Winter X Games XIX

On Jan. 22, the 19^th edition of the Winter X Games will return to Aspen, Colo., showcasing the best extreme winter sports athletes from around the world. This year’s games are expected to be bigger than ever with new competitions and an expanded roster of performers.

The X Games have come a long way since their inception two decades ago. The first Winter X Games were held in 1997 at Big Bear Lake, Calif. The next four years saw the competition move to Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, and Mount Snow in Vermont, before settling on Buttermilk Mountain in 2002 for Winter X Games VIII. This was a big step in the extreme sports world, as well as the first time the event was televised live and featured night events.

The ever-changing games are set to shake its competition up once again, particularly with its addition of adaptive events to the lineup of 19 competitions. After being showcased as a demonstration in 2011 and 2012, Snowboard X Adaptive is now a medal race, and will be joined by Mono Skier X and Snocross Adaptive. The Unified Snowboarding Dual Slalom competition will feature teams consisting of one Special Olympics athlete and one X Games athlete. Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Hannah Teter, will compete.

Snowmobile Hillcross will also be making a comeback this year; it hasn’t been a Winter X Games event since 2004. The event is an uphill race, where riders must maneuver around jumps, bumps and obstacles. Levi LaValle is expected to dominate the race, winning seven gold medals in snowmobiling, including the last Hillcross more than a decade ago. He also placed first in the Freestyle, Knockout and Speed & Style events.

This year’s Winter X Games will emphasize music, aiming to give the games a festival atmosphere. This year’s headliners will include Snoop Dogg, Chromeo, Wiz Khalifa and Skrillex. To learn more about the Winter X Games XIX, visit xgames.espn.go.com.