Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Records were broken, tied, and set on the first two days of the Aspen 2024 X Games.
The 2024 Aspen X Games held at Buttermilk Resort in Aspen, Colorado are a three-day, high-energy, competition that showcases the best of the best in the snowboarding and freestyle skiing community, and is one of the most exciting competitions on the 2024 calendar.
Events include Slopestyle, SuperPipe, Knuckle Huck, and Big Air for both men and women and snowboard and freestyle ski, which prompts ample opportunity for exciting talent to make their mark and fight for a place on the podium.
Not just any snowboarder or freestyle skier can attend the X Games as an athlete, with the X Games only extending invites to top talent — and the ones with big social media followings. It’s a bit of a popularity contest, with fan-favorite stars such as American superstar Zeb Powell and Great Britain’s Mia Brookes in attendance alongside well-known Olympians Scotty James, Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu.
The first two days of the X Games were a show unlike any other, with record-making wins, first-time tricks, and more from the star-studded cast of athletes.
Beginning on Friday, Jan. 26, the inimitable Olympians Scotty James and Chloe Kim were the biggest names on the first day of competition, with both athletes reclaiming their titles on the Monster Energy Snowboard SuperPipe podiums.
Chloe Kim struggled at the LAAX Open Final just last week, but with this being her first X Games appearance since 2021, and her first U.S.-based competition since 2022, the pressure was on to perform for her home-country crowd.
It’s no surprise, then, that Kim shot to first with her opening run, then locked in her victory (tying women’s snowboarding legend Kelly Clark for most Snowboard SuperPipe gold medals) with a record-breaking cab 1260, the first in women’s snowboard SuperPipe history.
After the historic win and jaw-dropping final run, Kim had this to say; “I am speechless. I’m so excited to be back. I really wanted to do the cab 12 and wanted to give it a shot after attempting it for the first time in Beijing. It obviously wasn’t as clean as I would have liked it but I’m happy I was able to complete it and show you all what I’ve been working on.”
Coming in second was LAAX Open gold medalist Mitsuki Ono of Japan, and defending bronze medalist Xuetong Cai of China in third.
As for the Monster Energy Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe, international star (and budding social media influencer) Scotty James tied Shaun White for most consecutive X Games wins, with his third gold medal in the discipline. His run was filled with unbelievable tricks that only an athlete of James’ caliber could make look effortless.
On his tying with Shaun White, James said this of the feeling: “Thank you, Aspen. This is absolutely amazing. I feel like a little kid again riding and I’m enjoying snowboarding so much. X Games is so special and to join that record with Shaun is pretty nice too.”
While Scotty James has dominated the men’s SuperPipe field for years, a slew of exciting young talent is nipping at his heels. Ruka Hirano of Japan took second (his first medal at the X Games since his bronze medal in 2021), with Kaishu Hirano, also of Japan, flying 22 feet, 10 inches on his final run which secured him the bronze medal. (For context, that’s a whopping four stories high in height, and the highest of the night!)
Other highlights of the night included Mia Brookes becoming the first woman to land a 1440 in X Games history on her winning run in the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle, an event that was filled with exhilarating runs across the competition.
Brookes, who celebrated her 17th birthday last week was all smiles when it came to discussing her momentous trick. “Oh my God, that was the craziest thing I’ve ever done! I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time so I’m super happy. Speed was a bit of a challenge so I just kept my head down. For my last run, it was not the best 1440 but I’m so stoked to put it down,”
Mia Brookes wasn’t the only athlete to make X Games history, with Troy Podmilsak of the United States landing an unbelievable triple cork 2160 in the Pacifico Men’s Ski Big Air to secure his first X Games gold medal in a nail-biting competition.
Podmilsak faced a tough line-up of competitors, with two-time X Games Big Air gold medalist Alex Hall (USA) in attendance, and each athlete pulling out bigger and bigger tricks to make the podium. Podmilsak, with his incredible finish, de-seated Hall by just one point. Hall, up until Podmilsak’s final run, had been leading the competition by 15 points.
Troy Podmilsak was on cloud nine with how much the X Games means to him, and what it feels like to now count himself among X Games’ medalists.
“This X Games win is a dream. It means a lot because I set out these goals 10 years ago and I finally hit them. I grew up watching this. My coach is a two-time X Games gold medalist TJ Schiller. Getting an X Games gold medal means you’re a pro and I feel like I can finally call myself a pro now,” he said.
And, of the triple cork 2160? “I knew I had it, and I knew I was going to land it. It was my destiny to land that trick. This was the second time I’ve ever done it. The first time, I won the world championships with it.”
The second day of competition on Saturday, January 27, was just as fierce as the first, with two brand-new women’s disciplines, the Women’s Ski Knuckle Huck, and Women’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck on the docket, which were events previously only offered for men.
