Wānaka Skier Melville Ives Claims X Games Gold in Aspen

New Zealand skier Melville Ives delivered an outstanding performance at the X Games in Aspen, securing the gold medal in the men’s ski superpipe. His remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone for New Zealand, contributing to a total of two golds and four silvers for the country’s athletes in this year’s competition.

Ives dominated the event, showcasing his skills over three impressive runs. He started strong with a score of 89.33 and improved his performance in his second run, achieving a score of 93.33. In his final run, Ives executed a breathtaking sequence that earned him a score of 95.00, leaving his competitors unable to match his performance. His execution included an impressive six meters of air during his first trick, a switch right 9.

This victory comes on the heels of Ives’ previous accomplishments, including a silver medal at the 2024 Youth Winter Olympics and being crowned the 2025 FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Champion in March last year during his debut at the World Championships. In the current season, he has also secured two podium finishes in World Cup events, winning gold in the freeski halfpipe at Buttermilk and taking silver in Calgary.

Despite the challenging conditions, Ives expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to perform in front of a lively crowd. “It’s been super surreal. I’m just so grateful to have put down these runs in front of all the fans,” Ives said. He highlighted landing the switch 14, a trick he had never attempted in competition before, as a personal milestone.

The head coach of Snow Sports NZ high performance park and pipe, Tom Willmott, praised the event as an epic conclusion to New Zealand’s most successful X Games to date. Another competitor, Fin, who placed fourth in last year’s X Games, was eager to climb onto the podium this time. Fin executed a high-speed drop that included a switch right 9, leading into a switch left double 14 and finishing with back-to-back 16s and an alley-oop double 9. This performance also earned Fin a score of 95.00, securing him a gold medal.

In the men’s freeski halfpipe, Luke Harrold finished in sixth place. Fellow athlete Rocco Jamieson, who had won silver the previous day, narrowly missed the podium in the Men’s Knuckle Huck, finishing fourth. Additionally, Dane Menzies, making his X Games debut, placed 11th in snowboard slopestyle.

Looking ahead, the next opportunity for athletes will be the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, scheduled to take place from February 6-22 across various alpine venues in Italy. As New Zealand’s winter sports athletes continue to excel on the international stage, the excitement and anticipation for future competitions remain high.