The 25th annual Winter X Games at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen delivered three days of high-flying action and jaw-dropping performances in snowboarding and skiing as the sport’s top athletes laid down massive runs and technical tricks ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
This year’s event, held Jan. 23–25, saw record crowds and remarkable progression in disciplines from slopestyle and big air to SuperPipe and the ever-popular knuckle huck events. According to organizers, attendance topped 50,000 and television viewership jumped nearly 50% year-over-year, driven by a surge in younger fans.
“From what fans were saying on social media, the tricks, competition, and music this year made the X Games feel special and exciting again” sophomore Noah Nabavian said.
In arguably the marquee snowboarding competition, British rider Mia Brookes captured the women’s slopestyle gold medal, edging out an elite field that included New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Japan’s Cocomo Murase. Brookes, 17, continued her breakout season with a technical and stylistic run that showcased her growing command of the discipline.
On the men’s side, Mark McMorris of Canada took gold in the snowboard slopestyle event with a score of 96.33, further cementing his standing as one of the most decorated tricksmiths in X Games history. McMorris finished ahead of Norway’s Marcus Kleveland and American Red Gerard in a tightly contested final.
Halfpipe action also delivered thrilling moments. Australian legend Scotty James claimed his fifth consecutive X Games SuperPipe gold, tying him with Shaun White for one of the most significant medal tallies in event history. James pushed the limits with a sequence of backside 1440s that wowed the judges and crowds alike.
In the snowboarding knuckle huck, where riders spin and flip off the lip of a smaller jump with maximum creativity, Finland’s Rene Rinnekangas earned gold in the men’s competition. In the women’s final, 16-year-old Jessica Perlmutter stole the show by capturing her first X Games victory, showcasing the depth of the next generation of snowboard talent.
The skiing contingent was equally strong at X Games Aspen 2026. In SuperPipe skiing, Zoe Atkin of Park City, Utah, claimed the women’s title with a stunning run that included technical airs and massive amplitude. Canada’s Cassie Sharpe rounded out the podium with a strong showing.
“I heard about the X Games this year and it sounded crazy, like every event had something big happen that people were talking about,” sophomore Tobias Li said.
The men’s ski slopestyle final was a highlight of the weekend, with New Zealand’s Luca Harrington leading a podium sweep for his team. Harrington’s final run, which featured two triple cork rotations, earned him gold, while Americans Colby Stevenson and Alex Hall secured silver and bronze.
Big air skiing also captured the crowd’s attention, as riders launched off the massive jump with flips and corks that pushed the technical boundaries of the sport. While official results varied across events, performances underscored the crossover between freestyle skiing’s World Cup circuit and the X Games platform.
“I love the X Games extreme sports, especially the free style skiing,” teacher Mr. Fecht said.
With the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games less than two weeks away, many competitors view X Games Aspen as a critical final test. Several medalists from Aspen, including James, Brookes and Harrington, are poised to be medal contenders in Italy this February.
Athletes and coaches alike emphasized that the confidence gained from podium finishes at X Games can translate into momentum on the Olympic stage, where placement and execution are paramount.
Beyond the medals, this year’s X Games have been notable for their cultural resonance. Broadcast figures indicate a significant rise in younger viewership, especially among audiences aged 2–17, suggesting the sport’s appeal is growing with the next generation.
From technical pipe runs to boundary-pushing knuckle huck creativity, Aspen once again provided a platform where the world’s best professional riders and emerging talents can compete and entertain. With countless tricks unseen just a decade ago now entering the competitive lexicon, the winter action sports landscape continues to evolve at a breathtaking pace.
