Svea Irving among the Colorado athletes excited to hit the slopes for the X Games in Aspen
It's a moment of pride for Colorado when athletes hit the slopes for the X Games in Aspen. Svea Irving, who grew up in Winter Park, will be competing in the upcoming Women's Ski SuperPipe. Irving stopped by the CBS News Colorado studio this week to talk about her growing excitement for the big day.
"I go to CU Boulder, so I have a bunch of friends and family coming up so it's just a really fun event," said Irving.
Irving will be making her second appearance at the X Games in 2024, as she won a bronze medal last year. She says the training is intense.
"We're traveling all the time. We have training camp all summer. We're in Europe pretty much all Fall, Austria, Switzerland. It's a lot but so much fun to be able to travel with the team and do this crazy lifestyle that we have," she told CBS News Colorado's Mekialaya White.
"What's going through your head when you're in the half pipe?" asked White. "Some athletes have certain playlists. Do you have a routine or ritual?"
"Everyone asks this, and it's so hard. I feel like when I'm looking back at the competition, I don't remember what I'm thinking about. But we have playlists, like I have a playlist that gets me hyped up when it's time to drop in and do my run."
"I like a little rap," added Irving. "Then, I turn my music off, be present in the moment, and ski my best."
Skiing is a family affair; Irving's brother Birk won a silver medal, and her father Brendan is the Director of Ski Patrol at Winter Park.
"It's awesome. I think I was born into a family of skiers and that's how we spent our holidays and weekends together. I was on skis when I was 3 years old."
Her favorite part of competing is the adrenaline.
"I love to just push myself and see how I do."
The X Games kick off on the 26th of January in Aspen-Snowmass. Click here for a full guide.
