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XGames is looking to leave Aspen and LA.

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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,885
According to the article the contract for hosting XGames in LA is up in 2013 and the contract for Aspen is up in 2014:
http://espn.go.com/action/xgames/story/_/id/8517155/espn-x-games-accepting-north-american-host-city-bids

So where would you like to see XGames (both summer and winter) held after the contracts are up? It's kinda hard to think of them being somewhere else since they've been in the same place for so long. Personally, I'd love to see an east coast location, but I doubt it'll happen. I feel like Philly or San Diego might be interested for the summer. And either PC or Tahoe for the winter.
Oct 26 2012 4:17PM
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loganimlach
Posts: 5132 - Karma: 14,054
tahoe would be so unbelievably sick, but i don't think they have the infrastructure do handle something like that. pc might be able to handle it. i don't really see the winter x leaving aspen though.
Oct 26 2012 4:21PM
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ForeverYung
Posts: 8385 - Karma: 2,060
I could see winter x going to breck
Oct 26 2012 4:23PM
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Lucas
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 1,575
its gonna be at the scummit for sure
Oct 26 2012 4:23PM
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1337
Posts: 31059 - Karma: 29,329
Aspen doesn't seem to have the vibe of action sports apart from hosting Xgames, so I don't see them extending the contract. Breck/keystone area maybe? Closer than Apsen is to Boulder/Denver areas. I could see PC too, Tahoe not as much but would be amazing
Oct 26 2012 4:24PM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,885
Doubt it, unless Dew Tour left.
Oct 26 2012 4:27PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10635 - Karma: 7,506
im kinda feeling like mammoth would be winter, or mountain high or somewhere in that general area.
Oct 26 2012 4:28PM
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1337
Posts: 31059 - Karma: 29,329
forgot about that, and forgot Dew is now a one stop event
Oct 26 2012 4:29PM
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E-fry
Posts: 601 - Karma: 2,171
winter X should go to whistler!!!!
Oct 26 2012 4:29PM
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loganimlach
Posts: 5132 - Karma: 14,054
as much as i appreciate what you're saying, it's never been about the vibe. it's about $$$.
Oct 26 2012 4:38PM
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eheath
Posts: 61648 - Karma: 123,471
They'll probably just re-sign...
Oct 26 2012 4:39PM
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seward
Posts: 5233 - Karma: 2,174
^ bingo
Oct 26 2012 4:44PM
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Dwarftosser1
Posts: 2602 - Karma: 951
Would never happen, unless they kept a winter event in America as well, they'll probably just resign, LA and Snowmass are perfect
Oct 26 2012 4:48PM
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1337
Posts: 31059 - Karma: 29,329
Oh I'm well aware, I like the point you made about infrastructure being able to handle it and was trying to think of places close to big cities/airports where they could get more traffic in from.

Mammouth?
Oct 26 2012 4:49PM
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loganimlach
Posts: 5132 - Karma: 14,054
mammoth would be the sickest, but there again, i don't think they have the capabilities of handling that influx of people.
Oct 26 2012 5:00PM
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50Kal
Posts: 2829 - Karma: 5,395
I've worked the last two winter x games and I dont see them going else where. And like said above, it's not about where would be the best mountain its about money and Logistics. Buttermilk is kinda cramped for space and Im sure there are better mountains to host it at.
But what Aspen has is a large public bus system, very large parking lot (intercept lot), many hotels, A mile and half airport that's right next to the mountain (many of the big name sponsors use this).
The only group I could see that get the x games would be one of the Vail mnts. The Aspen ski Co will fight to the death before giving it up. The amount of money they make off it is mind blowing to begin with.
I also dont think they will host it in Whistler cause then every ESPN employee would need a Visa/passport.
Oct 26 2012 5:16PM
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ski0
Posts: 2321 - Karma: 5,370
Aspen just makes sense. You need a resort with HUGE snowmaking capacity, a HUGE amount of cash, and a mountain that has a good village and lower mountain set up.

Whistler would be shitty because they dont have a good runs at the base for slope, big air and pipe. I dont even know if they would be able to make enough snow at the lower elevation. And it would be a huge bitch to lift everyone up to blackpark to watch.

Summit county would work, but they already have dew tour on lock and might just want to stick with that.

