After Years Away, Snowmobiles Roar Back Into the X Games

The winter X Games are closely associated with skiing and snowboarding, but for years, fans also enjoyed the guttural roar of engine-powered machines: snowmobiles.

They haven’t been part of the X Games program since 2020, though. This coming winter, that changes. For X Games Aspen 2026, two snowmobile disciplines—Speed & Style and Freestyle—are back on the calendar.

Invited athletes include former X Games medalists Brett Turcotte, Willie Elam, and Brandon Cormier. Eight riders will compete in each event.

“I am so blessed to hear that X Games will be bringing back snowmobiles for 2026,” said Turcotte in a press release. “I have been waiting for this opportunity and am more motivated than ever for the chance at another gold medal moment!” 

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X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom, in an email conversation with the Aspen Daily News, said the course will include “Next Gen Ramps” that facilitate bigger air and bigger tricks. 

The allowed snowmobile engines will be more powerful this time around, too, according to Bloom, jumping from 600cc to 900cc with electronic fuel injection.

Snowmobiling “brings a whole different kind of energy to Aspen, gives riders a bigger platform to showcase what they can do, and answers the call from fans who’ve been asking nonstop for its return,” he told the Aspen Daily News.

That fan sentiment is abundantly clear online: the people want snowmobiles. Below the X Games’ post announcing the return of snowmobiles, excitement poured in.

“So glad it’s not April 1st,” one commenter wrote. 

“Best news I’ve heard all year,” wrote another.

The snowmobile revival comes amidst a significant shift in X Games’ identity and strategy. 

Bloom started as CEO in December 2024. Under his leadership, the action sports circuit has launched AI judging, announced the coming debut of the new team-based X Games League, and, most recently, undergone a rebrand, replacing the classic red X logo with modern-looking fare. 

The X Games League is scheduled to start in the summer of 2026 with BMX and skateboarding. One hundred and fifty athletes have confirmed their eligibility for the coming team—or X Club, in X Games parlance—draft. The winter X Games League starts in 2027 and includes skiing and snowboarding competitions.

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