The X Games is a competition that takes place twice a year in which athletes compete in extreme sports for medals and money prizes. There is both a summer and winter version of the competition, but the 2024 Winter X Games took place last month from January 26th to January 28th on Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. The games have been held on Buttermilk Mountain since 2002, however, the first Winter X games were held in 1997 in Big Bear, California. The Winter X Games include the categories of Skiing, Snowboarding, and snowmobiling, and within these categories, athletes perform in a variety of different ways. Some events require athletes to race downhill while navigating through obstacles, while others require athletes to perform elaborate tricks on a halfpipe. 

This year the X Games saw a 67% increase in the number of events for women. One specific event that introduced its first female category this year is the Knuckle Huck event. In this event, athletes use the same course as the Big Air jump event, but they do not hit the jump. Instead, athletes use the rollover portion of the jump, also known as the “knuckle” to perform tricks. Athletes can go on as many runs as they want to in 20 minutes, and they are judged on their overall performance. This event was not limited to men previously, however, only one woman had ever participated in this event before this year. Now, women have their own category within this competition; 8 women participated in the ski version, and 6 women participated in the snowboard version. 

All in all, the X Games have moved from a male dominated extreme sport competition to a one with an equal number of events for both male and female competitors. The fight for equal representation is apparent in every sport, especially when they are in historically male-dominated categories. Additionally, the X Games offered equal prize money for both men and women in 2008, and this has consistently incentivized more females to compete in the games. The X Games was ahead of the curve in this respect, and has allowed women to excel in competitive environments that they did not previously have the opportunity to compete in.