The Knuckle Huck competition uses the final roller element of the slopestyle course (think a downhill bump to get a bit of air) with athletes balancing innovation, skill, and technique in a discipline truly unlike any other. The Knuckle Huck has also always been the most ‘viral’ of the events, with clips of athlete’s electrifying ingenuity making the rounds on social media.
While the world of snow sports has always been one of the more gender-equal in culture, gaps still exist between male and female athletes. The 2024 Aspen X Games is the first X Games to feature completely equal events for men and women.
The Thayer’s Women’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck was chock-full of mind-blowing tricks, with Kokomo Murase snagging the gold medal from Germany’s Annika Moran. Murase won silver in the Snowboard Slopestyle the day previously and continued her legacy at the X Games with now a whopping eight medals under her belt.
The Thayer’s Women’s Ski Knuckle Huck was truly a sight to behold for all street skiing enthusiasts. American Taylor Lundquist, a well-known figure in the women’s street skiing circle competed, alongside Ski Big Air bronze medalist, Canadian Olivia Asselin, who fought to the top of the podium with sensational trick after trick — nose butter, tail butter, and the smoothest hand drag of all time.
“Taking gold in the first Knuckle Huck event means the world to me. This is such a fun, creative event and I’m all about that. I love these events. I think they’re the most fun to watch. And it was so fun to see it with all the girls. It was just such a good vibe out there and all the girls crushed it,” said Asselin of the competition’s vibe and her win.
Perhaps the most reminiscent of Snowboarding’s counter-culture roots is the OKX Web3 Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Street Style competition, which featured elements such as rails to emulate what a street rider may find on, well, a street. Filled with creativity and an old-school feel, Grace Warner’s run was particularly memorable, complete with a boardslide pretzel on a kink rail, in her very first X Games appearance.
Warner had this to say of her participation in the event. “I never imagined that I would be able to come and even watch this event, so competing in it is such a treat. And walking away with a medal is the most insane thing ever! I don’t even have words to describe how I feel right now. I never even had competing as a goal. So I think this is way beyond anything I ever imagined.”
Even if you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Eileen Gu, a generational talent in FreeSki. Gu has an impressive résumé when it comes to the Ski Superpipe, and her appearance at the Chipotle Women’s Ski Superpipe at the X Games was no different, despite battling an injury. Her opening run featured a high-flying start, lodging at 10 feet, 6 inches of air out of the pipe, and stylish back-to-back 900s and an alley-oop backside 540 safety grab.
With her gold medal win, Gu took a moment to recognize the impact the X Games has had on her and the sport.
“I’m so honored to win X Games again. To me, I’ve always said this event really epitomizes everything that action sports are. I want to recognize the athletes missing tonight, including Sarah Burke who paved the way for us. And thank you, X Games time and time again, for all the support who got me through this week. X Games is magic. I love all the skiing, I love all of it. Thank you Aspen!”
The Pacifico Ski Big Air competitions debuted a slight change, with judges now awarding style points on the first jump, while still evaluating their technicality on the second and third tricks.
France’s Tess Ledeux has long been a force to be reckoned with in the Ski Big Air discipline and notched a perfect 10 on her very first run, and after two equally as impressive tricks to round out her other two runs, Ledeux picked up her third gold medal in Big Air, making it her fifth gold medal overall and ninth medal total in X Games history.
”Wow, This is amazing. Five gold medals. I can’t believe it and I’m just so happy. (The perfect 10) was a big surprise for me. I’m super proud of this trick!” said Ledeux.
The Thayer’s Men’s Ski Knuckle Huck was the final competition of the night to round off day two, and it was just as explosive and thrilling as the women’s.
American Colby Stevenson became the first to win back-to-back gold medals in the men’s Knuckle Huck event after his stunning nose butter into 720 and 1440 left the crowd speechless.
Henrik Harlaut of Sweden is known across the snow sports world for his unique style on and off the mountain, so it’s no surprise he shone in a competition that prioritizes creativity. Jesper Tjader, also of Sweden, took third.
Stevenson was enthusiastic after his win. “The energy was X Games mode 100%! Everyone is so good so I just tried to do my tricks planned and maybe try new stuff. This was the ultimate progression session. I saw the craziest knuckle stuff I’ve ever seen and that was the best knuckle they built for us, to give us more airtime and also be able to butter normally on the other side was cool.”
With records being broken, tied, and set in just the first two days of the 2024 Aspen X Games by the world’s top freeskiers and snowboarders, it’s safe to say that fans have a lot to look forward to on the final day of competition.
Fans can tune in via ABC, ESPN, YouTube and Twitch.
