Cultural Icons and Broken Bones at X Games.

Shaun White shows the stoke momments after winning SkateBoard Vert. Photo Tomas Zuccareno / ESPN ImagesAction sports used to be called extreme sports, they used to be considered counter culture...deviating from societal norms.  ESPN's X Games franchise is no longer a sub culture...it is THE culture.  Huge crowds flocked downtown to L.A Live, Staples Center, Nokia Theatre and the streets of L.A. to see Skaters, BMX Bikers, Rally Racers and Moto X Riders compete at their chosen sport.   With Official partners like U.S. NAVY, FORD, BF GOODRICH and RED BULL; action sports and X Games has officially become THE OLYMPICS of Action Sports. The X lifestyle is about pushing the limits, living the dream, going bigger, faster and with more style.  Everybody wants to be the next breakout star and X Games is the place to do it.  These guys are athletes and daredevils.  Some of  'em use meticulous preparation and training...some just throw it down.  The athletes, their fans and the passion for action sports was palpable during X Games 17 in Los Angeles.

Click for AspenSpin's "sick pix"  X GAMES 17

Bethany Hamilton, Tony Hawk and Anna Sophia Robb at The Jimmy V. Kickoff event. Click for more pix from AspenSpin."It's what we do" explained one high profile competitor who wished to remain anonymous,"it's how we make our money".  He continued " this is the BIG stage, the whole world is watching, what else am I gonna do? drive a truck like my dad?"  The pressure to, earn sponsors, to break out, pushes many of these modern day warriors to new heights, faster speeds and disastrous crashes.  In case its not obvious, action sports has a high degree of difficulty.  One slip at speed can result in terrible consequences.   The danger of going BIG is real.  These guys risk it all...every time they compete. They lay it down every time.  You can't be tenative or unsure of yourself when you're launched 50 feet above the mega ramp.  Broken bones are the price you pay for greatness.

The X Games has become a well oiled machine, a far cry from the original idea conceived during a coffee shop brainstorming session in 1993.  X Games combines competition with culture.  It combines attitude with athleticism.  While the events are often best watched on TV, attending live defies description.  The courses, the ramps, the spectator areas...its an unbelievable a set-up.  The top action athletes have morphed into cultural icons.  Shaun White who threw down a phenomenal run to win Gold in Skateboard Vert (see previous post) is one of the best known and highest compensated athletes in the world...he's 24 years old.  Jamie Bestwick is a dominating force in BMX Vert just as Garrett Reynolds is in BMX Street.  The motor heads represent on their bikes and rally cars, and always push it to the limit.  Nate Adams, Twitch, Brian Deegan and Travis Pastrana may not be household names in your house...but they are superstars all over the world.

The photos displayed below were taken by ESPN's pro's... the best shooters in the business.  We're thrilled to be able to share them on AspenSpin.  The photos we snapped are more about the lifestyle and the people, you can see them by clicking X GAMES 17. 

To see all the coverage, results and awesome video highlights click into ESPN's site:

ESPN's X GAMES HIGHLIGHTS.

Nat Adams went upside down for GOLD. Photo: c Van Hanja /ESPN images

The Streets of L.A. were set up for Rally Car Races. Photo: Eric Lars Bakke /ESPN Images.Steve McCann sent it on the 80 ft Mega Ramp taking GOLD. Photo: Matt Moring / ESPN Images.

Shaun White explodes to claim Vert Gold at X Games 17

Shaun White, the biggest "brand name" in Action Sports proved that he is also the hardest worker. It was obvious that Shaun had put in the practice time on the vert ramp (and the gym...check his guns) as his run was clearly bigger and more stylie than the the other competitors. White had a fierce look on his face the entire time as he bested his friend,chief rival and defending 3-peat Champion ..Pierre-Luc Gagnon (PLG) in dramatic fashion on the final run of 12 minute jam session. Shaun had the power and the arsenal of tricks to complete his transition from the snowboard to the skateboard. He laid his claim to GOLD in both Summer and Winter X Games...and he had a blast doing it. The vid says it all.

BMX Bad A$$es and BIG BOB goes BIGGEST.

BMX Park Rider Daniel Dhers got back-to-back Golds, and 4 total. His Mom and Brother were there to support him.Jamie Bestwick went huge to 5 peat in BMX Vert.BIG BOB Burnquist claimed GOLD in Skateboard BIG AIr. Photo: Matt Moring /ESPN IImages.

X Games 17: Aussie's grab Gold, Travis crashes and Raven deals.

Matt Buyten:New World Record, Step Up, 37 feet.X Games 17 in Los Angeles saw the Aussie's step into the spotlight as Jackson Strong scored BIG GOLD in Moto X Best Trick and Steve McCann ripped the BIGGEST run to win the BMX Freestyle BIG Air.  Strong "dug deep" to pull off the first Moto X front flip in smooth and stylie fashion to earn the crown.  McCann dramatically waited until the final run of the competition to roll his "kids bike" down the 80 foot ramp over a 70 ft gap and then above the 27 ft quaterpipe to pull off the double front, double whip combo and snatch victory.

