The half-melted snow sloshed around boots of eager fans rushing closer to the mountain. Through a sea of beanies and loud cheers, all eyes were locked on the Big Air Jump. The stadium approved lights were in full glow, possibly brighter than the rays the sun offered earlier in the day. Yeah, it was cold. Maybe low 20s at best. But with friends and strangers packed tighter than Crayola crayons, the heat was just right.

Fur jackets of electrifying color that wouldn’t belong to any animal in the wild were commonplace. Tricked out goggles or funky sunglasses worked as long as either didn’t obstruct the view of athletes sailing higher than skyscrapers. Suddenly, a figure leapt from the pure white snow lip, and the commencement of twists and turns left mouths wide open. Right as one snowboard descended gracefully over the knuckle and touched down, it was time for the next rider to take his shot.

This event isn’t like baseball. There aren’t three strikes and you’re out. Nope, it’s about how many hits you can get in the 25-minute time slot, off a 49-meter ramp, no more no less. They each spun left and right to combine for the beloved perfect 100. With the time running low, it was hard to imagine that any more rotations could be spun, but with triple courts being the expectation, it only caused these athletes to do more.

Sebbe De Buck proved Superman really does exist after soaring in slow motion with a single flip being his stylistic jump. A smile never faded from Rene Rinnekangas’s face even as he found himself upside down. At only 17-years-old, Takeru Otsuka’s snowboard stomped the snow harder than the percussion from Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. Flakes of snow fluttered off his board while his hands were raised high above his head. Imagine that: a last-minute entry made the veterans’ knees twitch as they dropped down the almost vertical ramp.

Mark McMorris, 15-time medalist at the X Games, knew that a 46 was needed for another gold to be added to the list, and with his drop ready to commence, there was only excitement beaming through his goggles. He sliced through the air naturally, like he had wings from his Red Bull sponsorship. Ultimately, his switch grip and 1440 rotation couldn’t secure his stop at the top of the podium. The newcomer from Japan, Otsuka, was crowned king, standing proudly over his subjects with a gold X Games medal instead of a crown. Regardless, the audience breathed in unison as if they were out of breath from tackling the challenge of Big Air.

But their challenge had just started. There were still two more days of music blasting, people cheering, snow being swept around, athletes dominating and euphoria to be had. These initial moments are what confirm your ticket for the same craziness that X Games 2020 has to offer.