Finished 2nd this week at the Winter X Games 15 in Aspen and am genuinely stoked on the result. Obviously it would have been fantastic to get a 3rd gold in Aspen but I couldn’t quite land my 900 and so silver it was. I’m just glad to be back in the game after being injured since November with a broken foot.

I’ve spent about three weeks riding properly and hitting jumps in Breck in preparation for this event but once again, like every year, nothing quite prepares you for the X Games course. I was intimidated by the rails when I first set eyes on the layout, especially as the snow was all dug away underneath so if you missed the rail or messed up it was an 8 to 10ft drop to icy flat.

I found the jump sizes to be OK but struggled for a while with the speed as it was so hard to slow down enough between each jump that I kept overshooting the landings. An addition to the course this year was the 30 steps leading up to the very top, which absolutely killed me each day!!! Maybe I’m not as fit as I had hoped, and being at altitude added to the heavy breathing. However I kept up the massage treatments and filled myself with carbs and protein so that after the three big practice days I was still able to use my legs for finals day.

The day before finals I experienced a huge fall – and not in the normal sense of crashing a jump or slipping off the rail. I actually managed to trip at the top of the course and started sliding down the run into the first rail on my hand and knees. As I approached the lip of the take off I couldn’t stop, and of course there is a huge gap between the lip and the rail with about a 10ft drop to icy flat below. I literally slid off the end head first and landed on my back in the ditch.

I am sure it was the type of fall you would get on YouTube and laugh your ass off but luckily no one was filming. Medics came and were worried to move me because of my neck and spine but eventually I got up and although I was in a far bit of pain I was pretty convinced it was just muscle spasms and things. I was taken to the medic room and treated there. At this point I couldn’t believe what had happened and was pretty gutted that this might mean it was too sore to even ride.

I did everything I could to improve the situation and even took the freezing cold bath to hot shower method that night – not fun. Finals day came round and after a few more treatments from the medic in the morning and some painkillers I was good to go.

Like I said, would have been great to have landed the 900, but maybe next time.

Thank you so much for everyone’s words of support and congrats, it’s been great to know so many folks are behind me.

For the next few days I’m on a photo shoot with Oakley in Aspen for my new signature goggles coming out next year (woo hoo!) – better get rid of the hungover face though, ha ha. Then after that it’ll either be competing at the next event of the Winter Dew Tour in Utah or at the Arctic Challenge in Norway.