Featured Image: Matt Power
For three weeks in January and February 2025, the world’s foremost park and pipe skiers—along with the best up-and-coming freeskiers—will be progressing, competing and celebrating in one place: Aspen Snowmass.
While the Colorado resort has always hosted premier freeski events, the back-to-back line-up of X Games, Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Revolution Tour at Aspen Snowmass make up an almost 20-day freeskiing extravaganza. Add Shaun White’s all-new Snow League in March, the first-ever professional league dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing competitions, and Aspen Snowmass presents more opportunities than ever before to see your favorite skiers and snowboarders lay it all on the line.
“Having slope, pipe and big air right next to each other, and all at the base of a mountain… it’s just the best,” says Hanna Faulhaber, an Aspen local and 2023 women’s freeski halfpipe World Champion. Faulhaber credits part of her success to that venue access and easy spectating. “I remember taking the entire week off school to watch X Games when I was young.”
Aspen Snowmass spans four distinct ski mountains but Buttermilk has the honor of hosting this unprecedented line-up. Just a five-minute walk from a parking lot, Buttermilk’s X Park is home to the world’s most famous 22-foot, Zaugg-cut Superpipe and might just be skiing’s most accessible spectating venue.
“You park at the base of Buttermilk, walk 50 feet, and you’re at the course,” says Alex Ferreira, Aspen’s legendary half-pipe skier. Ferreira made history last season with the most dominant season in freeski history—winning all seven halfpipe events he entered (including all five World Cup events). “It’s great for spectators, great for athletes… I’ve never seen a resort with better access.”
TJ Erickson, 22, a recent CU grad who is living in Piedmont, California, has rallied a group of friends and made the trip to X Games Aspen the past two years. The college friends shared an Airbnb, carpooled, brought groceries and skied with pocket PB&Js to save money.
“Everyone there is there for the same reason: to have a good time,” says Erickson. “The atmosphere and being there to witness new tricks in person instead of TV is so memorable.”
Erickson remembers Megan Oldham making action sports history last X Games when she landed the first-ever triple cork in a women’s ski or snowboard event, scoring a perfect 50 points with her leftside triple cork 1440 and winning a gold medal in the ski big air final. “It’s incredible to see athletes land tricks for the first time ever,” says Erickson. “Seeing them try and fail and finally land it and the crowd goes wild—there’s nothing like it.”
An impressive six athletes from the Roaring Fork Valley make up the U.S. Freeski team. In addition to Ferreira and Faulhaber, Tristan Feinberg, Eugene “Kai” Morris and Nick Geiser round out the Aspen contingent. And local skier Hunter Maytin is just about to break through to the team level, too.
Ferreira, who has competed in X Games Aspen since 2013, remembers sneaking out of Aspen Middle School with buddies like fellow X Games medalist Torin Yater-Wallace to watch X Games practice. “Simon and Tanner were in their Oakley kits and their Red Bull helmets and I thought, this is what I want to do.” Shortly after, Yater-Wallace and Ferreira were forerunners for the events. “Not only watching but being able to ski the same pipe as these athletes was the coolest experience ever.”
Of course, the skiing is too good to limit any Aspen visit solely to spectating. During the contest line-up, it’s somewhat mandatory to break away from Buttermilk (even if it’s only skier’s right to lap Tiehack Express) and enjoy the seemingly endless skiing options and different vibes at Ajax, Highlands, and Snowmass—totaling some 5,000 acres. Even during world-class events, lift lines can feel non-existent, lines can go un-skied and powder stashes can last until the afternoon.
At Aspen Mountain, maximize vert with 3,267-foot ‘T-to-B’ gondola laps that will test the strength of your quads. A small mountain that skis much larger, Ajax unlocks her secrets when you link up multiple zones, like Walsh’s to Gent’s Ridge, or the Face of Bell Mountain to the FIS lift to “the Dumps.” A trip back in time, Lift 1A will drop you above underappreciated terrain like the double fall line of Corkscrew, or the perfect pitches on Norway that provide the best view of town. Ajax regulars know every nook and cranny of their Silver Queen and your best bet is to find a local and try to keep up.
At Aspen Highlands, you can erase your late-night nachos with a hike up Highland Bowl for some of the best inbounds, big-mountain terrain in North America. Deep Temerity Chair accesses some of the steepest, sustained, fall-line runs in Colorado. But, don’t miss the lower mountain, which probably holds more high-quality, off-the-map stashes than any Aspen Snowmass resort. Runs like Golden Horn Woods, P-Chutes, Epicure and Upper and Lower Stein, all accessed via the Thunderbowl Chair, have steep and sometimes technical terrain, all accessed from a triple chair that you can hop on from the base if there’s a line at Exhibition (doubtful). And finally, at Snowmass, classic long runs like Sheer Bliss, Long Shot and Sneaky’s will give you a taste of the resort’s scale. With so much terrain, there’s something for everyone, from some of the world’s best terrain parks to expert, gated terrain with cliffs of all sizes to drop.
The stacked event line-up, paired with some of the world’s best and rarely-crowded skiing, is enough to make Aspen Snowmass a no-brainer destination this season. But the powder on top of the groomer is that the legendary après scene, worldly dining options and raucous nightlife rival that of a city. On and off the mountain, you’ll see over-the-top displays of wealth, but you’ll also see Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club kids chowing brown-bag lunches at Highlands, hard-charging contractors, property managers and chefs skiing rowdy lines and lifties pumping their fists after a great lunch lap. Skiing (and après) is the great equalizer in Aspen— billionaires and servers share lift rides, tables at Bonnie’s, benches outside Highlands Alehouse and barstools at the J-Bar.