Mammoth could definitely build the park , but they dont have the budget to outbid aspen and too small a fan base and accommodations to hold a large scale event.
Oct 26 2012 5:25PM
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Holte
Posts: 10742 - Karma: 7,819
I'd put my money on it. They've re-signed 4 times in the past decade. The infrastructure is already there, the weather is predictable, and people are used to it.
Oct 26 2012 5:38PM
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mammspowskrHMD
Posts: 148 - Karma: 18
Mammoth yes, mountain high.....ehhhhhh no. Mammoth could definitely support it when it comes to infrastructure. The airport is there with daily flights. Obviously these flights are coming from bigger hubs such as LAX, SFO, etc but the same could be said for Aspen as well, either way they are both seasonal. If all else fails, people would drive from Reno or LA much like they would from Denver in Aspen. I couldn't give you an exact bed count number in Mammoth but I would think they could find a way to make something like this happen so long as it isn't during the busiest time of the year between Christmas and New Years. And hey, since june is closed this year, i'm sure they would have some extra bed space over there as well for overflow. Maybe it's wishful thinking but Mammoth would be amazing for X and I think the mountain, as well as the bankrupt town, would bend over backwards in order to make it happen.
Oct 26 2012 5:55PM
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steezerampage
Posts: 2171 - Karma: 214
Thank you sir for saying many of the points I felt people were overlooking.  Sure a Mountain like Keystone has probably the best park riding vibe of any mountain in Colorado, but the entire park is not on the upper mountain, and they don't have a comp worthy pipe. 

Resorts that have been hosting large scale events are some of the few currently capable of doing so because they built up there venues as the contests grew.  That is why Breck and Aspen have some of the best large features and pipes around.  As the contests grew, in order to keep their mountains capable to host top level events that must build 22 ft pipes. 

If a mountain that has good infrastructure wanted to get in the contest game, but doesn't have a park built up and set up for contests, they would have to invest big money to make it happen.
Oct 26 2012 6:40PM
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ski0
Posts: 2321 - Karma: 5,370
It would actually be amazing if they also had SPRING X games, held in may in Whistler where there could be ski , snowboard, mountain biking, skateboarding, basically everything held together.
Oct 26 2012 7:19PM
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R.Fahey
Posts: 8602 - Karma: 539
Park City would work well. The base area is laid out perfectly for an event of that magnitude.

And, unlike Aspen, it's 35 minutes from and international airport. And infrastructure is there, on an Olympic scale.
Oct 26 2012 7:21PM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,885
This was my thought, if it worked for the Olympics, I'm sure it would work for X.
Oct 26 2012 7:30PM
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will_powder
Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445
But isn't PCMR having enough troubles with leases and such. They seemed pretty cash strapped to me.
Oct 26 2012 8:26PM
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
It's not gonna leave Aspen
Oct 26 2012 8:34PM
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DUKES
Posts: 5150 - Karma: 691
Is X games strictly for the US? Could they go to Whistler?
Oct 26 2012 8:45PM
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accualyisdolan
Posts: 3295 - Karma: -192
This
Oct 26 2012 9:07PM
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Keith_M
Posts: 795 - Karma: 771
Well, PC did have the OLYMPICS, so it seems like it would be a good X games option.
Oct 26 2012 9:20PM
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localonvolkls
Posts: 448 - Karma: 90
Mammoth would be ideal with the weather being pretty good most of the time but then again so would park city. The air port would definitely have to acomodate a lot more flights and bigger aircrafts which may or may not be possible. If you haven't been here you might not know that it is pretty much the middle of nowwhere. Tahoe would be easier access with th Reno airport being so close and Sacramento and SF being just a short drive away.
Oct 26 2012 9:21PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,748
I really can't see the XGames going to Whistler, or anywhere outside the US for that matter.

Honestly, I'd be shocked to see it leave Aspen, I'm almost certain they'll renew. There's a very short list of resorts that could actually pull this off (I know the XGames have been held all over, but not since they've risen to such prominence....for exampe, no way they'd go back to say Crested Butte), and they've already been mentioned.

I can't see it being a EC event, so that writes off places like Mt Snow.

Other than Aspen, it seems like PC, Mammoth, or Breck would be the best candidates...maybe a Tahoe resort would sneak in there, but I would think Vail Resorts would be very interested. It seems like Breck would be the obvious choice, but I can't imagine they'd host both Dew and X. It'll be interesting to see if Dew Tour will raise its prestige level and ultimately eclipse XGames. I don't know that it will, but if it did it would shake up things up a lot.

