Skier Shatters Reality With Double Flip on XC Skis

At first glance, this looks like your usual Instagram highlight reel. These days, it seems that everyone and their dog can do a double cork. We’re constantly awash in top-notch ski content thanks to social media, so stand-out moves, when watched from the comfort of our beds or couches, don’t appear particularly sensational.

This is different, though, and anyone who’s ridden a pair of cross-country skis can attest to that fact.

Cross-country skis usually don’t have edges. Their bindings are lightweight and don’t secure your heel in place. As is apparent from Ruud’s video, they’re considerably thinner than alpine skis. For the average person, going down a gentle slope on a pair of cross-country skis without crashing is a Herculean feat—let alone spinning 1080 degrees.

Ruud’s margin for error was non-existent. During one of his test runs, he crashed in the flats after the jump, and above the in-run admitted, “I’m so nervous.” But, after a few attempts, Ruud stomped the trick.

His resume probably made the stunt easier. The Norwegian has six X Games medals, and during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, took gold in Men’s Freeski Big Air. On Instagram, he consistently uploads conventional skiing clips that highlight his expansive freeskiing skillset.

In the comment section of Ruud’s post, there was chatter about whether or not he actually executed a double cork. Some called the trick a single cork 1080. There’s some validity to this discussion—Ruud definitely wobbled the second flip of his rotation around—but, in the end, who really cares? Double flip or not, spinning 1080 on a pair of skis designed for tromping through the woods is impressive.

Ruud also isn’t the only person to test the limits of cross-country skis. Swiss skier Antonin Savary has gone upside down on a pair of skinny, flatland boards, too. Tap or click below to watch.