Live music opportunities are never hard to find in Aspen Snowmass, either. New this year, when fans buy tickets to X Games Aspen competitions they will also gain access to that day’s concert events featuring performances by Daily Bread, Illenium and more. The Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series hosts free outdoor concerts in town and around the resorts. The second-annual Palm Tree Music Festival is slated for Feb. 21-22 and will feature headliners including Dom Dolla, Kygo, Fisher and Sofi Tucker. The Belly Up—an intimate club with a huge reputation—regularly brings mega acts to Aspen as well.
What’s Ferreira most looking forward to this year? “The crowd,” he says. “I feed off the energy and the crowd in Aspen. They’ve been such good supporters of me and my teammates’ careers for more than 10 years. I’m looking forward to putting on a great show.”
You can catch Alex kicking off the excitement at the 24th annual X Games, followed by the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, a FIS World Cup stop, and finally the Revolution Tour at Aspen Snowmass Open, which focuses on riders aged 13-19 who are looking to transition to the elite level. (Formerly the Aspen Snowmass Open, the event is one of the longest running open events and has always followed X Games, giving young athletes their chance at a big break). Finally, the inaugural Snow League, which features snowboarding at Aspen Snowmass, but includes skiing at subsequent spots, will host head- to-head championships, a points-based ranking system and at least a $1.5 million prize purse. Spokespersons have acknowledged that White’s deep appreciation for Aspen’s contributions to his career helped him choose Aspen Snowmass to launch the league.
“Aspen is known as a party town,” adds Ferreira. “If you’re coming to watch the competitions, you’re going to have a good time. That’s part of the allure. There’s great skiing, great events, great nightlife… I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve never seen a place like it.”
LOGISTICS
GETTING THERE
Located just five minutes from Buttermilk and 10 minutes from Snowmass or Aspen Mountain, the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport accommodates nonstop flights from eight major U.S. airports on United, Delta and American Airlines. By car from Denver, drive 157 miles east on Interstate 70, exit at Glenwood Springs (maybe stop for a hot springs soak) and head 41 miles southeast to Aspen on Highway 82.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Aspen’s most affordable hotel, St. Moritz Lodge & Condominiums offer rooms, condos with kitchenettes and 26 hostel dorms with shared bathrooms. The quiet location is only two blocks from a bus stop and close enough to walk to Aspen Mountain in your ski boots. Free parking, hot tub, breakfast and happy hour treats are included.
Wildwood Snowmass offers group-friendly accommodations in their Balcony Bunk rooms that sleep up to four people and come with private balconies. A little further down valley, the Hoffmann is Basalt’s newest hotel, with rooms starting at $300 and a location that’s walking distance to the mixed-use development of Willits (Whole Foods and affordable restaurants and bars).
Limelight Aspen and Limelight Snowmass offer a local’s rate to Coloradans, with 30% off room rates and complimentary parking.
THE SKIING
Between four mountains and one lift ticket, Aspen Snowmass offers more than 5,600 acres of terrain. For efficient vertical, nothing beats Ajax. A high-speed top-to-bottom gondola services Aspen Mountain’s 3,267 feet of vertical just steps from downtown, and as much of Aspen’s clientele isn’t here for the skiing, lift lines aren’t a thing. Skiers’ right from the summit is the brand-new Hero’s terrain, which is packed with steep glades and spicy chutes.
For a memorable earn-your-turns experience, hike and ski Highlands Bowl at Aspen Highlands. A dramatic ridge hike accesses a 12,392 summit, views of the Maroon Bells and some 1,500 vertical feet of backcountry-esque skiing.
While Buttermilk is known for its terrain parks, Superpipe and kid trails, you can find some steeper terrain and secret powder stashes under Tiehack lift.
Snowmass is a beast—it boasts 96 runs, 4,406 vertical feet and 3,332 acres. While it’s known for perfectly groomed, wide-open cruisers and immaculate, all-levels terrain parks, its terrain choices are seemingly endless, including steep couloirs and cliff bands.
EVENTS
X Games: JAN 23–25TH, 2025
Toyota U.S. Grand Prix: JAN 30–FEB 6TH, 2025
Rev Tour: FEB 6–FEB 11TH , 2025
The Snow League: MARCH 7-8TH, 2025
LOCAL’S TIPS
ON THE RESORT
Despite a pricey reputation, it’s possible to visit and ski Aspen Snowmass on a budget. For lift tickets, save up to $80 when you purchase four days of lift tickets at least seven days ahead of time—or save more when you ski longer. The 2024-25 Ikon Pass includes up to seven days at Aspen Snowmass and the Ikon Base Plus Pass includes five days (with some black-out dates). Both include 25-percent off tickets for friends and families.
On-mountain freebies include complimentary Lavazza coffee at the base of all Aspen Snowmass mountains in the morning and free s’mores at Snowmass Base Village every afternoon. At Snowmass, First Tracks—the opportunity to ski untouched powder or freshly groomed runs before the mountain officially opens for the day—are free and offered three days a week. And to make it really easy, the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority runs free buses between all four resorts.
IN TOWN
Limelight Hotel offers happy hour at both its Aspen and Snowmass locations with $15 cheese or pepperoni pizzas, $8 wines and $2 off beer. The Buck (Bar Under Cooper and Kitchen) serves affordable drinks and a bar menu with appetizers, burgers, French onion soup, chicken sandwiches, lasagnas and nightly specials—all priced under $13. A huge slice of pepperoni pizza at New York Pizza costs less than $7 and filling wraps from Big Wrap cost around $12.
