Jessica Perlmutter celebrates her gold medal victory in women’s knuckle huck at X Games Aspen Sunday afternoon.
X Games/Courtesy photo
While the Great Recession was winding down in America, New Jersey native Jessica Perlmutter was just coming into the world. Fast forward to her X Games debut, and the 16-year-old made an immediate mark, claiming gold in women’s snowboard knuckle huck.
On the third and final day of X Games Aspen, Perlmutter threw down a series of creative tricks over the knuckle, a feature of a jump’s landing that transitions from flat-ish to a steep downhill, for a winning run.
Her repertoire included a sloth roll, where she rotated her body sideways while rolling over the knuckle, followed by a sloth roll front 180 switch attempt that added a spin in the opposite direction. She then hit a half-cab knuckle tap into a backside 180, flowed into a layout backflip while in a backseat wheelie position, and capped her run with a slingshot launch into a full layout backflip. Her performance earned her the top podium spot in her first-ever X Games appearance.
“I don’t even know how this happened,” Perlmutter said. “The rest of the season is something I’ve been looking forward to, but to have this under my belt now is just crazy.”
Japan’s Cocomo Murase, a two-time knuckle huck champion and the event’s defending gold medalist, wowed the crowd once again, landing the first-ever triple cork 1620 in the women’s contest while rocking her signature leather jacket. Murase’s run blended daring aerials with stylish execution, keeping fans on their toes throughout the event.
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Meanwhile, Canada’s Jasmine Baird earned bronze in just her second X Games appearance, capturing her first career medal.
Jessica Perlmutter (1st), Coco Murase (2nd), and Jasmine Baird (3rd) celebrate on the podium after yesterday’s women’s snowboard knuckle huck at X Games Aspen.X Games/Courtesy photo
The contest showcased a series of high-flying, technical maneuvers, from spins and flips to inventive knuckle tricks. Knuckle huck follows a jam session format, giving each rider five runs to perform their best tricks. This format encourages creativity, risk-taking and flow, allowing riders to showcase their individual style and technical skill.
Two Colorado women, Ellie Weiler of Highlands Ranch, Egan Wint of Denver and Lily Dhawornvej of Frisco made their X Games debut in the event, adding to the depth of talent in the field. Knuckle huck provides a unique platform for riders to push the boundaries of freestyle snowboarding, blending street-style creativity with big-air maneuvers.
Since its debut in January 2024, women’s snowboard knuckle huck has quickly grown into a highlight of X Games. Trailblazers like Murase are rewriting the record books, successfully landing a triple cork 1620 — something never before done in competition.
The future of women’s knuckle huck is officially here.
Coco Murase jumps over the knuckle during Sunday afternoon’s women’s snowboard knuckle huck at X Games Aspen.X Games/Courtesy photo