For Nicole Hause, it's all about the royal treatment at the X Games in Minneapolis.
"We get food, we get concert tickets, we get everything," the skateboarder from Stillwater said. "Any other contest, they just give you some Skittles."
For skateboarder Elliot Sloan, the best part of competing at U.S. Bank Stadium is the luxurious indoor setting, where no one worries about wind or rain. BMX rider Kyle Baldock appreciates the courses, which he thinks are more challenging every year. And skateboarder Jagger Eaton prizes something a little less definable.
"Every single year, it gets better," Eaton said. "There are no bad vibes here, and I appreciate that a lot."
The four-day X Games wrapped up Sunday, ending their third consecutive staging in Minneapolis by awarding medals in five events. The festival of what used to be called extreme sports — the preferred term is now "action sports" — will return to U.S. Bank Stadium next July.
In the X Games' main disciplines of skateboarding, BMX and Moto X, athletes keep their sports fresh and exciting by chasing ever-more elaborate tricks. X Games Vice President Tim Reed said the event itself is no different. For its 25th edition, the X Games continued to evolve, with new contests, new sites and new formats.
Before long, Reed and his staff will begin considering more innovations for next year — and start the process of choosing a host city for 2021. Sunday, he paused just long enough to enjoy the successes of this one.
"I thought it was fantastic," Reed said. "There was great energy. The athletes seemed stoked all weekend. And the weather helped out; it was beautiful, and it got a lot of people out to the event.