{"id":1777264,"date":"2026-02-18T06:09:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T03:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1777264"},"modified":"2026-02-18T06:09:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T03:09:37","slug":"the-best-big-air-of-a-generation-2026-olympic-mens-freeski-big-air-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1777264","title":{"rendered":"The best Big Air of a generation: 2026 Olympic Men\u2019s Freeski Big Air Final"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The only thing hammering down harder than the snow in Livigno were the tricks raining down under the lights. A <\/span>slew of 2160s, NBDs, and some of the highest scores ever seen, contributed to an all-time men\u2019s final with drama that couldn\u2019t be written.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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If the last four years of FIS contest have been building up to this, the Olympics finally delivered a show worthy of the hype\u2014and then some. There\u2019s no doubt that this contest\u2014from the level of riding and the style of tricks, to the judging and the camaraderie\u2014represented the sport of freeskiing in the best possible light.<\/span><\/p>\n

Run One: An outrageous start<\/span><\/h2>\n

Mirroring the unbelievable start to the women\u2019s contest yesterday<\/a>, the boys came out swinging. The tone was set early by Konnor Ralph who greased a beautiful switch left triple 1800 japan between the snowflakes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On a copycat tip, Troy Harrington\u2014sorry, Podmilsak\u2014put down the first 90 score of the night with a switch right triple cork 1980 esco-ish. It would be harsh to call this trick a Wish version of Luca\u2019s, but there you go. Troy gets hold of the safety initially and then much later in the trick finally gets his other hand on the outside ski. It is still an outrageous trick, and maybe it\u2019s good gamesmanship, but directly copying someone\u2019s signature trick lacks a little bit of originality.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The young beret wearing big air badasses, Tim Sivignon and Matias Roche, both packed more butter than a Savoyarde croissant, each with a left nose butter triple cork 1980. Tim attempted the first NBD of the night by trying to grab blunt but fumbled and Matias tried to land in Turin and unfortunately paid the price. Neither would be able to land two clean tricks to trouble the top of the rankings by run three.<\/span><\/p>\n

Showing Troy how it\u2019s done, Luca Harrington pushed the bar a little higher with a pretty perfect switch right triple cork 1980 esco grab for a 94.00 and the lead. It was short lived, though, as Tormod Frostad would lace a completely flawless right carved nose butter double bio 1440 safety to score a monstrous 95.25.<\/span><\/p>\n

It can\u2019t be understated how mindblowing, counterintuitive and technically hard this trick is. Torm is loading his noses, then throwing his weight the other way to initiate the switch bio axis. Not only is he doing what most people probably can\u2019t even imagine\u2014helped in no part by that terrible description\u2014but the way in which he executes with his feet zip tied together is a thing of beauty, and his landing was drippier than a broken tap. Even a near perfect switch left triple cork 2160 mute grab from Birk Ruud couldn\u2019t overtake his score, slipping into second with a 95.00\u2014this final was already crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matej Svancer would be next to join the party also hitting the 90s with a switch left tail butter triple wobble cork 1800 indie truck, which he was clearly not the happiest with. Maybe he wanted more?<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting the exclamation mark on the first run was top qualifier Mac Forehand who would join Birk on a 95.00, landing a switch left triple cork 2160 mute. Mac tried to rip the mute off its hinges and the axis was stunning, making it six out of the twelve first runs above a 90 score\u2014where were the judges going to go?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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A post shared by Stifel U.S. Ski Team (@usskiteam)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n

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Run Two: Surely it is all over?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The second run did not disappoint either, and by the time it was finished the final ranking seemed to be set with the judges, and the riders, seemingly with nowhere to go.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Konnor, Troy, Birk and Luca would all have bobbles or crashes while Torm put himself beyond the rest of the field with arguably the greatest landing of all time on a switch right tail butter double bio 1620 safety. All the same elements as the first trick apply to this, but in complete reverse. The switch tail butter combined with the double bio shouldn\u2019t be physically possible but somehow Torm can do it so well that he latches onto one of the coolest safeties you\u2019ll ever see, to score a mindblowing 97.00, and surely the gold medal\u2014right?<\/span><\/p>\n

