Austin will host ESPN’s Summer X Games for the first time this year. The four-day event shifts locations after an 11-year stint in Los Angeles. The majority of X Games action will take place at the Circuit of The Americas race track, and additional events are planned along Congress Avenue in front of the state Capitol building. In addition, live music will be performed throughout at both venue locations.

Need to know before you go:

  • No backpacks, suitcases, beach bags—or any bag larger than 14 inches—allowed
  • No outside food or beverage allowed except sealed plastic bottled water
  • No outside skateboards or in-line skates allowed; personal skate items can be checked in at COTA Grand Plaza entrance. Skateboards and bikes will be available for checkout as part of the interactive parks on-site
  • No tailgating in parking lots; camping is available at additional cost
  • Public transportation is recommended for attending downtown events
  • Guest drop-off/pickup points are located in front of the COTA main grandstands in Lot A entering from FM 812 and in Lot H entering from Elroy Road. A downtown guest drop-off/pickup point is located east on 11th Street before Congress Avenue

Need-to-know websites:

Information:

ESPN, ABC AND ESPN3.com will offer 26.5 hours of live coverage

X Games events

BMX

X Games Austin 2014 Vince Byron competing in BMX Freestyle Vert Final during X Games Barcelona 2013.[/caption]

 

GoPro Big Air: Athletes judged based on a combination score of tricks completed over a 55-foot gap and tricks executed off a 27-foot quarterpipe. Morgan Wade, a Tyler native, won Big Air gold last year. Final-only format Dirt: Athletes must complete a combination of tricks over six jumps ranging from 15–33 feet wide and tricks executed. Park: Competitors will be judged based on aggressive execution of maneuvers on a transition-based concrete course. Street: The course incorporates stairs, concrete rails and ledges as well as some street-style gaps. Vert: Riders will ride a 60-foot-wide ramp with 11.5-foot transitions and 2 feet of vert. Judging is based on aggressive execution of maneuvers, degree of difficulty and variety of tricks. Vert competitor Jamie Bestwick has a record eight consecutive gold medals in the same discipline. Final-only format

Skateboard

X Games Austin 2014 Leticia Bufoni during Skateboard Park Women's Practice at X Games Barcelona 2013[/caption] Big Air: Athletes drop onto a big air ramp, cross a 50- to 65-foot gap and then continue up a 27-foot quarterpipe for a second trick. Bob Burnquist, the X Games’ most-medaled athlete, will compete in big air and vert. Park: Similar to the BMX event, riders have a maximum of 40 seconds to complete a transition-based concrete and wood-hybrid course. Pedro Barros is the defending Park gold medalist. Men’s and Women’s Street: The street-inspired course consists of stair sets, banks, manual pads, ledges, rails and quarterpipes. Athletes to watch include Nyjah Huston, Tony Hawk’s son Riley and defending gold medalist Leticia Bufoni. Vert: Skaters combine technical big airs and lip tricks. Bucky Lasek returns, having won gold in the same discipline at all four X Games summer events in 2013. He will also compete in RallyCross racing. Amateur Street: Amateur street skaters showcase their talents on a pro course.

Moto X

X Games Austin 2014 Jackson Strong competing in Moto X Freestyle Final during X Games LA 2013[/caption]

 

Best Whip: Riders showcase their ability to throw a 250-pound motorcycle sideways and bring it back in style. Fans judge attempts via Twitter. Final-only format Step up: Riders line up 30 feet from a vertical ramp in an attempt to clear a jump bar at varying heights. The last rider to successfully clear top height wins. Final-only format Freestyle: Competitors complete a complex dirt course of varying jumps—some dirt, some metal—while integrating tricks throughout the run. Scoring is based on overall impression, tricks, execution, style, use of the course and landings. Taka Higashino won his third-straight Freestyle gold medal at X Games Los Angeles last year. Final-only format Men’s and Women’s Enduro X: The event showcases talent on an all-terrain obstacle course, with riders racing through sand, mud, logs, rocks and other terrain. Final-only format for women’s competition. Tarah Gieger returns as the most-decorated Moto X female athlete. Speed and Style: In a combination of racing and gravity-defying tricks, two riders race head-to-head around a three-lap course. Both riders must hit a freestyle ramp and execute a trick on each lap, with judges scoring based on overall impression of the tricks performed each lap. Bonus points are awarded for margin of victory.

Rallycar/SST

X Games Austin 2014 First Starter of Ford RallyCross Final during X Games Foz Do Iguacu 2013[/caption]

 

Ford RallyCross SuperCar: 600-horsepower cars compete on a mixed-surface course that includes dirt, jumps and other obstacles. The top three drivers advance to quarterfinal and semifinal races, culminating in a 10-lap finale among six drivers. Toomas Heikkinen, 22, won last year’s Global RallyCross Championship title. RallyCross Lites: In a format similar to Ford RallyCross, all drivers compete in identically prepared 310-horsepower vehicles. Stadium SUPER Trucks: Identically prepared 600-horsepower trucks capable of reaching speeds up to 120 mph will negotiate a seven-turn course made of dirt and asphalt. The top eight of each heat advance to a 10-lap final race. Robby Gordon, 2013 SUPER Trucks series champion, helped create the event, which makes its debut in Austin. View a PDF of this guide