2024 Winter X Games Preview
The 2024 Winter X Games begin on Friday, as the world’s best freestyle skiers and snowboarders meet in Aspen, Colo., to compete for X Games gold.
There have been a few new events added for the 31st Winter X Games, such as Snowboard Street, Women’s Ski and Snowboard Knuckle Huck and, of course, the addition of SLVSH. Instead of the 16 events from last year, there are now 18 different events.
With there being no FIS World Championships or Winter Olympics all of the stars will be out in Aspen and ready to put on a show. Last year there was plenty of history made and even more is expected this year. The 2024 Winter X Games get underway on Friday, Jan. 26 at 1:30 pm ET and will conclude Sunday night.
Skiing Events:
Men’s and Women’s Ski Big Air
Last year, we saw two historic performances to win Ski Big Air gold. On the women’s side, Canadian Megan Oldham became the first lady to ever land a triple cork in women’s skiing. In the men’s event, American Mac Forehand needed a perfect 50 to win gold and he achieved that by landing the first forward 2160 in competition.
Unfortunately, Oldham will not be at the Winter X Games. Instead, the women’s field will be led by current World Cup leader Mathilde Gremaud. The Swiss skier has won two of the three big air events this season with France’s Tess Ledeux winning the other. Outside of those two, it is a fairly young group. Three of the eight competitors will be making their X Games debut including Ruby Star Andrews (New Zealand) and Utah’s Rell Harwood.
While Oldham is not coming back to defend her title, Forehand will be. He will have his work cut out for him though as the men’s ski big airfield is stacked with heavy hitters. During the 2023-24 FIS World Cup season there have been three different winners and only one skier has been on multiple podiums. That was Norway’s Birk Ruud who had a pair of third-place finishes.
Men’s big air at the X Games has been thrilling for the last few years as there has been a different champion every year since 2018. Alongside Forehand and Ruud, American Alex Hall is one to watch out for as he continues to push the progression of skiing. A dark horse could be Italy’s Miro Tabanelli who currently leads the World Cup season at just 19 years old.
Predictions:
I am stuck between Ledeux and Gremaud for who will take home X Games gold. With the way she has been skiing this season, I am going to lean towards Mathilde Gremaud to take the gold. The men’s side of things is even less predictable. Due to the consistency he has put down this winter, I am taking Birk Ruud to win the gold.
Men’s and Women’s Ski Slopestyle:
The big news from the women’s ski slopestyle is the return of China’s Eileen Gu. Gu has not appeared at the Winter X Games since 2021. In that edition, Gu won the slopestyle event on her way to a three-medal X Games debut. With the 2023 champion, Oldham, being out this year, all-stars point to Gu to take gold. In her way will be the current World Cup slopestyle leader Gremaud as well as former slopestyle medalists, Ledeux, Sarah Hoefflin and Giulia Tanno. This could very well be one of the most exciting competitions in women’s skiing in a few years.
As tightly contested as the women’s ski slopestyle may be, the men’s equivalent at the 2024 Winter X Games is even more competitive. Defending champion Colby Stevenson is looking to win his third X Games slopestyle gold. This is a very similar field to a year ago with the only difference being Henrik Harlaut is in instead of Fabian Boesch. Forehand and Ferdinand Dahl rounded out the podium and could both very possibly end with the gold; Forehand is the current World Cup slopestyle leader after two events. However, Ruud and Canadian Evan McEachran won the two events with Forehand settling for silver both times. Ruud comes in feeling pretty good after he took first at the Laax Open just last weekend.
Predictions
In the most recent World Cup event last weekend, Mathilde Gremaud just edged out Eileen Gu with an incredible run. If the Swiss skier is not perfect then Gu will take advantage. I have picked against Gu in the past and it usually does not go very well. So give me Gu to return to Aspen with authority. Alex Hall may not have gotten a mention in the preview part but one can never count out the 6-foot-4 American. For his size, what he does is unbelievable and I expect him to do something crazy in slopestyle at the 2024 Winter X Games.
