Growing up, this junior Sopris Sun reporter watched the X Games on his computer. As a passion for photography grew within, a far-out dream came into the back of my mind: photographing the X Games. At the end of my junior year at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, I found the youth internship program with The Sopris Sun and suddenly that idea became within reach. After applying for the X Games media pass in December, the wait began, and eventually I received confirmation that I would get to photograph the 2025 event. A dream of three years came true.
When I arrived at 3pm on Wednesday for the press conference, I was so nervous to be attending along with other media and the athletes I grew up watching. Once my nerves settled, I was told I could photograph the halfpipe skiing. As I walked over with a photographer from Aspen Daily News I’d met, I was in a trance, not having any idea how difficult it would be to walk up the deck of the halfpipe. After taking a few steps I slipped and then slid down to the bottom. I got back up, shuffled my way up the pipe and settled in to get some shots.
At the end of the day, riding back on RFTA, I couldn’t help but smile looking back at the photos from the day ⸺ the fruits of a dream come true. Over the subsequent few days, I got to capture the atmosphere and the skiing and snowboarding that X Games was built on. As each day turned to night, my job became more difficult ⸺ having to adjust my camera settings so athletes were in focus, while simultaneously battling the cold. Each day came with a new lesson. First, don’t forget a camera charger; second, bring warmer gloves; and third, following some sage advice, to enjoy the moment and not get lost trying to capture it. The final night was unreal, all of the learned lessons came together and created an experience I will never forget.
