Phewww. The Winter X Games 15 are over and I’m just now feeling as though I have my life back. As locals, many of us do not prepare for the impact the four days makes on our everyday lives, sweeping us away into the world of the extreme.
This year the X Games transported us to an entirely new dimension with our local ski club connected to the event. Our kids were actually able to compete in the USASA Rail Jam Qualifying competition on Buttermilk and had exclusive access to the ESPN X Fest Snowpark. 
In between competitions the kids, and their parents, revved up on “energy” food and raced around collecting schwag and meeting athletes. Some of our rising stars had an introduction of things to come as the media interviewed them on film. As the day turned to night and the crowds filtered in, Tucker began to melt down. He was cold and there was a sea of legs obstructing his view. It was then that I received a text from my new Twitter friend, Doug, inviting us up to the VIP crow’s nest. This was Doug’s eighth year filming the athlete interviews and award ceremonies for the X Games and I appreciated how he went the extra mile to help his new blogging friend out.
I wasn’t surprised to find a handful of my good friends already up there and we all excitedly watched Torin Yater-Wallace take the silver medal in the men’s skiing superpipe. For those of you who don’t understand social media, this is what it’s all about…connecting and helping one another out!
As I packed our backpack each day with hand & toe warmers, extra ski socks and anything double down, I wondered if I was going to be able to participate in any of my own extreme after hours action. Big Boi was playing at the base of Aspen Mountain and there was a private gig at Belly Up, but what I really wanted to attend was the first of Skollie Magazine’s continuing STOKE parties. As a mom of three boys, a night out on the town was exactly what I needed. I did manage to make it to the party, arriving late as always. It was winding down and I felt very out of place, not knowing a soul and coming in late. I know this is hard to believe, but I’m wickedly shy, when I don’t have my friends or my husband at my side, and I tend to hide behind my cameras. I did make a few friends though. Ryan, who was still wearing his ski goggles told me how much he likes to shred the pow pow on Snowmass. When I asked him if he skied The Wall he looked at me as if I was crazy and asked, “Is that the place that looks like you’re gonna kill yourself if you go there?” The other friend I made informed me that I had already connected with him on Twitter. He was a movie Producer living in New York City. I didn’t recognize his name but patted myself on the back for finding somebody so uber cool, even if I didn’t realize it. It got me thinking though of how many Twitter friends I would like to meet in person.
When the party ended, I followed the crowd to the outdoor concert and precariously slid down to the front in my converse sneakers, hoping to find somebody to play with. That was when my night took on the feel of one of my favorite movies, After Hours, where no matter how I tried, I could not get home to Wade and the kids. Ok, I wasn’t really trying.
I did end up making a lot of friends that night, and had the time of my life at Belly Up but I signed an oath not to photograph or write about any of them, except for Tim and Eddie from Australia. Eddie, dressed to the nines in a velvet striped blazer, blue jeans and totally hip black glasses. He was the kind of guy who takes his travel seriously and does his research and guess where he got all of his information on what to do and where to go while in Aspen? Skollie Magazine of course. Danny Tamez, Editor in Chief of the magazine, has got it going on all the way over in the Southern Hemisphere.
They were a happy crew of men, complimenting me on my True Religion jeans and then playing with me by making fun of my “Texas Denim Leisure Suit,” I was wearing all Denim. If I had a picture, I’d show you.
Getting home at 4:00am I crawled into bed, my phone vibrating from the onslaught of texts from my new friends wanting to grab a late night burrito and talk writing. Maybe in my past life.
Snuggling up to Wade to absorb his heat, I heard him mumble something about jail and I happily fell asleep, my ears ringing from the loud music.
Three hours later I woke up to repack the backpack and head out for more.
Possible that I went out with that camera man when
John Denver shot the “muppets in the mountains”.
Then here’s to reconnecting. You sure it wasn’t Animal?
Okay, I now feel officially old. No way could I ever keep up with you. But it’s always fun to watch you go.
Darrelyn Saloom´s last [type] ..What Im Looking Forward to at AWP