Vert Alert: X Games and Amtrak Partner for Larger-Than-Life Promo

First-time partners X Games and Amtrak are launching a sustainably-minded collaboration that aims to take cars off the traffic-choked roads of Southern California and deliver fans by rail to the upcoming three-day sports event.

As part of the deal, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner trains that run between the Central Coast and San Diego will be wrapped with action-packed images of the athletes taking part in the summer competition. Among the stars slated to attend are Sky Brown, Nyjah Huston, Garrett Reynolds and Rayssa Leal. 

This marks the first time Amtrak has had a brand-backed promotion on its trains. And the X Games project is intended to open the door for future partners looking for a unique, larger-than-life piece of outdoor media that measures 85 feet long and 16 feet high.

X Games, a storied franchise that takes place biannually, kicks off July 21 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds about an hour north of Los Angeles. The event will welcome in-person crowds to its summer contest for the first time in three years, leaning further into its ongoing sustainability message by nixing all single-use plastic water bottles.

“In addition to the sustainable travel program, we’re working with the venue on recycling and composting,” Valerie Ryan, vice president of fan experience and hospitality for X Games, told Adweek. “And we will not have any single-use plastic on-site … it’s a big push for us this year.”

Ride, don’t drive

Tourism boards Visit Ventura and Ventura County Coast were prime movers in linking Amtrak and X Games, which is being held for the first time at a seaside location steps away from a Pacific Surfliner stop.

The train, which has 29 stations covering some 350 miles from San Luis Obispo to San Juan Capistrano, is the second busiest train route in the country for Amtrak, running along the scenic California coast.

With 500 seats on each train, Pacific Surfliner could transport more than 16,000 passengers to the X Games. Trains are 46% more energy efficient than cars, per Amtrak stats, and each Pacific Surfliner can take as many as 290 cars off the congested Southland highways.

Among its X Games-specific perks, the train is scheduling an additional, later run in the evening and offering 15% discounts for attendees, who can bring their skateboards, surf boards and bikes on-board for free.

Similar to most companies in the travel space, Amtrak has “struggled through the pandemic,” but has “been gaining riders slowly and surely,” according to Puja Thomas-Patel, marketing and communications manager for LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, which manages the Pacific Surfliner service.

In putting together its bid for the X Games, Visit Ventura reached out to Pacific Surfliner for early conversations on how the two groups could work together.

“We can transport large numbers of people sustainably from one city to another,” Thomas-Patel said, “so it was a perfect fit.”

The train wraps—which include QR codes on a sunny, palm-tree dotted backdrop—will stay in place for the next six months, with slight tweaks to further emphasize Ventura tourism, according to Thomas-Patel. 

‘Vert Alert’

Pacifico beer and Monster energy drink have signed as returning sponsors of the competition, joined by Visit Ventura and Ventura County Coast, with several more deals still pending, according to Ryan. Mattel’s Hot Wheels, for its skate line, will sponsor Tony Hawk’s big-ramp contest called “vert alert” at the event.

X Games will have several new features for the Ventura meet, including ticketing tiers that can get fans closer to the action and athletes, and a female-centric celebration on July 22, and a Community-powered SMS program to boost the fan experience. A family-friendly on-site festival will include interactive bike and skateboard workshops, and organizers plan to announce a new loyalty program for attendees.

The venue can accommodate as many as 25,000 people a day, and for those not on-site, live coverage airs on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, with streaming on Twitch and X Games platforms.