X Games Minneapolis 2019 Reveals First Wave of Invited Athletes

Leticia Bufoni (BRA) competing in SoFi Women’s Skateboard Street during X Games Minneapolis 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, July 21. Image credit: / ESPN / Garth Milan

Monday, April 15, 2019

Returning to U.S. Bank Stadium for the third year, X Games Minneapolis will host the world’s top action sports athletes August 1 – 4. The first wave of invited athletes for the 2019 event is now available on XGames.com. With world-class action sports athletes from all over the globe, this first wave of invites is highlighted by defending X Games Sydney gold medalists Elliot Sloan and Ryan Williams and Minnesota native Alec Majerus. X Games Norway gold medalists Leticia Bufoni and Pamela Rosa also joined the invited list.

Tickets for X Games Minneapolis 2019 offer fans the unique opportunity to experience top-level action-sports competition by day and world-class musical offerings by night, all within the comfortable and convenient hub of U.S. Bank Stadium and GEICO Music Stage at The Armory. This year’s action sports will include Skateboard, BMX and Moto X disciplines; music will include performances by The Blind Shake, Chevy Metal, Diplo, Incubus, P.O.S, SWMRS and Wu-Tang Clan.

General admission tickets start at $20, with XIP, one-day and three-day experiences, and music options offered. In addition, X Games will offer a special children’s ticket price in 2019, making the event even more family friendly. All tickets will include access to X Fest, where fans can enjoy sponsor activations, athlete autograph sessions and more. Additionally, ESPN has teamed up with Anthony Travel to offer one-stop shopping for ticket and lodging packages at www.xgamestravel.com.

The first wave of X Games Minneapolis 2019 invited athletes includes:

• Elliot Sloan (New York City, New York, USA) – Defending X Games Sydney Big Air gold medalist Elliot Sloan owns 10 X Games medals in 14 appearances. Rocking on his guitar and rolling on ramps, Sloan is known for doing both in his Metal & Mayhem video part, where he pulled a 360 on a mega ramp with a guitar in his hand. Sloan has also hosted the Highland Showdown contest for the past two years at his home, where he has an extra-large vert ramp in his backyard.

• Alec Majerus (Rochester, Minnesota, USA) – Minnesota native Alec Majerus earned his first X Games medal with a bronze as a rookie at X Games Austin 2014 Skateboard Street. At the inaugural X Games Minneapolis in 2017, Majerus added a silver medal. Majerus earned two seventh place finishes at X Games Minneapolis and Sydney in 2018.

• Leticia Bufoni (Sao Paulo, Brazil) – Four-time Women’s Skateboard Street gold medalist Leticia Bufoni most recently earned her tenth overall medal with a silver at X Games Sydney. After earning six straight medals from 2010-2014, Bufoni returned to the top of the podium at X Games Norway 2018, winning her first gold since 2013. Bufoni now is the most-medaled woman in X Games Skateboard history.

• Ryan Williams (Sunshine Coast, Australia) – Once known strictly for his scooter skills, Ryan Williams has quickly shown he’s got what it takes to top the BMX ranks as well. Nabbing an invite to the X Games Minneapolis 2018 BMX Big Air contest by showing his BMX skills on the Nitro Circus tour, Williams landed a sixth place finish and a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10. He followed with a huge win in front of his hometown crowd at X Games Sydney 2018. With over a million Instagram followers, Williams is one of the most popular action sports athletes in the world.

• Levi Sherwood (Palmerston North, New Zealand) – A five-time X Games medalist, Sherwood was unable to defend his X Games Minneapolis 2017 double golds in Moto X Best Trick and Freestyle due to injury. The rider with the most X-Fighter wins in history, Sherwood also took home the first Nitro World Games Freestyle first place in 2017. Back in action, Sherwood is invited to compete in Freestyle and Best Trick.

*PLEASE NOTE: The invited athlete list is constantly being updated and is subject to change.

The full list of first wave athletes invited to compete at X Games Minneapolis 2019 is available at XGames.com.

As part of the Road to X Games content series, X Games will also host top athletes in a Boise Park Qualifier event on Saturday, June 29, as they compete to secure their invitation to X Games Minneapolis. Streamed live from Rhodes Skatepark in Boise, Idaho, the Boise Park Qualifier will feature three disciplines – Men’s Skateboard Park, Women’s Skateboard Park and BMX Park. The top six athletes in each discipline will also receive invites to Minneapolis.

Additional information on all X Games Minneapolis 2019 events will be forthcoming on XGames.com

for fans or on ESPNPressRoom.com for media only.

To learn more about X Games, please head here.