ASPEN, COLO.—Aspen’s icy Buttermilk Mountain was covered in event inspo as brands sponsoring the 2025 X Games decked out the grounds in steal-worthy activations and fan experiences. But before looking beyond the SuperPipe, let’s review the basics: Japanese snowboarder Hiroto Ogiwara and Italian skier Miro Tabanelli both made history in their respective sports after successfully landing 2340s—a staggering six and a half rotations. Meanwhile, 24-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim went home to California with her eighth X Games title.
It all went down Jan. 23-25 in front of nearly 26,000 fans, according to Ashley Robbins, vice president of partnership sales at X Games. It was the 24th edition of X Games Aspen but the first ever to be fully ticketed, Robbins told BizBash. It also marked the start of a series of events to celebrate the Games’ 30th anniversary (the recently announced inaugural X Games Sacramento taking place this summer is part of the celebration). 
In its 24th year, X Games Aspen once again returned to Buttermilk Mountain Jan. 23-25.Photo: Courtesy of X Games
It’s only fitting then that SONIC Drive-In—an official partner of XGames Aspen 2025 and the first-ever presenting partner of the 2024 X Games Ventura in June—boasted a 30-by-30-foot activation space designed as the SONIC Lounge. Perched atop Buttermilk Mountain and overlooking the competition’s terrain park, the space leaned into the après lifestyle with cozy fireplaces, exclusive SONIC merchandise, and board games.
Farther down the mountain, the inaugural SONIC Ski-In materialized as a replica of a SONIC Drive-In, complete with its double-delta, blue-and-red marquee sign. There were even drive-thru windows redesigned as “ski-in” windows where skiers and snowboarders could pick up a Strawberry Shortcake Snowball Slush Float or SONIC’s iconic Pretzel Twists. 
The SONIC Lounge leaned into the après lifestyle with cozy fireplaces, exclusive SONIC merchandise, and board games.Photo: Courtesy of SONIC Drive-In
At the bottom of the mountain, the inaugural SONIC Ski-In boasted drive-thru windows redesigned as “ski-in” windows where skiers and snowboarders could pick up a Strawberry Shortcake Snowball Slush Float or SONIC’s iconic Pretzel Twists.Photo: Courtesy of SONIC Drive-In
And to tie the mountaintop and foothill activations together, a SONIC-branded, 12-person Snowcat transported fans up the mountain from the start gate to get a glimpse at the courses.
Energy drink brand Monster Energy was another X Games Aspen partner that activated on Buttermilk Mountain. It was hard to miss, though it wasn’t immediately clear if that was because of its two-story scope, lime green lighting, or oversize Monster Energy can at the entrance. And when not playing host to live DJ performances, the second floor of the open-air space served as a live podcasting studio for the Unleashed podcast and its hosts, action sports personality The Dingo, pro snowboarder Danny Kass, and former ring girl Brittney Palmer, according to Robbins. 
The SONIC Ski-In looked like a replica of a SONIC Drive-In, complete with its double-delta, blue-and-red marquee sign.Photo: Courtesy of SONIC Drive-In
“They [Monster Energy] also entitled the SuperPipe competition, so we were able to fully turn on green lights, which was really unique to that competition and Monster, and was a really cool experience visually,” Robbins explained.
Meanwhile, the X Games teams also sought to further engage fans with what Robbins described as “an elevated music experience” that took place right on the mountain—a switch-up from years past, when musical performances were at an off-site venue. The lineup included 30-minute sets in between all the action from Illenium, Daily Bread, and Big Gigantic before capping off with deadmau5. “Fans could pump up the volume, and it brought the energy and fandom,” Robbins said. 
Monster Energy executed a two-story space that played host to DJ sets and live podcasting sessions.Photo: Courtesy of X Games
Meanwhile, fans at home were introduced to all-new, artificial intelligence-powered judging technology born out of X Games’ partnership with Google Cloud.
“While human judges ultimately determined scores and medals, the AI provided real-time scoring predictions [for the snowboard SuperPipe competitions] that were displayed during the broadcast,” Robbins explained of the tech, noting that Google co-founder Sergey Brin was mountainside “to witness the AI system in action.”
Brin also presented medals to the winning athletes as part of the partnership, reportedly first drawn up in December when former Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom—a buddy of Brin’s—took over as the CEO of X Games, according to Fast Company. Robbins said the introduction of the AI is a reflection of X Games’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and fan engagement.
This year's X Games Aspen marked the first time the event was ticketed. Nearly 26,000 fans bundled up to attend.Photo: Courtesy of X Games
