Global X Games Add More Action Sport Touches

   12.11.12

Global X Games Add More Action Sport Touches

It’s a new world of action for ESPN’s X Games.

The giant action sports content provider recently unveiled the various disciplines of sports being undertaken during its six-city global sports events in the United States, Brazil, and Europe.

The 2013 global expansion highlights eight sports with 26 disciplines, including the addition of Women’s Skateboard Park, Mountain Bike Slopestyle and the return of BMX Freestyle.

Three new cities will host the X Games—Foz do Iguacu, Brazil; Munich, Germany; and Barcelona, Spain. They join Aspen, Los Angeles, and Tignes, France as a showcase for the world’s best mountain bike, BMX, skateboard, rally car, motocross, ski, snowboard, and snowmobile athletes.

“We’re very excited to embark on this new chapter of X Games global expansion and to offer such a wide array of locations and amazing backdrops for the sport disciplines in 2013,” said X Games senior director for content strategy Tim Reed. “Showcasing the world’s best action sports athletes in six world-class host cities will enable fans to experience premier competition and the unique culture synonymous with the new world of X Games.”

The X Games kick off in Aspen January 24-27 with:

  • Ski: Big Air, Men’s and Women’s Slopes, Men’s and Women’s SuperPipe;
  • Snowboard: Big Air, Street, Men’s and Women’s Slopestyle, Men’s and Women’s Superpipe;
  • Snowmobile: Best Trick, Freestyle, SnowCross, SnowCross Adaptive, Speed and Style.

That event is followed by more winter action in Tignes March 20-22 with:

  • Ski: Men’s and Women’s Slopestyle and SuperPipe;
  • Snowboard: Men’s and Women’s Slopestyle and Superpipe;
  • Snowmobile: Freestyle demonstration.

The spring means summer sports in Barcelona May 16-19:

  • BMX Freestyle: Big Air, Park, Street and Vert;
  • Skateboard: Big Air, Men’s and Women’s Park, Men’s Street and Vert;
  • Moto X: Best Trick, Best Whip, Men’s and Women’s Enduro X, Freestyle and Step Up;
  • Rally Car: RallyCross.

In Munich June 27-30, look for:

  • BMX Freestyle: Big Air and Park;
  • Skateboard: Big Air, Men’s Park, Men’s Street and Vert;
  • Moto X: Best Trick, Best Whip, Men’s and Women’s Enduro X, Freestyle and Step Up;
  • Mountain Bike Slopestyle.

The X Games wrap up in LA August 1-4 with:

  • BMX Freestyle: Big Ar, Park, Street and Vert;
  • Skateboard: Big Air, Men’s Park, Men’s and Women’s Street and Vert;
  • Moto X: Best Trick, Best Whip, Men’s and Women’s Enduro X, Women’s Racing and Step Up;
  • Rally Car: RallyCross.

“ESPN is giving athletes a tremendous opportunity to succeed and gain more exposure in their respective sports,” said action sports icon and 17-time X Games medalist Travis Pastrana. “It is awesome to see X Games not only take these sports to more cities globally, but I love seeing new sports added and the return of past, popular events.”

The first wave of invitations have already been made to athletes for the X Games in Aspen at Buttermilk Mountain. More than 200 athletes are expected with some 20 hours of live TV coverage on ESPN and ABC.

They include:

  • Kelly Clark, the first female snowboarder to land a 1080 in competition. The native New Englander made history in 2012 by becoming the first female to repeat gold in the Snowboard Superpipe competition.
  • Shaun White was the first snowboarder to five-peat in the SuperPipe. At the Tignes X Games last season he was gold in both Snowboard Slopestyle and SuperPipe.
  • Snowmobiler Tucker Hibbert is the most decorated SnoCross racer in X Games history, going for an unprecedented six-peat at Winter X. He’s also the youngest athlete to win gold at Winter X. He did it in 2000 at age 15.
  • Mark McMorris was the first snowboarder to land a triple cork in competition. He won gold last year in Aspen in both Big Air and Slopestyle.

Check out the video below for more details.

httpv://youtu.be/IbK9PgZ2zHI

Avatar Author ID 512 - 436456496

Marty Basch lives in the outdoors. The New York City born writer traded sidewalks and buildings for the dirt roads, trails, lakes and peaks of New Hampshire's White Mountains. A former newsman with a stint in the Middle East, Basch bicycled from Maine to Alaska, above the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and from Canada to Mexico along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. He's hiked in China, Ireland, the UK and Chile. Basch is a member of the White Mountain Four Thousand Footer Club comprised of hikers who have scaled the Granite State's 48 4,000-foot peaks and gets in far more skiing and snowboarding days than a responsible person should. He is the author of several books, won a few writing awards and contributes to a number of publications. Despite all this, his wife Jan still loves him.

Marty is the author of 50 Best Hikes in New England. You can learn more about the book here.

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