Dusty Henricksen Becomes First American In 12 Years To Win Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Gold At X Games Aspen

In a modified men’s snowboard slopestyle competition at X Games Aspen 2021, the start list contained only 10 names due to a reduced field for Covid-19.

Notably absent from this year’s competition? Its last three gold medal winners—Canadians Darcy Sharpe (Aspen 2020), Max Parrot (Norway 2020) and Mark McMorris (Aspen 2019).

That left the United States primed to claim its first men’s slopestyle gold in 12 years, since Shaun White last did it at X Games Aspen 2009.

There were four Americans who could have been up to the task of ending the drought in Sunday’s contest, which was postponed from Saturday due to unfavorable course conditions: 22-year-old Lyon Farrell, 19-year-old Judd Henkes, 2020 slopestyle bronze medalist Red Gerard and X Games rookie Dusty Henricksen.

At the beginning of the weekend, it wouldn’t have seemed likely that 17-year-old Henricksen would be the one to end the unsightly streak; entering his first-ever X Games, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team rider just wanted to show off what he could do.

“I tried not to have any expectations because you never know what’s gonna happen,” said Henricksen. The Mammoth Lakes, California, native has never ridden in Aspen before. “I was just trying to stay on my feet and snowboard and have a good time with all these boys.”

But Henricksen put the snowboarding world on blast when he was a surprise winner in the snowboard Knuckle Huck contest Friday night, on the strength of his Cab 180 tail-press melon front flip out, using the tail of his snowboard like a trampoline.

The 2020 U.S. Open silver medalist moved into gold medal position in Sunday’s slopestyle contest on his second run and never looked back.

The judges loved Henricksen’s 50-50 nose blunt pretzel on the rails followed by a switch backside 1260, a double-grab 1440 and a frontside double 900 to cap it off.

But Henricksen didn’t know if he would have the switch backside 1260 in his bag for the contest, saying he’d been trying to land it all week in practice.

“The switch back 12 I had never done,” he said in his presser. “I was hoping it would work out eventually. Today finally it just worked out. I did a Hail Mary and I was pretty hyped on my run.”

And who couldn’t love his style, as he threw down his stuff in a T-shirt on a crisp, 27-degree sunny Aspen day?

“I heard the announcers say, ‘Dusty’s not in his T-shirt,’ and I thought, ‘Why am I not in my T-shirt?!’” Henricksen said with a laugh.

“Do you think the short sleeves improve the aerodynamics?” X Games broadcaster Brandon Graham asked his partner, Craig McMorris, on the broadcast.

“I think it improves the vibe,” McMorris said.

If that doesn’t make you want to chant “U-S-A!,” what would?

Henricksen was five years old the last time an American snowboarder won men’s slopestyle gold at X Games.

“I’m tripping still,” Henricksen said in his press conference when asked how he felt about ending the streak. “It doesn’t feel real yet. I feel like I’m gonna wake up soon. I’m pretty speechless.”

“It’s been a great week,” Henricksen added.

But his big debut isn’t over yet. Henricksen could go for the hat trick tonight in the men’s snowboard big air contest, set to kick off following Shaun White’s return to the superpipe at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.