A bid to win a three-year contract to host Winter X Games is being submitted by a group comprised of Lake Tahoe Region snow sport resorts and tourism agencies.
ESPN, which owns the X Games franchise selected Tahoe as one of the regions invited to bid for the 2015-17 Winter X Games.
“Hosting an event of this caliber would provide significant economic impact for the destination,” said Carol Chaplin, Executive Director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “The demographics of the X Games align perfectly with attractions and appeal of Lake Tahoe and its combination of outdoor recreation, spectacular natural beauty and 24-hour lifestyle.”
Competitions would be conducted at Heavenly Mountain Resort and Squaw Valley.
“Lake Tahoe is the ideal stage for a competition as big as the X Games,” said Peter Sonntag, Vice President and General Manager of Heavenly Mountain Resort. “Combine unmatched scenic beauty with huge snow and a thriving nightlife and entertainment scene, and you’ve got an event that no one will want to miss.”
ESPN’s X Games officials intend to announce bid finalists this April and name the hosts around the end of this year. Aspen, which has hosted the Winter X Games annually since 2002 and will continue to do so through 2014, is also in the running for the new three-year contract. Quebec City in Canada was also identified as was Park City, Utah. However, officials in the town which hit the world map as part of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games, decided against continuing to pursue the bid, citing timing and financial requirements.