A major bummer occured in Moto X Best Trick as  Superstar Travis Pastrana "laid it all out there" in an attempt to complete a 720 Toilet Paper Roll.  Travis had been working on the trick diligently in the foam pit...but admitted that he really wanted to "stick it on the dirt".  T.P. gave it his best shot, muscled it around but just missed resulting in crash landing.  The Pastranathon is now on hold as Yahoo Sports is reporting that Travis has broken bones in his right foot.  Pastrana's NASCAR debut is now on hold.  See a vid of the missed 720 here.  TRAVIS PASTRANA 720.

Strong goes toplessMoto X took over Staples center. Moto X Best Whip was decided by a text-in vote by the fans.  Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg took home the top prize with 27% of the votes.

  Matt Buyten set a new WORLD RECORD of 37 feet in Moto X Step Up.  He needed a "fist full of throttle" to defeat a very tough field ...as the bar keeps getting raised in Step Up...sort of like a high jump on a motorcycle.  Buyten captured his fourth X Games Gold Medal by " putting on my game face and charging it"   Asked to describe his thoughts during his time at 37 feet above the dirt, Buyten replied.."it's not safe, but I believe in my bike and I believe in horsepower".

The Stoke. Ryan Tershy..minutes after claiming GOLD in Skateboard Park.A new X Games star was born in Skateboard Park as 18 year old rookie performer Raven Tershy ripped his way to victory during the jam session format.  Tershy with a smooth and controlled style blasted the bowls, banks and vert features in the tricked out park on the event deck.  Tershy, an amateur from Santa Cruz topped last years Gold Medalist, Pedro Barros by one point and admitted he didn't stress the scoring "I just wanted to lay down the best run, I'm stoked".

Skateboard Park Podium. Ben Hatchell, Raven Tershy and Pedro Barros

BMX Freestyle BIG AIR...its really BIG.

Pedro Barros grinds it out in the park.

Matt Buyten .."it's not safe"

X Games CONQUERS the World

SuperStars of Action Sports. Shaun White, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Shekler and Pierre-Luc Gagnon line up at X Games 17, L.A. nHow BIG can X Games get?  Pretty darn BIG.

X Games 17 kicked-off last night in Los Angeles with a star-studded press event and a benefit for the Jimmy V. Foundation on the event deck at L.A. Live.   ESPN's X Games has taken over downtown Los Angeles for the weekend (at least the area surrounding Staples Center) with eyes on GLOBAL DOMINATION. This is the fist time in 9 straight years in L.A. that the entire X Games will take place at one single location.  The course set-up and the logistical process defies comprehension.  ESPN and AEG are a formidable team.

ESPN a division of Disney, and sister station to ABC has announced plans for 6 Global events in 2013 (2 in the U.S. and 4 overseas) expanding their franchise to the world.  X Games 17 has athletes competing from 17 different countries, it will  broadcast 25 hours of live HD programming (more on-line) and the events will be shown in 192 countries and 232 million homes.   How BIG is the baby???  B----I----G.

AspenSpin will be living the dream..live in L.A.  We'll give you a first person account of X Games 17... along with plenty of photos.  Here's a few things we're keeping our eyes on.

PASTRANATHON:  Travis Pastrana, one of the most decorated (17 medal, 11 Gold) and most popular X Games athletes of all-time will be competing in 2 events in Moto X (Best Trick and Rally Cross).  In between the two comp.s he'll be taking a private jet to Indianapolis for a Nationwide race as he transitions his talents to NASCAR.  T.P. who said "I'm always under-prepared and over enthusiastic" seemed ready to tackle a BIG weekend. First up he's shooting for a 720 in best trick which will "take the monkey off my back".  Newly engaged to pro skateboarder Lyn Z Hawkins, Pastrana is working hard this weekend.

SKATEBOARD BIG AIR:  This event is extremely exciting ...and dangerous for the athletes.  An 80 foot ramp leading to a 70 foot gap followed by a 27 foot quarterpipe..... that's just sick.  JAKE BROWN will attempt a 3-peat in 2011.

BMX and SKATEBOARD STREET:  The course looks re-donk.  In the pre-game jam session, guys were going incredibly HUGE, just throwing it.  Raw street elements like stairs, rails, ledges and gaps make this a fun and super creative competition.  The best riders will win.

SHAUN WHITE:  AspenSpin loves Shaun White...there we said it.  Whether he's shredding the snow or skating vert Shaun White loves to compete.  Who says skiers and snowboarders can't get along.  Shaun White is probably the biggest brand in action sports...and he's also one of the most gregarious and professional of all the athletes.  The pressure that surrounds him...everybody wants a piece... would be unbearable for most people.  Shaun takes it all in stride.  He's friendly, he's funny and he's always nice to the kids. 

Look for more pix soon.

Ryan Sheckler the youngest gold medalist in X Games history (at age 13) holds court at age 21.

Jamie Bestwick a dominating force in BMX Vert shoots for a 5-peat.

Travis Pastrana: "Under prepared and over enthusiastic" for X Games and Nascar.Ashley Fiolek was born without hearing. That hasn't stopped her from winning the last 2 Golds in Moto X Racing