The best in the world of snow sports have descended on Buttermilk Mountain for the X Games. British-American Skier Gus Kenworthy is a two-time X Games medalist and says this weekend in Aspen is the sport’s biggest stage.
“Of course there’s other events and they all have merit,” Kenworthy said. “But in my eyes, this is what I dreamed of as a kid. And this is still kind of like the top tier and the best you can do.”
For one snowboarder in particular, competing this weekend marks a milestone. Canadian Max Parrot already has 7 X Games medals, but after being diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma almost exactly a year ago and finishing chemotherapy over the summer, he sees his return to Aspen as an accomplishment in itself.
“Knowing that I’m actually here just a couple months after beating cancer still means a lot for me,” Parrot said. “It’s a huge accomplishment that I’ve been able to do and I’m just really proud of myself for that.”
Preliminary events got underway Wednesday night, and competition continues through Sunday.
