Wānaka athletes star at X Games

It has been another sensational X Games for Wānaka's high-flying skiers and snowboarders.

X Games rookie Luca Harrington took gold in the men’s ski slopestyle at his debut X Games appearance, at Buttermilk Mountain, in Aspen Snowmass. Harrington has been training on the course as an alternate, but got the start list call up late last night ahead of the competition.

And Zoi Sadowski-Synnott made history by landing the world’s first triple cork in a women’s slopestyle competition, as she also won the gold yet again. With bronze in the X Games Big Air comp the day before, her career total X Games medal count is now a staggering 11 medals, of which six are gold.

Meanwhile, X Games Rookie Rocco Jamieson continued NZ's medal streak, claiming bronze in Snowboard Big Air.

Harrington could scarcely believed he'd won gold. "I have been so grateful to be able to train throughout the sessions with everyone and get ready to go and to be a competitor," the 20-year-old says.

"I was not sure it was going to happen, then last night after my big air training I got the email saying I was in. I was super excited and had a hard time sleeping, I was buzzing in my bed. Today was incredible I am so grateful I got to sneak onto the start list.”

On the last sled lap up to the top of the course before finals, Harrington shared how he told himself “let’s win this thing”, and that he did. He put down a flawless first run, which included his right double corked 900 bring back Japan grab and switch right triple corked 1620 with an esco grab, his winning combo from the Klagenfurt Big Air World Cup earlier this month, on the last two jumps.

Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli claimed the silver medal, with USA’s Mac Forehand taking the bronze on home snow.

Snowboarding powerhouse Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, 23, returned from injury to top the podium, with an incredible run.

"Being able to do that run, which is a dream run of mine I never thought was possible, it means the world to me to be back here at X Games," she says.

"Honestly, I didn’t know if I would be on the podium again going through this injury, so to be back here in the mix with the girls and to be part of the progression means so much to me and to win this comp, I can’t even believe it.”

In the finals, she put down a huge backside triple corked 1440 on the third and final jump, making history as the first women (ski or snowboard) to ever land a triple cork in a slopestyle competition.

“I am just stoked to be here, and a big congrats to everyone, we got such epic conditions to ride here today so I am just so grateful.”

With a huge score of 94.66 on the board, Sadowski-Synnott remained untouchable for the remainder of the competition and took the win. Kokomo Murase of Japan was second, with Great Britain’s Mia Brookes third.

As the youngest athlete in the field, 18-year-old Rocco Jamieson stood out from the crowd as he took bronze in the men’s snowboard big air at his X Games.

He stomped a frontside 1800 bloody Dracula grab in his first run of playoffs. The judges loved it and rewarded him with a 94.00 for that trick, which saw him go through to finals in second place.

Finals delivered what we have come to expect from X Games, unrivalled progression for the sport. Hiroto Ogiwara of Japan landed a 2340 mute grab for the first time in history, an incredible six and half full rotations and was awarded a 97.33 which was the top score of the day.

Jamieson put down his frontside 1800 bloody Dracula grab once again, with a clean take off and stomped landing. For his second run, he dug even deeper and attempted a 2160 of his own but didn’t quite stick the landing.

Nevertheless, an exceptional achievement from Jamieson, holding his own against the best in the world and walking away from his X Games debut with the bronze medal.

Ogiwara of Japan took the win with his historical run and his compatriot, 2024 X Games gold medallist Taiga Hasegawa, finished in silver medal position.

Meanwhile, five-time Winter Paralympian Adam Hall (Wānaka) has claimed his second World Cup podium finish of the 2024/25 season with a second place finish at the FIS Para Alpine Slalom World Cup held in Feldberg, Germany.