Jan 27, 2024; Gangwon-do, KOR; Henry Townshend (USA) in action during the Freestyle Skiing Men s Freeski Big Air at the Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gangwon, South Korea, Saturday 27 January 2024. Mandatory Credit: OIS/Joel Marklund-Imagn Images Images OIS/Joel Marklund-Imagn Images

Luca Harrington Grabs Gold and Silver Medals in First Ever X Games Appearance

Originally posted on Outdoors on SI | By Brad Repka | Last updated Jan 26, 2025 5:16 PM ET

Over the X Games weekend, one name shines brighter than most: New Zealand skier Luca Harrington. At just 20 years old, Harrington became a staple in the skiing community, dazzling fans with gravity-defying tricks at big moments and an unparalleled drive. His rise to popularity is a testimony to his dedication, passion, and skill, pushing the limits of tricks beyond what most thought was possible.

On Friday, January 24, 2025, Harrington amazed the freeski world by making the podium in Slopestyle after being a last-minute substitution for an injured athlete the morning of the competition at X Games Aspen 2025. He landed a huge switch triple-corked 1620 to end his run. Although everyone tried to unseat the Kiwi, none could beat his score, and he grabbed the Gold medal at the X-Games.

It was his first X Games event ever. Harrington continued his incredible weekend by also competing in Big Ski Air, where he grabbed another medal. Four of the eight skiers in Big Ski Air were past gold medalists,f not an easy feat for the Kiwi skier.

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Luca advanced to the final by landing a triple-corked 1980 with a tweaked tail grab with ease. Harrington sat in the bronze medal position after the first of two final rounds after laying down another triple-corked 1980.

On his second run, he added an extra rotation of 180 degrees, successfully landing his first-ever triple-corked 2160 tail grab. The move put him in the silver medal position behind the leader, Italian winner Miro Tabanelli, by just one point.

This was the first time that Harrington landed the trick in the snow. He exclaimed, "I did it!" after landing the trick at the bottom of the run.

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New Zealand grabbed three other medals in snowboarding over the weekend, but Harrington is the standout. Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won the slopestyle event and nabbed the bronze in the Big Air, while Rocco Jamieson locked down a Big Air bronze.

From his gold-medal win to his relentless drive during the Big Ski Air event, Harrington inspires a new generation of extreme sports athletes. The future of freeskiing has never looked brighter.

This article first appeared on Outdoors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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