I could see Breck working it out where they held Dew Tour through 2014, and then signed a 5 year deal with XGames or something. Breck is pretty well suited to this sort of thing, and obviously their handling of Dew Tour would give ESPN confidence in their ability to execute. If it happened, hopefully Breck makes some moves that make it a bit more spectator friendly.

As for the summer games....man, leaving LA? Why? I feel like maybe Miami, another CA city, or possibly NYC or Philly could pull it off, but otherwise...I don't know. Philly held it a handful of years ago and it was dope, I know a lot of athletes loved it there, and with the new sports complex, LOVE, FDR, etc., I'd like to see it back in the PHI.
Oct 26 2012 9:45PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,299
I really think whistler is a more real option than it seems. they almost got an additional x-games stop, and they pulled off the olympics, so they have the infrastructure and could handle the pressure
Oct 26 2012 10:00PM
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skihonduras
Posts: 4 - Karma: 10
My vote would be Park city or Whistler for winter and New York or Seattle for summer. Even Chicago or Miami would be pretty cool city's for summer.
Oct 26 2012 10:41PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
think how amazing it could be if it switched to mammoth or something and they made a huge great park. but yeah i doubt it
Oct 27 2012 2:03AM
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suup
Posts: 1485 - Karma: 4,367
Exactly PC Or Snowbasin they hosted Olympic racing (the biggest event)
Oct 27 2012 12:01PM
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Charlie_Kelly
Posts: 11954 - Karma: 12,302
Iowa and north dakota.
Oct 27 2012 12:29PM
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iSmokeweed
Posts: 4793 - Karma: 1,370
alyeska. that way bobby brown can triple at the x games.
Oct 27 2012 12:56PM
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Aiden-P
Posts: 1310 - Karma: 38
actually?
Oct 27 2012 12:58PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,299
this
Oct 27 2012 1:09PM
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dayinthelifepc
Posts: 242 - Karma: 88
Park City!
Oct 27 2012 2:01PM
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eheath
Posts: 61648 - Karma: 123,471
live under a rock?
Oct 27 2012 2:01PM
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tcurle
Posts: 1256 - Karma: 5,280
tahoe sounds fun
Oct 27 2012 2:06PM
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concept311
Posts: 1936 - Karma: 73
Buttermilk works so good. Huge Base area at the bottom of the mountain for all the events. With them brining Snowcross back its a must to have that room at the bottom.
Oct 27 2012 7:51PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7816 - Karma: 1,534
Mammoth would be the best! Although the infrastructure is not in Mammoth's favor, the town could certainly handle the capacity, the airport probably could handle it, and the highways could easily handle it. The drive to Mammoth is long but 395 is an awesome highway. The CHP would have a fucking field day, just like they do every holiday season.
Oct 27 2012 8:16PM
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last_tango
Posts: 2635 - Karma: 2,665
Would love to see xgames hit east coast again but there is no infrastructure at all anywhere
Oct 27 2012 9:28PM
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3600 - Karma: 3,909
PC won't host it.


It will stay at Aspen.
Oct 27 2012 9:30PM
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freeski1620
Posts: 5670 - Karma: 1,718
BRECK. I would be stoked!
Oct 28 2012 1:22AM
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
I vote Bear Mountain.
Oct 28 2012 1:38AM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
I strongly disagree. The weather in the Pacific Northwest, first and foremost, can be so shitty in the winter that it is way too big of a gamble (see 2010 Olympics). Scale, infrastructure, access... sure, that's all there, but the conditions can suck. And it has already been mentioned: most, if not all, of the events would have to be hosted further up Blackcomb. That also nixes it for sure.

Whistler hosted the brief existence of the Global X Games years ago. It kind of worked, but even that is a cold reminder of why it will NOT happen.
Oct 28 2012 1:48AM
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deet
Posts: 246 - Karma: 665
I don't know about the winter X-games but the new summer X-games in Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain) and Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) in 2013 may be new locations for the next few years.
Oct 28 2012 8:42AM
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Barmski
Posts: 4342 - Karma: 811
the town of breckenridge will not approve an event of xgames magnitude. it would not be able to handle it. dew tour is already blowing up the town enough. aspen is so much bigger than breckenridge.
Oct 28 2012 12:20PM
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GnarNinja
Posts: 660 - Karma: 884
Baker.
Oct 28 2012 3:54PM
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