Friday, 24 January will be a day to remember for Luca Harrington…and Wanaka, New Zealand.
Shortly after Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won the women’s snowboard slopestyle, Harrington shocked the freeski world, climbing atop the men’s freeski slopestyle podium after making a late substitution for an injured athlete on the morning of the competition at X Games Aspen 2025.
He rode with a confidence and flair well beyond his years, stomping a massive switch triple cork 1620 in front of thousands of fans to end his run on an unforgettable high note.
“This year has been absolutely incredible,” Harrington told X Games broadcasters, reflecting on a breakout season that’s seen him win two World Cup big air competitions and, now, his first-ever X Games slopestyle title.
“I was actually an alternate this morning, and made it in last second. I can’t believe this. This is incredible,” said the astonished freeskier, who was able to celebrate with his family.
The stoke level was high during the electric men’s freeski slopestyle final, with athletes flying through the air in an attempt to unseat Harrington. Luckily for the Kiwi, his score of 93.33 points withstood the barrage of flips, spins and mind-bending grinds thrown at it by his fellow competitors.
Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli finished best of the rest, with a score of 90.66 points. The complexity of his jumps, described best as a series of “word soup” manoeuvres with an insane amount of grabs and spins, placed him just behind the sensational Kiwi.
Navigating the course proved especially difficult for many freeskiers, with cloud cover complicating the spotting techniques employed by many athletes in the air.
Nonetheless, Team USA’s Mac Forehand completed a full run to snag the bronze medal behind Harrington and Ragettli, scoring 88.33 points for his efforts.
Fortunes were different for Norway’s Birk Ruud, who fell victim to the tricky conditions. Failing to complete a clean run in the finals, the defending X Games champion landed off the podium in fifth place.
While the overcast sky might have brought some gloom to Buttermilk Mountain, the men’s freeski slopestyle brought nothing but smiles and radiant joy to the piste.