Men’s and Women’s Ski Superpipe:
This may be the most one-sided event all weekend in Aspen. Since blowing onto the scene at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, Eileen Gu has been virtually invincible when it comes to women’s ski halfpipe. The only times she is not atop the podium is when she is not competing which has happened at the last three Winter X Games. So far this season she has competed in two halfpipe events and won them both. Anything other than a win by Gu would be surprising. Especially with Hanna Faulhaber not participating. The biggest challenger to Gu should be British skier Zoe Atkin, who won X Games gold a year ago.
While Gu has dominated the women’s side of things this year, Aspen’s own Alex Ferreira has won both World Cup halfpipe events. A year ago, Ferreira shockingly finished in last place at the 2023 Winter X Games. However, he did win the gold in halfpipe at the World Championships. Fellow American, David Wise is back to defend his X Games gold medal against an onslaught of national teammates.
Of the eight skiers, only two are from outside of the U.S.: Canadian Brendan Mackay and New Zealand’s Nico Porteous; both look to take the gold away from America. The return of Porteous is a huge story. The now 22-year-old had won everything possible in 2021 and 2022, winning two X Games gold medals, the 2021 FIS World Championship gold and gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics. After missing out due to a torn ACL last year, the Kiwi is surely ready to take back what is his.
Predictions
She’s Back … while I would love to pick someone else to take the gold, there is no other choice for the women’s competition than Eileen Gu. This is a trend but give me the guy returning to capture what he lost due to injury. Nico Porteous is going to come into Alex Ferreira’s backyard and bring the gold back to New Zealand.
Men’s and Women’s Ski Knuckle Huck:
For the first time ever, ski knuckle huck gold will be competed for by the women. Knuckle huck is the most creative and stylish event at the Winter X Games. Up until this year, it had only been competed in by the men. Seeing it become a new event for women is a great thing and will allow for more ladies to get their name out as it did for lesser-known male skiers. I would make some sort of prediction, but I truly have no idea what to expect from the eight ladies.
Seven of the eight spots in the men’s ski knuckle huck have been filled. We are still waiting on the winner of the SLVSH Cup Snowmass for the final qualifier. What we do know is that all three podium skiers from a year ago are back with Sweden’s Jesper Tjader looking to defend his title.
Predictions:
I’m just pulling cards at this point for the inaugural women’s ski knuckle huck. Give me the Czech Republic’s Tereza Korabova. What is awesome about this event is that skiers like Korabova, who do more with the film side of skiing rather than the competitive side, can still be seen on a national level. On the men’s side, there has never been a two-time winner. I think that changes in the 5th edition with Henrik Harlaut taking home the gold.
Snowboard Events:
Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Big Air
As it was in the women’s ski big air, history was made in snowboard big air at the last X Games. Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi landed the first triple spin in women’s snowboarding on her way to big air gold. She is back in 2024, and leads the pack. Challenging her will be Austria’s Anna Gasser, Britain’s 17-year-old Mia Brookes and Australia’s Tess Coady.
Brookes just won the Crystal Globe as the best female big air rider during the FIS World Cup season. The big absentee is New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott who had to pull out because of an injury. In 2023 she finished second in big air after winning the gold in 2022. The bronze medalist from the 2023 Winter X Games Laurie Blouin will also be back competing this year.
The men’s snowboard big air also has a big name missing out. Marcus Kleveland has won the last three Winter X Games big air competitions, but his quest for a fourth will come to an end. There are still a handful of superb riders who will contest for the gold, including Japan’s Takeru Otsuka and Taiga Hasegawa, Canadian Mark McMorris and Finland’s Rene Rinnekangas. The men’s Crystal Globe winner, Kira Kimura, will not be participating. The field is wide open with the absences but should still provide some mind-boggling tricks.
Predictions:
I have a history of picking British athletes when it comes to Vendetta’s UFC previews and I am going to stick with that trend and take Mia Brookes to continue her breakout season. On the men’s side, I am taking the 2023 runner-up Takeru Otsuka to win his third big air gold.
Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle:
There will be a new queen of the women’s slopestyle. Back-to-back X Games gold medalist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott is not participating in the X Games. The silver medalist from a year ago, Tess Coady, is also not going to be at Snowmass. Last year’s bronze medalist was Kokomo Murase, and she will be in Aspen this weekend. There has only been one competition this World Cup season and American Julia Marino took the win, beating out fellow 2024 Winter X Games riders Annika Morgan from Germany and Anna Gasser.
The men’s slopestyle will have both its reigning gold and bronze medalists return. Canada’s Mark McMorris is looking to win his third consecutive X Games gold in snowboard slopestyle. McMorris has become a snowboarding legend over his career and holds the record for most X Games Aspen gold medals in snowboard slopestyle with six. The bronze medalist from last year, Norwegian Mons Røisland, is looking for his first X Games gold medal. A few others to watch out for are Australian Valentino Guseli, American Red Gerard and Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa.
Predictions:
Picking Kokomo Murase seems like the best bet, but I have a feeling Anna Gasser will step up when the lights shine brightest. Picking Mark McMorris also seems like the best bet, and yes I am picking McMorris to keep his streak alive.
Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Superpipe:
After taking nearly two years off from competition, Chloe Kim is set to return to the Winter X Games. The 23-year-old American returned to competitive snowboarding last weekend at the Laax Open in Switzerland. She fell twice in her first event since the 2022 Winter Olympics. That just means that she will be more determined to show off her best in Aspen. Looking to get the better of Kim are riders such as Japan’s Mitsuki Ono, who won the Laax Open, fellow American Maddie Mastro and Chinese veteran Xuetong Cai. Both Ono and Cai have won a World Cup event this season.
The men’s snowboard superpipe seems like the main event year in and year out. It used to be one of the final events of X Games weekend to end it with a bang. While it may be earlier in the week, it is still must must-watch TV. In all likelihood, it will be a battle between Japan and Australia once again. Since 2017, one of those two nations has stood atop the halfpipe as X Games champion.
Australia’s Scotty James has been on a recent tear at the X Games having won four of the last five gold medals. The only rider to get the better of James was Japan’s Yuto Totsuka in 2021. Totsuka is once again back in Aspen alongside the Hirano brothers, Ayumu and Kaishu, plus Ruka Hirano (unrelated). Ayumu Hirano is the only person to have won a World Cup halfpipe event not named Scotty James this season. He also comes in as the current Olympic gold medalist. While Japan has an abundance of riders, Australia has one of the best young snowboarders in 18-year-old Valentino Guseli.
Predictions:
Chloe Kim got the cobwebs out in Laax last week, now she will return to the top of the women’s halfpipe. This will be her seventh X Games gold in snowboard superpipe. Even though Japan has four riders that could all take home the gold, I am taking the reigning X Games champion Scotty James to win his sixth Winter X Games gold and move within one of the legendary Shaun White.
Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck:
Just like in the skiing equivalent, this is historic as women’s snowboard knuckle huck is officially here. One former X Games champion, Jamie Anderson, previously participated in the snowboard knuckle huck in 2021. This, however, is the first time it will have a full field of female riders, which makes it hard to know what is going to happen. Some big-name riders are competing such as Kokomo Murase, Mia Brookes and Tess Coady. One X Games rookie who could spice up the podium is Colorado’s own Ellie Weiler.
Not a single rider from the men’s snowboard knuckle huck podium a year ago will be at the 2024 Winter X Games. Marcus Kleveland, Iceland’s Halldór Helgason and American Dusty Henricksen will leave the podium wide open for an intense fight. Zeb Powell won the inaugural snowboard knuckle huck in 2020 and has been trying to return to the podium since. Alongside Powell are a few former knuckle huck participants including Canadian Darcy Sharpe and Americans Luke Winkelmann and Dylan Alito.
Predictions:
If Murase can lay down some of her more impressive tricks off the knuckle then it’s hers to lose. I am taking Murase to win a close one over Brookes. I am still waiting for Zeb Powell to take over again and I have a feeling this is the year for him to get his second X Games gold.
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