletes. The X Games competition is chock-full of exhilarating snowboard, skiing, and snowmobiling events, and they will certainly be the place to be during those four days, but for those less inclined to enjoy gymnastic-like athleticism and huge jumps, there are also a few other notable events happening Aspen/Snowmass that are worth checking out.
The Winter X Games 2012 kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with the Men's Skiiing Slopestyle Elimination. The competitions during the day are a must-see, but even so, nothing beats the evening events, where Buttermilk Mountain is illuminated in all its glory, and athletes give it their all for the win and for the crowd. These evening competitions draw huge crowds, so get there early to capture a good spot to view all of the action. Some notable evening events are the Men's Ski Slopestyle Final on January 26, the Snowboard Big Air Final and the Women's Snowboard SuperPipe Final on January 27, the Ski Big Air Final and the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle Final on January 28, and on the final day of the X Games, you cannot miss the Snowmobile Best Trick Final and the Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Final. For a complete list of events, check out the Stay Aspen Snowmass X Games page.
If the X Games are not your thing, take in an evening of music at The Little Nell. During the winter, Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) keeps the music scene lively with their JAS Café Downstairs at The Little Nell. The weekend of the X Games features Tuck & Patti, a talented couple who have been playing jazz compositions embellished with lovely vocals and virtuoso guitar playing for 30 years. The married couple began their music career in the Bay Area in the 1970s, which is where they met, fell in love, and grew their musical talents together. Tuck & Patti will be playing four unforgettable shows from January 27 – January 28, at 7:30 p.m. and at 9:15 p.m. each night. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door. Be sure to not miss this incredible jazz duo.
Another concert, the Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert featuring AWOLNATION, will take place during the X Games weekend, though this concert is sure to attract a rowdier crowd than the JAS Café. The Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series takes place each winter with a slew of free concerts held at the base of Aspen Mountain, and the crowd is always big and always ready to party. January's concert will be held on the 28th at the Aspen Mountain Gondola Plaza at 5:30 p.m. AWOLNATION has been featured in two ski movies released this winter by Matchstick Productions and also Teton Gravity Research, so by this point, ski and snowboard fanatics are sure to have heard AWOLNATION's hit single “Sail”.
The Wheeler Opera House is always a fun venue in which to attend an event, and during the X Games weekend, the Wheeler will be screening two intriguing films. On January 26 – 27, the film titled Margin Call will be shown at 7:30 p.m. both nights. The film, starring Demi Moore and Kevin Spacey, centers around a handful of business executives and their involvement in and reaction to the 2008 stock market crisis. On January 29 at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., the Wheeler will screen Young Goethe in Love, a film about the German writer as a vivacious, free-spirited youth.
Whether you are an X Games diehard ready for an action-packed weekend of high flying events, or if you are looking to complement the X Games excitement with a great concert and an interesting film, the events calendar in Aspen/Snowmass is always full of things to do. Get out there and enjoy next weekend, join the huge crowd at the base of Buttermilk for all the fun, glimpse an Olympian athlete or two, and also find some time to enjoy music or a film as well. And if all of this talk of exciting events has got you planning a trip to Aspen/Snowmass, call one of our vacation experts at 888.649.5982, and we will help you plan a spectacular ski vacation today.
