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Ski knuckle huck brings risk, rewards; Sweden’s Jesper Tjader wins X Games gold

Madison Osberger-Low
Special to The Aspen Times
Jesper Tjader competes during the X Games Aspen ski knuckle huck final on Friday at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

A new X Games winner was crowned Friday night in ski knuckle huck, as 28-year-old Jesper Tjader of Sweden won the event since its debut in 2020.

Under the lights and in a snowstorm, he took gold after creating the best overall impression of the eight skiers in the 20-minute jam format. 

In doing so, he held off two former champions and an 18-year-old from Austria.



He said it was consistency that led to the gold medal.

“I landed all my tricks,” Tjader said.




But it was his maneuver in the third round when he pushed the limits of what can be performed off the “knuckle” of the big air jump. Landing a double front flip with 180 switch “was my highlight,” he said. “That was my scariest one.”

The judges’ criteria is based on originality, creativity, and style, as well as difficulty and trajectory during the session.

Austrian Matej Svancer, 18, and the youngest in the field, won silver. Colby Stevenson of Park City was the top American, finishing with the bronze medal. He won the first ski knuckle huck in 2020.

“I feel like I skied my absolute best in the knuckle huck,” he said. “I had a great time with all the homies and got to watch some insane skiing.”

His own highlight was his nose butter dub 12.

“I was scared to do it. I went absolutely to the bottom” of the slope to land it,” Stevenson said, adding, “In order to get enough air time, you had to go to the bottom. It was pretty high risk.”

Friday’s field also included 2021 winner Henrik Harlaut and last year’s gold medalist, Quinn Wolferman.

According to Aspen native Torin Yater-Wallace, the knuckle huck is all about what you throw in the moment and how unique your trick can be. He himself has eight X Games medals but was not competing in this event.

He is best known as a halfpipe athlete, having competed in knuckle huck in 2020. His entry into that competition was stunning, as he had broken both heels in a serious crash one year prior that necessitated him learning to walk again.

Yater-Wallace, who is currently in Minnesota working on a street-skiing segment for his fourth Deviate Films project, spoke Thursday about what it’s like to compete in knuckle huck.

“You’re talking about a blank canvas, and you’re kind of painting it the way you see,” he said, “which has been said a million times, but there’s no way that’s more true than knuckle huck because it’s literally just a roll of snow.

“It’s kind of subjective as to what wins. It can be a nose butter, double flip, and can be some sort of big spin. It can be some sort of unique hand drag. I think that’s why it’s a super awesome event to watch.”

X Games snowboard athletes are scheduled to get their turn at the knuckle huck on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Snowboard knuckle huck debuted in 2019, one year before the skiing version of the event became an X Games regular.

Henrik Harlaut reacts during the X Games Aspen ski knuckle huck final on Friday at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Jesper Tjader reacts during the X Games Aspen ski knuckle huck final on Friday. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Alex Hall watches during the X Games Aspen ski knuckle huck final. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Colby Stevenson reacts during the X Games Aspen ski knuckle huck final at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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