150 TOP SKI, SNOWBOARD AND SNOWMOBILE ATHLETES TO COMPETE AT X GAMES ASPEN 2026 

Historic multi-event medal hunts, record-breaking tricks, and the return of snowmobiles set the stage for an unforgettable weekend at Buttermilk

 X Games is thrilled to announce a star-studded roster of 150 invited athletes featuring world-class snowboarders, skiers, and snowmobilers ready to compete at the highest level at X Games Aspen 2026. The event is set to deliver three full days of all in action, historic medal hunts, live music, and nonstop festival energy from January 23–25 at Buttermilk.

THE RETURN OF SNOWMOBILES BRINGS TOP RIDERS

After a five-year hiatus, snowmobiling returns to X Games with Freestyle and Speed & Style competitions. Brett Turcotte, with eight X Games medals including three golds, has been invited to return to showcase his signature “California Roll.” Brandon Cormier, who won Freestyle gold in 2020 as a rookie, is looking to bring back his fearless approach as he goes up against Turcotte and two-time X Games bronze medalist Willie Elam in both disciplines. Elam will be on the hunt for his first-ever X Games gold. 

SNOWBOARDING RISING STARS & RECORD-BREAKERS 

The X Games Aspen 2026 snowboard competitions promise record-breaking medal runs and boundary-pushing new tricks. No snowboarder had ever landed a 2160 until X Games Aspen 2025—where four different men did. Rookie Hiroto Ogiwara took it 180 degrees further, becoming the first person in snowboard history to land a 2340 in a contest on his way to gold. He later said he’d been confident in the trick for months but saved it specifically for X Games. Japanese riders Taiga Hasegawa and Hiroto Ogiwara are expected to continue shaking up Men’s Big Air. Hasegawa made history last year by landing the first Cab 2160 in competition, but he narrowly missed gold when Ogiwara stunned the field with a groundbreaking 2340 on his first run—earning a Guinness World Record and the top podium spot in one of the most memorable Men’s Big Air events to date. 

Australian superstar Scotty James will be chasing a historic fifth straight Men’s SuperPipe gold. The legendary Shaun White holds the consecutive-title record with six, capped by his final X Games gold at Aspen 2013. James currently owns seven X Games SuperPipe gold medals, and an Aspen 2026 victory would tie him with White and Chloe Kim for most in SuperPipe history. 

Colorado local and Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard’s return to Men’s Slopestyle has him aiming for a three-peat and another face-off with fan favorite and three-time Olympian Mark McMorris, who holds a record 24 X Games medals—the most of any winter athlete. McMorris, has recently added a backside 1980 to his training arsenal, signaling that he’s ready to evolve with the next generation of riders, including breakout star Yiming Su, who made his X Games debut in 2023 and stunned fans by landing the first-ever quadruple cork 1980 in competition, and Finnish snowboarder Rene Rinnekangas, who made history at X Games Aspen 2022 by landing the first-ever backside 1980 in a Slopestyle competition. 

There’s been a lot of parity in X Games Women’s Snowboard Big Air, and with the expected return of 11-time X Games medalist Kokomo Murase–who recently just landed the first backside triple cork 1620 in women’s history during practice–all eyes will be on her in hopes that she’ll land it in Aspen. Olympic champion and 11-time X Games medalist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott will remain a dominant force in both Women’s Slopestyle and Big Air as fans wait to see what the New Zealand snowboarder will bring to the course following her historic run of back-to-back double corks in 2025. Rising star Mia Brookes, who officially turned pro earlier this year, will compete in Women’s Slopestyle, Big Air, and Knuckle Huck. At X Games Aspen 2026, the young British rider will go head-to-head with returning champion and Austrian snowboard “queen” Anna Gasser, who—after stomping a flawless switch triple cork Cab 1260 last year—now holds the record for the most X Games Big Air gold medals with four. She’ll be chasing a fifth to break her own record. 

FIERCE FREESKI COMPETITORS & HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RETURNS

Men’s SuperPipe will be the event to watch, as highly successful Slopestyle turned SuperPipe competitor Nick Goepper is expected to return in pursuit of his second SuperPipe gold. Aspen native Alex Ferreira—currently tied with David Wise and Simon Dumont for the most Men’s Ski SuperPipe medals—will aim for the podium in an effort to break the tie. Gus Kenworthy, the popular British-born freeskier who grew up in Telluride, is also slated to make his return to X Games after nearly four years. All eyes will be on Gus as he heads back to Aspen in hopes of earning his sixth X Games medal and potentially his first-ever gold in Men’s SuperPipe. 

Chinese American prodigy and Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu, already a three-time X Games gold medalist, could continue her rare multi-discipline run across Slopestyle, Big Air, and Knuckle Huck. She hasn’t competed in three disciplines at X Games since her rookie appearance in 2021. This event would mark Gu’s fourth X Games appearance, giving the freestyle icon a chance to nearly double her medal count. Mathilde Gremaud, with nine X Games medals and three Crystal Globes earned in a single season, should keep the field tight as top podium contender Megan Oldham will also return in pursuit of her first X Games medal since her back-to-back golds in 2023. Oldham made history at X Games Aspen 2023 as the first woman to land a triple cork in Women’s Big Air and followed it up with gold in Women’s Slopestyle. 

Luca Harrington—the rookie who claimed Men’s Slopestyle gold and Men’s Big Air silver at X Games Aspen 2025—is expected to add to his medal count as he continues to push freestyle progression. Standout Alaskan-born freeskier Alex Hall, the first male skier to medal in three disciplines at a single X Games (Aspen 2022: Big Air gold, plus Slopestyle and Knuckle Huck bronze), will look to repeat that feat in 2026. 

Full list of invited athletes

Note: Athlete rosters are subject to change. 

HOW TO ATTEND OR WATCH X GAMES ASPEN 2026

General admission tickets for evening events are selling out quickly! Gold and Silver hospitality packages offering premium fan experiences are still available for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

New in 2026, daytime events will be free and open to the public. Fans can watch the competitions live nationally on ESPN and ABC, and globally on YouTube.

For more information about X Games Aspen 2026, click HERE.