Forehand Throws a 2160 to Win X Games Gold

At only 21 years old, Mac Forehand beat out the veterans of the sport when he landed a perfect 2160 Cuban in the men's ski big air contest at the 2023 X Games. 

Forehand, who won the X Games silver medal the day before in men's ski slopestyle, still had something left in his bag for the second-to-last competition of the X Games. With four attempts of the big air jump, Forehand never ventured out of the top three. In the strong field of 10 competitors, including teammates Alex Hall and Troy Podmilsak, Forehand had what it took to win. 

Alex Hall, who won the event in 2022, threw tricks that only AHall can do. Off the jump, Hall put down a switch dub 14 to knuckle switch butter 3. At the end of the night, Hall finished in seventh. Troy Podmilsak, a Rookie Team athlete, showed he deserved to be there. Before the contest even started, TPod landed a worlds-first switch dub bio 1980. An unbelievable feat for the rookie, Podmilsak is leaving his first X games with a sixth place. 

But the night went to Forehand. On the last jump of the night, Forehand landed a 2160 Cuban, meaning he spun through the air five and a half times while grabbing the back tip of his ski. Landing the trick perfectly, the crowd went wild. Forehand skied to the bottom of the jump with his head in his hands, waiting for his score, in complete disbelief. Seconds later, a 50 showed up on the screen - a perfect score. Forehand, with the X Games gold medal around his neck now looks forward to the next contest at Mammoth Mountain later this week.