X Games Aspen 2015: Style for Miles.

Going BIG is always part of X Games. Doing it with style...that can win you a Gold Medal. X Games Aspen continues to push the envelope of possibilities in extreme sports and  "the lifestyle".  Adding major league music events to the agenda, ESPN has created the pinnacle event in action sports.  X Games can be consumed in the widest variety of ways...via any device...on the go or live at Buttermilk Mountain.

AspenSpin is about 1000 photos behind, but we have some sick pix to share soon.

For all results in real time click  ESPN GO / X GAMES

Snowboarder X Adaptive champ Keith Gabel crosses the line for the win. Photo: Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images

Snowmobile Long jump Podium. Frisby / Davis / Moore. Photo: Wiegele Courtesy of Monster Energy.Canadian Mark McMorris locked down the Gold in Snowboard Big Air. Photo: Christian Pondella / ESPN Images.Snoop Dogg headlined ESPN's X Games Music. Photo: A.Party / AspenSpin

X Games Aspen 2015. It's INSANE

X Games is back in Aspen. 2015 is the 14th straight year X Games has been held in Aspen.   It's INSANE.  X Games Aspen is bigger and better than ever.

It's more than just an athletic competition...it's a life-style event.  In addtion to the skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling...the musical line-up....welp, its insane.   Snoop Dogg, Chromeo, Skrillex and Wiz Khalifa are on the docket.

 AspenSpin and A. Party have been officially deemed too old to keep up.   But we are trying, really really hard.   We'll have tons of sick pix for you...coming soon. So keep on clicking.

X Games Aspen 2015. The Gold Medal must be earned. Photo: Andy Party / AspenSpin

Maddie Bowman earned her 3rd straight Gold in Ski Superpipe. She also owns Olympic Gold from Sochi. Photo: Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images

Danny Davis took his second straight Snowboard Superpipe Gold topping a stacked field on his final run. His smooth style has changed the sport. Photo: Tomas Zuccareno / ESPN ImagesColten Moore took top honors in Snowmobile Speed and Style. Photo: matt Morning / ESPN Images.

Aspen EVENT ALERT!!! #ChasingSunshine and #EPAatXGames

Chasing Sunshine a documentary film about professional snowboarder Megan Pischke and her battle and victory over breast cancer, makes is U.S. debut tonight in Aspen. 

Produced in conjunction with Boarding 4 Breast Cancer...the film's U.S. Premier is tonight  (Jan 21) at  8PM at The Wheeler Opera House.   ADMISSION is FREE.   After party at Caribou Club...a fundraiser for B4BC.   Many X games athletes will be in attendance.

Also, on Thursday Protect Our Winters will be hosting Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Gina McCarthy at various events around Aspen.   Follow the hashtag #EPAatXGames   for updated info.  Join in...let's show the EPA how important POW POW is!!!!

The Supreme Court agrees... Aspen GSW is Legit.

Detroit Muscle: This Michigan Couple will be testifying before the U.S. Supreme Court to support same-sex marriage.It was breaking news last Friday when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take on the issue of Gay Marriage.  The highest court in the land will determine if same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

Click 4 Pix.  ASPEN GSW 2015

Here in Aspen, where almost everything is legal...or at least tolerated, Aspen Out hosted the 38th annual Gay Ski Week, Aspen (GSW).  Aspen has been supporting sexual freedom for a lot longer than 38 years, but GSW began here in 1976. Aspen's GSW is the first, and I believe still the largest and clearly the best of all the gay ski weeks.   Aspen is located in Pitkin County generally considered the most liberal county in Colorado and arguably the most liberal county between New York and California...so it's a natural fit.  4000+  boyz (and a few girlz) come to Aspen every January..to let their collective hair down and party with complete freedom and pride.

This year's GSW appeared to be especially fun.  Tons of well-dressed, well groomed (except fot the "lumber-sexuals"...google it) well heeled dudes were all over town.  Friendship dinners, shopping sprees, art openings, EDM dance parties and more.

