X Games Skier Captures Gold and Silver Medals in Debut Appearance

Luca Harrington wowed fans at the 2025 X Games in Aspen over the weekend, grabbing gold and silver medals after coming into the event as an alternate athlete.

Jan 21, 2020; Lausanne, SWITZERLAND; Luca Harrington NZL in action during the Freestyle Skiing Men's Freeski Halfpipe qualification at Leysin Park. The Winter Youth Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Simon Bruty/OIS Handout Photo via Imagn Images / Handout Photo-USA TODAY NETWORK

X Games - Aspen Colorado

Over the X Games weekend in Aspen, Colorado, one name shined brighter than most: New Zealand's dynamic skier Luca Harrington. At just 20 years old, Harrington became the star in Aspen's knowledgeable skiing community, dazzling fans with gravity-defying tricks at big moments - his drive unparralled. Luca's rise in popularity is a testiment to his dedication, passion, and skill. Harrington pushes the limits of ski tricks and performance beyond what most thought possible. This event marked Harrington's first X Games event.

Luca Harrington Wins Gold Medal - Slopestyle

On Friday, January 24, 2025, Harrington amazed the freeski world by making the podium in Slopestyle after benefiting from a last-minute substitution for an injured athlete the morning of the competition at X Games Aspen 2025. He made quite the impact with a huge switch triple-corked 1620 to finish his amazing run.The field dazzled in trying to overcome Harrington's impressive score, but to no avail. The last-minute addition to the competition secured the X-Games Gold medal in slopestyle competition. 

Harrington - Silver Medal in the Big Air Competition

It his first X Games event ever, Harrington continued his incredible weekend by also competing in Big Ski Air, where he grabbed another medal. Four of the eight skiers in the Big Ski Air competition were past gold medalists, which made Harrinton's X Games accompishments so impressive. 

Luca advanced to the final by landing a triple-corked 1980 with a tweaked tail grab with ease. Harrington sat in the bronze medal position after the first of two final rounds after laying down another triple-corked 1980. 

On his second run, he added an extra rotation of 180 degrees, successfully landing his first-ever triple-corked 2160 tail grab. The move earned Harrrinton the Silver medal - just one point behind the Gold medal winner, Italian Miro Tabanelli. 

This was the first time that Harrington landed the trick in the snow. He exclaimed, "I did it!" after landing the trick at the bottom of the run.

New Zealand grabbed three other medals in snowboarding over the weekend, but Harrington is the standout. Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won the slopestyle event and nabbed the bronze in the Big Air, while Rocco Jamieson locked down a Big Air bronze. From his gold-medal win to his relentless drive during the Big Ski Air event, Harrington inspires a new generation of extreme sports athletes. The future of freeskiing has never looked brighter.

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