X Games rookie Luca Harrington (Wānaka, 20) has won gold in the men’s ski slopestyle at his debut X Games appearance. Harrington has been training on the course as an alternate, but got the start list call up late last night ahead of today’s competition.
Barely believing it himself, Harrington explained; “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. 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.”
As the rookie on course, Harrington had nothing to lose and left it all out there in the playoffs, qualifying through to finals in the top spot. That in itself was an exceptional achievement for Harrington, who explained that is was “…incredibly satisfying, I did not expect that. I am so grateful to be here and to lace that run and get a score like that, I am so happy!”
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.
As the top qualifier he was the last to drop for each of the two finals runs, but turns out he didn’t even need his second run to win. Harrington 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 (winning combo from the Klagenfurt Big Air World Cup earlier this month) on the last two jumps.
Harrington took a victory lap for his final run and finished his debut X Games event on top of the podium. Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli claimed the silver medal, with USA’s Mac Forehand taking the bronze on home snow.
This is just the first of two events that we will see Harrington compete in at the 2025 Aspen X Games, he also got the start list call up for men’s ski big air and will be in action next at 4.30pm Sunday NZT.
28 days ago