X Games 2024 Results – Day 1
Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle
1. Mia Brookes (GBR) 97.66
2. Kokomo Murase (JPN) 94.33
3. Reira Iwabuchi (JPN) 92.00
4. Anna Gasser (AUT) 91.00
5. Annika Morgan (GER) 82.33
6. Hailey Langland (USA) 70.66
7. Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN) 55.66
8. Laurie Blouin (CAN) 32.33
Women’s Snowboard SuperPipe
1. Chloe Kim (USA) 96.33
2. Mitsuki Ono (JPN) 87.00
3. Xuetong Cai (CHN) 83.66
4. Bea Kim (USA)
5. Brooke D’Hondt (CAN)
6. Berenice Wicki (SUI)
7. Emily Arthur (AUS)
8. Kinsley White (USA)
Men’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck
1. Liam Brearley (CAN)
2. Zeb Powell (USA)
3. Darcy Sharpe (CAN)
4. Luke Winkelmann (USA)
5. Nate Haust (USA)
6. Dylan Alito (USA)
7. Miles Fallon (USA)
8. Jake Canter (USA)
Pacifico Men’s Ski Big Air
1. Troy Podmilsak (USA) 86.00
2. Alex Hall (USA) 85.00
3. Daniel Bacher (AUT) 70.00
4. Miro Tabanelli (ITA) 69.00
5. Mac Forehand (USA) 65.00
6. Sebastian Schjerve (NOR) 65.00
7. Birk Ruud (NOR) 62.00
8. Max Moffat (CAN) 52.00
Monster Energy Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe
1. Scotty James (AUS) 93.00
2. Ruka Hirano (JPN) 87.00
3. Kaishu Hirano (JPN) 86.33
4. Shichuro Shigeno (JPN) 80.66
5. Jan Scherrer (SUI) 72.00
6. Yuto Totsuka (JPN) 36.33
7. Chase Josey (USA) 34.33
8. Ayumu Hirano (JPN) 25.33
X Games Results 2024 Day 2
Samsung Galaxy Men’s Ski Slopestyle
1. Birk Ruud (NOR) 96.33
2. Alex Hall (USA) 96.00
3. Mac Forehand (USA) 95.33
4. Colby Stevenson (USA) 94.33
5. Andri Ragettli (SUI) 93.33
6. Jesper Tjader (SWE) 92.33
7. Evan McEachran (CAN) 87.66
8. Max Moffat (CAN) 86.33
9. Henrik Harlaut (SWE) 85.66
10. Ferdinand Dahl (NOR) 46.44
Thayers Women’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck
1. Kokomo Murase (JPN)
2. Annika Moran (GER)
3. Ellie Weiler (USA)
4. Jasmine Baird (CAN)
5. Ellie Weiler (USA)
6. Iris Pham (USA)
Thayers Women’s Ski Knuckle Huck
1. Olivia Asselin (CAN)
2. Rell Harwood (USA)
3. Sarah Hoefflin (SUI)
4. Anni Karava (FIN)
5. Tereza Korabova (CZE)
6. Lisa Zimmerman (GER)
7. Taylor Lundquist (USA)
Chipotle Women’s Ski SuperPipe
1. Eileen Gu (CHN) 95.66
2. Zoe Atkin (GBR) 90.66
3. Amy Fraser (CAN) 90.00
4. Svea Irving (USA) 87.33
5. Dillan Glennie (CAN) 83.33
6. RIley Jacobs (USA) 82.00
7. Yujin Jang (KOR) 69.66
8. Sabrina Cakmakli (GER) 60.00
OKX Web3 Snowboard Street Style
Women’s Winner: Grace Warner (USA)
Men’s Winner: Pat Fava (USA)
Pacifico Men’s Snowboard Big Air
1. Taiga Hasegawa (JPN)
2. Hiroaki Kunitake (JPN)
3. Mons Røisland (NOR)
4. Chris Corning (USA)
5. Tiarn Collins (NZL)
6. Rene Rinnekangas (FIN)
7. Liam Brearley (CAN)
8. Takeru Otsuka (JPN)
Pacifico Women’s Ski Big Air
1. Tess Ledeux (FRA)
2. Anastasia Tatalina (RUS)
3. Rell Harwood (USA)
4. Ruby Star Andrews
5. Sandra Eie (NOR)
6. Mathilde Gremaud (SUI)
Thayers Men’s Ski Knuckle Huck
1. Colby Stevenson (USA)
2. Henrik Harlaut (SWE)
3. Jesper Tjader (SWE)
4. Quinn Wolferman (USA)
5. Cody LaPlante (USA)
6. Juho Saastamoinen (FIN)
7. Alex Hall (USA)
8. Dennis Ranalter (AUT)
