Event News

Henrik Harlaut wins 2018 X Games Men’s Ski Big Air

By: Ethan Stone January 28, 2018

When four of the first five tricks in a Big Air contest are triple cork 1620s… you know it’s going to be a big night.

Eight of skiing’s top jumpers pulled out all the stops in tonight’s 2018 X Games Men's Ski Big Air contest, contending in a new format that judged one leftside and one rightside spin in a 25-minute jam session. Several never-been-done tricks were landed, like Birk Ruud’s switch left triple 1620 safety and switch left triple 1800 safety, and Fabian Boesch’s left triple cork 1980 safety (see you in the future Fabian!).

But despite the insane trickery from other competitors, the judges liked Henrik Harlaut’s flavor the best tonight: switch left triple cork 1440 mute and switch right triple cork 1440 Phil grab—the latter a first for him. A score of 43 on both tricks was enough for Harlaut to clinch his fifth X Games gold medal—and he even posted those scores early enough to have time for stylish zero spins on his last two jumps.

Watch Henrik Harlaut's winning jumps

Third-place finisher James Woods. Photo: Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images

Øystein Bråten nabbed second place with a switch double cork 1440 tail to tail grab to the left, scored at 41, and a switch double cork 1440 safety to japan to the right, scoring a 39. Last year’s winner James Woods rolled into third place with a switch triple cork 1440 octograb to the right (scoring a 44) and a forward triple cork 1440 safety to the left (scoring a 38).

Watch Øystein Bråten's second-place jumps

Watch James Woods' third-place jumps

The evening’s stunned sixth-place finisher was young Norwegian Birk Ruud, who landed the aforementioned switch triple 1620 and 1800 but wasn’t able to win the judges over to his cause.

After his win, Harlaut delivered some real talk to interviewer Jen Hudak, saying, “I liked the old format better. It gives more space for creative riders. So I’d like to see the old format again. Vinnie Cash!”

Trick-for-trick breakdown:

Run 1

Christian Nummedal: Left triple cork 1620 safety grab

Øystein Bråten: Switch left double cork 1440, lead tail to trailing tail grab

Fabian Bösch: Right triple cork 1620, safety
Score: 34

Birk Ruud: Switch left triple cork 1620. Goes huge, can’t stomp

Kai Mahler: Carve left triple cork 1620, safety
Score: 37

Eirik Sæteroy: Switch right double cork 900, japan?

Henrik Harlaut: Switch left triple cork 1440, mute
Score: 43

James Woods: Switch right triple cork 1440, octograb
Score: 35

Run 2

Nummedal: Right double cork 1260, double japan

Bråten: Switch right double cork 1440, safety
Score: 35

Bösch: Left triple cork 1980, safety, crash

Ruud: Switch left triple cork 1620, safety
Score: 35

Mahler: Carve right double cork 1080, safety
Score: 24

Sæteroy: Switch right double cork 1080, double japan
Score: 24

Harlaut: Switch right double cork 1080, phil (commentator Tom Wallisch calls it a ripdadank)
Score: 26

Woods: Left triple cork 1440, safety

Run 3

Nummedal: Right double cork 1260, double japan
Score: 29

Bråten: Switch left double cork 1440, lead tail to trailing tail (hand down on landing)

Bösch: Left triple cork 1980, safety
Score: 43

Ruud: Right triple cork 1440, safety
Score: 30

Mahler: Carve right triple cork 1440 safety (lands between 1440 and 1620)

Sæteroy: Left triple cork 1440 safety
Score: 36

Harlaut: Switch right triple cork 1440, phil
Score: 43

Woods: Switch right triple cork 1440, octo
Score: 44

Run 4

Nummedal: Left triple cork 1620, double japan
Score: 41

Bråten: Switch left double cork 1440, lead tail to trailing tail
Score: 41

Bösch: Right triple cork 1620 safety
Score: 37

Ruud: Switch left triple cork 1800, safety
Score: 40

Mahler: Carve right triple cork 1440, missed grab
Score: 31

Sæteroy: Switch right double cork 1080

Harlaut: Zero spin safety

Woods: Left triple cork 1440, safety

Run 5

Nummedal: Right double 1260, no grab

Bråten: Switch double cork 1440, safety to japan
Score: 39

Bösch: Pregrab safety (let go early?) double cork 1080 safety
Score: 19

Ruud: HUGE switch right double cork 1260 safety
Score: 22

Mahler: Carve right triple cork 1440, no grab
Score: 23

Sæteroy: Left double cork 1260, missed tail

Harlaut: Zero spin safety

Woods: Switch right triple cork 1440, octo
Score: 43