Everybody loves a parade.AspenSpin covered some of the GSW events to snap some sick pix. As always the Downhill Costume Competition on Aspen Mountain's  Little Nell ski run on was a highlight.   The culmination of GSW was "GayWatch"...the pool party at the Aspen Recreation Center (ARC).   600 guys in speedos...and not one back hair in the joint.   AspenSpin was blown away (no pun intended) by the scene we encountered at the ARC.  The photos will give you some idea.  In public,  it was all good clean fun.  In private...who knows...legend has it that the GSW crew are dogs, just like straight men, and they are known to rutt like animals.

An observation, its refreshing when the GSW guests are so much nicer, friendlier and more respectful than the guests Aspen attracts during the holiday season.  Some of the guys ski and ride.   Lots of them party very hard and most of them spend, spend , spend.   So everybody in town is happy.

Next is X Games abd hopfully some freshies.  

Click 4 pix.  ASPEN GSW 2015.  Like'em, tag'em, and share'em

Miss Richfield 1981 greeted the Pitkin County Sheriff, Joe DiSalvo.

The Aspen Club was pumped to be stoked."GayWatch...the pool party at the Aspen Recreation Center.

The Aspen Effect. (There's a Gaper in the Street).

Stairway to the Bowl. Not many tourists today.Aspen during prime time can be a double edged sword.  The beauty and the mountains remain the same, but the town explodes with a swarming assemblage of extremely entitled tourists. Off-mountain gapers if you will.  Don't get me wrong...the glitz and the glamour is what originally attracted me to Aspen, but something seems different now.  I know, I know...it's a resort town and tourism is it's lifeblood, but Aspen can be a little nauseating when its at full capacity. 

Maybe its all in my imagination...but the guests don't seem as friendly as they used to be.  I guess when you fly your own jet ( or pay $1500 for a commercial flight) and own a $10 million second home ( or pay $2k per night for a hotel room) you have certain expectations and everyone in your path is supposed to comply.  Our guests are used to getting their way...even on vacation.   This past holiday season set all-time records in Aspen for skier visits, revenues, incoming flights and douche bag encounters.  

The first week of 2015...was perhaps the quietest portion of the ski season...and I for one liked it.  Despite all the  publicity, Winterskol has become a bore... we skipped it for the most part.  Apologies to the brainiacs at ACRA but free soup and kettle corn isn't that exciting and does not seem to be attracting "Aspen-type" visitors.   Aspen's fourth fire works display in 10 days proved that explosions are just not that special anymore.   I guess I'm officially a jaded, cranky local now.

Relax it's Aspen.For 2015 I've promised myself not to get frustrated by the little stuff.  I'm still not oblivious to Aspen's unusual political process, the excessive (and often needless) spending of the local government or those people who insist on repeating the expand, expand, expand mantra. I just don't care anymore.   I too still want Aspen to be the best Aspen it can be, at least my vision of it.  I miss the "howdy neighbor" aspect of small town life.   But I'm resigned  to the inevitable. The soul of Aspen has been almost fully depreciated.  It's kind of sad, really. The soul of Aspen?  What's that? I'm not exactly sure, but it seems to have relocated down-valley.  

I recently had an epiphany about Aspen. Call it the Aspen Effect.  I didn't come for the lot-line to lot-line buildings, or the designer apparel, or the double deep basements for hoop courts, or the champagne happy hours or the $70 entrees.  None of that is under my control.   I came for the mountains.   Ripping hot laps on the groomers, or pillowing the soft POW POW or challenging my skills  and my party body on the bumped-out double diamonds or hiking the Aspen Highland Bowl..... thats why I came here.  I don't want to forget that. 

So 2015 is a new year and a new strategy for A.Party.   When a speeding Range Rover or RFTA bus runs a stop sign and almost takes me and Carmelo out...I stop, yield and say in a friendly tone..."after you".   When a super aggro Noooo Yawker cuts in front of me in line at the sundeck I simply smile and say "you first".  And when it snows and most of the guests are still sleeping...and the mountain is quiet...I get up there early and claim what's mine.   The fresh Colorado Powder.  That part is pretty much the same  (but don't get me going on climate change).

 Call it the Aspen Effect.

Glowing Mt. Sopris.

The Bell Chair. Uncrowded by design.

The Best View. Pyramid Peak and the Maroon Bells.