Snowmobiles To Return at X Games Aspen 2026
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The Year of the Sled
The sound of two-strokes will echo through X-Games once again. For the first time since 2020, snowmobiles are back at the Winter X Games, officially returning for Aspen 2026 with two heavy-hitting events: Freestyle and Speed & Style.
That means more throttle, more airtime, and more amplitude at Buttermilk Mountain. As X-Games sorts out its rebrand, maybe it's time for a return to the loud, adrenaline-soaked roots that helped make it a cultural phenomenon in the first place.
“I am so blessed to hear that X Games will be bringing back snowmobiles... I have been waiting... for the chance at another gold medal moment.”
-Brett Turcotte, 8-time X-Games medalist
Turcotte, who last won speed and style back in 2018, is obviously fired up. He will be joined by Willie Elam and Brandon Cormier, three of the sport’s most explosive riders, for what promises to be an exciting and long-overdue revival. Eight athletes will compete in each discipline.
X Games Goes Full Send
For longtime fans, snowmobiles are a historic staple of the Aspen weekend. A blur of horsepower and backflips that pushed freestyle boundaries every bit as far as skiing or snowboarding. Their disappearance after 2020 left a hole in the broadcast. The return of snowmobiles to the X Games will certainly bring up the intensity.
X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom confirmed the 2026 snowmobile course will feature “Next Gen Ramps” built for longer gaps and higher hang time. The sleds are getting a bump too, with engine limits increasing from 600cc to 900cc, hopefully giving riders more than enough juice to perform consistently at Aspen’s high elevation.
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A Rebrand, and a Return to the Roots
The snowmobile comeback arrives as X Games undergoes its biggest transformation in years. Since taking over in 2024, Bloom has rolled out AI-assisted judging, a controversial visual rebrand, and the brand new X Games League, a team-based competition launching in 2026.
Still, the return of snowmobiling will be conspicuous. And even if you can't see it, you'll probably hear it.
“Snowmobiling... brings a whole different kind of energy to Aspen, gives riders a bigger platform to showcase what they can do, and answers the call from fans who’ve been asking nonstop for its return,” Bloom told AspenDailyNews.
X Games Aspen runs January 23–25, 2026. Expect engines screaming, ramps flying, and the return of a truly chaotic discipline. Nostalgia, check.
