Who is Competing in the X Games California 2023 in Ventura? You’ll Be Surprised. And Inspired.

Yep, the X Games – coming to Ventura, July 21st through July 23rd at the Ventura County Fairgrounds – have a long history of defying gravity and adjectives. But did you also know that the X Games are family-friendly and (read closely parents) hugely inspirational? 

Why might the X Games inspire your own kids to new heights and new possibilities? Well, for one thing, many of the X Games athletes might be even younger than your kids. This year’s X Games California 2023 is a remarkable and unique assemblage of youth. Literally.  

Who is competing in the Summer California X Games in Ventura? Yes, there will be household Xtreme names like Sky Brown, Ryan Williams, Colby Raha, and Edouard “Edi” Damestoy (more from Edi in a minute). But there will also be some 30 pre-teen competitors – comprising one-fifth of the X Games field. And – hang on to your handlebars – roughly half of those athletes are under the age of sixteen. 

Taking it to the lower limit, when July 21st arrives, Reese Nelson will be 10 years (and eight months) old. Should she medal in the Women’s Skateboard Vert, she’ll unseat Cocona Hiraki as the youngest X Games medalist of all time (Hiraki took silver in the Women’s Skateboard Vert at the X Games in Minneapolis in 2019). And here’s more inspiration. Sure, Nelson makes media headlines by being cute – sporting braids, a beaming smile, and Minnie Mouse toy skateboards. But make no mistake, talent, hard work and belief in possibility are what taught Nelson she could FLY. YouTube her. Yes. Anything is possible. At any age.

No one knows this better than the X Games athletes. Behind the glitz and the noise are the simple lessons that form the foundation of any success. Edi Damestoy, the first (and only) X Games Skateboard champ from France may put it best.

“The gold medal itself is only important to me as a reward for the hard work that I’ve put in and the choices that I’ve made. It means that I’m on the right path, doing the right things. It gives me an extra push to keep doing what I’m doing.”

To work hard and fly high. What better lessons for the young in your life? For that matter, what better lessons for you? As poet Robert Browning more staidly put it, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” 

The family-friendly X Games inspiration starts early.

On Thursday, July 20th, Downtown Ventura will host a free Kickoff Skate Jam, transforming the intersection of Main and California streets into a fan-friendly skate obstacle course. The Jam will run all day, with top local amateurs and pros on the course from 6 pm-8:30 pm, and will feature music, an X Games athlete meet and greet, and other family-friendly activities. 

You can’t watch all this adrenaline and electricity without absorbing some yourself. Precisely why the X Games folks will also offer X Fest. Your X Games ticket buys not just world-class competition, but world-class fun. Try your hand (and the rest of your body) at the Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course, the Hot Wheels Mini Ramp, the Mini Moto Course, the Skateboard and BMX Street Course, and – fitting for the surf town of Ventura – the Flowrider Wave Machine (bring your swimsuit and cinch it down tight).  

So buy your tickets HERE using promo code VENTURA20.

And be inspired and perhaps reacquainted.

Anything is possible.

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