ASPEN, Colorado—Eleanor Andrews, 17, felt a thrill as she ripped down the street style ski course at X Games Aspen 2025. Eleanor was one of only three athletes under 18 skiing at the Games. She skied against older athletes. She has idolized idolize to look up to (verb) some of them for years. “It’s just crazy to see all these women I’ve watched since I was really young,” Eleanor told TIME for Kids.
STREET STYLE Eleanor Andrews takes on the street style course at X Games Aspen 2025.
COURTESY X GAMESFrom January 23 to 25, top snowboarders and skiers gathered in Aspen, Colorado. Some were teens, like Eleanor. In the X Games, kids don’t have separate events. They compete against adults. And sometimes, they take home medals anyway.
Breaking Records
South Korean snowboarder Gaon Choi made history in 2023. She became the youngest X Games competitor ever to win gold in a snowboard halfpipe event. She was 14. The record previously belonged to Chloe Kim. She’s an Olympic gold medalist who has been a mentor to Gaon.
ROLE MODEL Snowboarder Chloe Kim greets fans at the X Games Aspen 2025 on January 25.
EZRA SHAW—GETTY IMAGES
Now Gaon is 16. She overcame a back injury to compete this year, and snowboarded in the superpipe event. “Don’t think about the past,” Gaon told TFK through an interpreter, while reflecting on her time off. “Think of what you’re going to be doing in the future.”
Rock Star Rookies
Lily Dhawornvej is 15, and L.J. Henriquez is 16. The two young snowboarders competed in their first X Games this year. Being rookies rookie a player who is just starting out, professionally (noun) didn’t hold them back. Lily scored a bronze medal in the snowboard knuckle huck. “I‘m definitely feeling excited,” she told TFK after her victory. “A lot of adrenaline.” L.J. didn’t medal. But he still boarded with a big smile on his face.
MEDAL CEREMONY X Games rookie Lily Dhawornvej takes home the knuckle huck bronze medal.
MARK KOHLMAN—X GAMES
Lily and L.J. both competed in the new street style event. They rode over metal rails and snow-covered ramps. Neither took home a medal for it. But L.J. says he competes for love of the sport. “Just follow your passion,” he says. “Follow your heart. If you want to do it, you’re gonna find ways to do it.”
FRESH FACE L.J. Henriquez looks on at the X Games Street Style Pro qualifier event in December 2024.
BRETT WILHELM—COURTESY X GAMES
Just as street style athletes find their own way across a course, Eleanor, Gaon, Lily, and L.J. are carving their own paths in the world of winter sports.
Winter Sports Terms to Know
carve verb: to execute an advanced maneuver, moving quickly down a slope on skis or a snowboard without making wide turns
halfpipe noun: a large, snow-covered tube for performing jumps on skis or a snowboard
knuckle huck noun: a ski or snowboard event that involves using the curved upper section of a slope to perform tricks
slopestyle noun: a type of freestyle skiing or snowboarding in which competitors use rails for sliding and massive ramps for jumping
street style noun: a ski and snowboard event that’s similar to slopestyle, on a shorter, flatter course
superpipe noun: a large halfpipe structure used in extreme sports, usually with vertical walls higher than 16 feet tall
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