The deliberately unconventional nonconformist Matej\u2019s playful side was on offer when he dragged a hand along the take off on a left carved triple cork 1980 safety\u2014this sport might be too easy for him and the judges know it, hooking him up with a 95.25 which would be enough for second at this stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again though, Mac had other ideas, stomping and giving himself a pair of 95.00 with a left nose butter triple cork 1980 tweaked safety. The grab was out to the side, as he lent into the rotation to put himself into second place. With only one score below 95.00 between them, surely the podium order was set, Tormod leading Mac leading Matej\u2014how could any of these riders improve?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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A post shared by Stifel U.S. Ski Team (@usskiteam)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n

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Run Three: A Blockbuster Finale<\/span><\/h2>\n

With the scores already so high, and the running order reversed, it was a little while until genuine top-spot contenders were dropping in. Konnor would rip into what is maybe a personal NDB left triple cork 2160 mute to jump up the rankings into fourth place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boosting like a jack-in-the-box, Luca fired up into the night sky on a right carved triple cork 1980 esco but couldn\u2019t quite clean the landing, washing it slightly. He would end up in sixth place, as Troy leap frogged both Luca and Konnor with his signature right triple cork 2160 mute to the very last line. It scored a huge 94.00 but wouldn\u2019t be enough to reach the podium, leaving the three last riders to see if they could shake things up with one final roll of the dice.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The tension was palpable. The last four years coming down to one final jump each, medals secured, the colour undecided, nothing to lose. But could anyone realistically improve?<\/span><\/p>\n

You can never bet against the Unicorn though. Matej clicked his oversized poles together and bolted a switch left tail butter triple cork 2160 safety absolutely perfectly. He skied off towards the crowd in pure excitement as they went wild\u2014could this final be any crazier? The judges made sure of it by hooking him up with a 96.00 to put him above Mac into second place\u2014pure drama.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Suddenly with pressure piled back onto him, having just been put down into bronze medal, could Mac pull something out the bag? Mac dropped in and ripped into an NBD left nose butter triple cork 2160 tweaked safety. It was almost perfect: massive amplitude, good nose butter, tweaked grab, bolts landing. But he would need the highest score ever in an Olympic Big Air to go into first place\u2014an 98.25 would do as he overtook Tormod with the Norwegian the last to drop. It was absolute scenes as Mac moved up into the gold medal spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tormod would need something special, he was looking to get rid of his 95.25 score as improving on his 97.00 score was surely impossible. With ice cold composure Tormod laced a trick he has tried only once in contest before, and never landed it fully clean, a right carved nose butter double bio 1620 safety. Even he looked like he couldn\u2019t believe how well he landed it. The snap of the butter off the take-off and the way he lands with his feet welded together are both, simply, beautiful. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>As the judges flashed a 98.50 up on the screen, Mac and Matej, silver and bronze medalists, engulfed the shocked Tormod as the Norwegian took home the gold medal with the two smallest rotations of the contest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tormod winning with these two tricks is hugely significant\u2014it is nothing short of a statement. A statement from the judges, from the riders and from the sport itself to the wider audience that the Olympics attracts: Freeskiing is about creativity, progression, camaraderie, imagination, individuality and expression. The sport can progress in different directions at the same time, and all factions have their place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone involved in this Olympic final did the sport of freeskiing extremely proud.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The only thing hammering down harder than the snow in Livigno were the tricks raining down under the lights. A slew of 2160s, NBDs, and some of the highest scores ever seen, contributed to an all-time men\u2019s final with drama that couldn\u2019t be written. If the last four years of FIS contest have been building […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,279],"class_list":["post-1777264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-downdays-eu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1777264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1777264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1777264\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1777264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1777264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1777264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}