Let the Games Begin
Aspen and Vail have long competed to be Colorado's alpha resort. This year, Vail launches the inaugural Winter Teva Mountain Games, an extreme snowsports blowout to rival Aspen's X-Games. Here's how they stack up.
Winter Teva Mountain Games
Winter Teva Mountain Games
Feb. 10-12
Vail, CO (121 miles from Denver)
THE SCOOP
Amateur masochists compete with top pros in grueling races of speed, strength and endurance on skis, snowshoes, mountain bikes and crampons.
ATHLETES
2,000+ pros and amateurs
PRIZE MONEY
$60,000
WHO'S IN IT
Your local ski patroller, most likely
CRAZIEST TRICK
Getting to the top of Vail Mountain without a lift in the ski mountaineering competition. (How'd they do that?!)
ENTERTAINMENT
Free concerts from new-wave '80s band Spazmatics and rapper Theophilus London. Sweet.
WORDS TO LEARN
Schuss, skins, telemark, bonk, criterium, pro-am, snowbike
MOST RIDICULOUS SPORT
Boot Run — and you thought it was hard to walk in those hard plastic bricks
WEAR
Fleece, wool, Lycra and GORE-TEX (preferably in layers)
Winter X Games 16
Aspen, CO (221 miles from Denver)
Jan. 26-29
THE SCOOP
The world's most fearless (read: "youngest") pro skiers, boarders and snowmobilers play human cannonball on the slopes, often with tricks involved.
ATHLETES
200+ pros
PRIZE MONEY
$1 million+
WHO'S IN IT
Shaun White, Gretchen Bleiler
CRAZIEST TRICK
The "Double Cork" — it's an off-axis double flip pioneered by Shaun White. Don't try it at home (or anywhere, for that matter).
ENTERTAINMENT
A non-stop program of big air tricks — punctuated by big-air crashes. Ouch.
WORDS TO LEARN
Spin, grab, grind, shred, stoked, thrash, carnage, huck and dude
MOST RIDICULOUS SPORT
Snowmobile Best Trick — like a dirt bike trick, only without wheels.
WEAR
Baggy ski or board pants, neon jacket, sponsor logos and goggles (indoors and out)
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