Luca Harrington celebrates his gold medal victory with the traditional medal bite.
Mark Dillon/X Games

Time was the first opponent in the men’s ski slopestyle.

Fresh snow delayed the first event of Saturday’s X Games in Aspen — men’s ski slopestyle — from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. With multiple cancellations, competitors were allowed just two runs instead of the usual three.

But snow, delayed starts, and limited runs did not deter New Zealand’s Luca Harrington, now a two-time X Games gold medalist. Harrington delivered a flawless second run Saturday afternoon, landing spins and grabs with the precision that has made him a standout on the international freeskiing scene.

“I almost just broke into tears a second ago,” he said. “From this morning not even going to be skiing, to now winning the X Games for the second year in a row, I am in just as much shock and disbelief.” 

Scoring a 94.33 to win, his top run was packed with elements, beginning with a “wallie-up transfer” to a frontside switch-up pretzel 270. It also included a triple cork 1440 on the shark fin element that segued into a left side double cork 1260 Japan. He finished strong, lacing a switch right triple cork 1440 with a safety grab.

Luca Harrington drops in on a rail during Saturday afternoon’s slopestyle competition.Mike Yoshida/X Games

The slopestyle course features three rail sections followed by three jump features, including a shark fin jump — an asymmetrical jump shaped like a dorsal fin rising from the snow, giving skiers multiple takeoff options. Judges score runs on progression, execution, difficulty, variety and amplitude.

Harrington on Saturday continued his dominance in slopestyle and cemented his reputation as one of New Zealand’s premier winter athletes.

Park City, Utah’s Colby Stevenson earned silver. Stevenson, a consistent force in freeskiing, owns six X Games medals — five gold and one bronze — across multiple disciplines, including slopestyle, big air and street style. After scoring 84.00 on his first run, Stevenson bounced back with a 93.00 to secure second place.

Colby Stevenson flys through the air on Saturday afternoon’s slopestyle contest.Mike Yoshida/X Games

“Just go out there and try to do my best run,” Stevenson said. “I wasn’t able to do it in the two Olympic qualifiers I had a chance at. It definitely stings. But I love this sport. I love slopestyle skiing. It’s my passion.”

Completing the podium was teammate and fellow Utah native Alex Hall, the 2018 Olympic silver medalist in big air and a 15-time X Games medalist with six golds, three silvers, and three bronzes, including last night’s performance. Hall, known for his high-flying tricks and adaptability, improvised his run just 30 minutes before dropping in — a sequence he had never attempted before.

“I completely changed my run, like, 30 minutes before I went,” he said. “I figured it out right before the event. I hadn’t even done that run at all.”

His first run scored 76.33, but he responded with a 92.66 on his second, clinching the bronze medal.

Competition continues on Sunday, with full schedules, results, and updates available on the X Games website.

Utah’s Alex Hall (left) and Colby Stevenson (right) shake hands after the men’s slopestyle event on Saturday afternoon.Madison Osberger-Low/The Aspen Times
Alex Hall at the bottom of the men’s slopestyle course awaiting results on Saturday.Courtesy of X Games