JenI decided that instead of recapping every X Games with an eXponential Awards, I would just go an annual version with bonus Olympics editions. The past couple of years have revealed that the X Games is no longer the dominant force representing action sports. It is still the event with the most variety, but the limited invitations means a lot of great athletes get left out. Furthermore, there are single sport events like Natural Selection and the World Surf League Championship Tour that contribute to the action sports world, and I also wanted to recognize film projects so there’s the new categories of Best Edit/Short Film (anything under 30 minutes) and Best Film. I’m not going to be able to keep with everything, especially all the movies, but given how exclusive contests like the X Games are, I want to diversify my consumption of action sports media and hope to give a better glimpse into the world with this new format. I do realize that I did an X Games Aspen 2022 version of the eXponential Awards so I avoided repeats despite some outstanding candidates from that event.
Best Female Athlete – Rayssa Leal (Skate)
Talk about domination. Rayssa Leal not only showed the world that the little girl heelflipping in a fairy costume was more than a viral photo with her Olympic silver, but she also swept the entire Street League Skateboarding series, winning all three events and the Super Crown. She also won her first X Games gold medal at Chiba and turned pro for April. This is all before Rayssa’s 15th birthday at the beginning of 2023 so she’s got many more years ahead.
Best Male Athlete – Julien Vanstippen (FMX)
Julien Vanstippen might be relatively new to FMX, but his racing background has given him the bike skills to excel at Best Whip. He got two X Games medals from his first two appearances and then cemented himself as “King of the Whip” in a contest with that name in South Africa. Julien isn’t a one trick pony though. He won Best Upside Down Trick in the same contest and placed third in Red Bull Imagination.
Best Non-binary Athlete – Leo Baker (Skate)
You might question my choice since much of it has to do with Leo Baker not skating. However, to live authentically is what drives all action sports athletes. We finally see things from Leo’s point of view with the premiere of Stay on Board: the Leo Baker Story. The documentary helped us understand that the gender euphoria he experienced after getting top surgery is worth more than any Olympic or X Games gold, and we also got to meet Leo the musician with the release of his first single, “Hold Me Till We’re Home”. He’s still skating, and it’s finally on his terms.
To the Power of X 