Wintersports
Freeskiing
Hiroto Ogiwara's world-first trick and 10 more massive records
From soaring heights to mind-blowing feats, we dive into the wildest records in freeskiing and snowboarding!
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Freeskiing and snowboarding are all about going bigger, faster and higher. From insane tricks to record-shattering heights, we’re diving into 10 of the most epic feats these sports have ever seen.
01
An epic debut
On January 25, 2025, Hiroto Ogiwara made his debut at the X Games with a world-first trick, securing a victory in the big air comp. The Japanese snowboarder landed a 2340 mute grab: that’s six and a half rotations. The trick earned him an impressive 97.33 points, giving him a strong lead at his first X Games.
Find out more about Ogiwara in his episode of Winter Heroes:
10 min
Hiroto Ogiwara
This Japanese snowboarding phenom has been stunning the world with his talent since age nine. Watch him fly.
02
The world's longest rail
On May 9, 2022, Swedish shredder Jesper Tjäder wrote his name in the history books by sliding a rail 154.49m long. It took him 127 attempts. In the end, he dethroned the legendary rail master Tom Wallisch, who held the previous record at 129.2m.
9 min
The world’s longest rail
Watch Olympic freeski medallist Jesper Tjäder set a new world record by completing the world’s longest rail.
03
Still the king
Simon Dumont knows a thing or two about heights
© Christian Pondella /Red Bull Content Pool
For 17 years, American Simon Dumont has held a staggering record: the highest quarterpipe air. On April 11, 2008, the freeskiing legend soared 10.08m out of a massive quarterpipe at Sunday River in Maine, USA. The record still stands today, but not without challenge. In 2019, Olympic gold-medalist David Wise tried and passed it with a boost of 11.7m. The problem? The officials couldn't approve it because the conditions weren’t comparable, begging the question ‘how much standardisation can a creativity-centred sport like freeskiing handle?” The result: Dumont still sits at the top, and no one seems ready to dislodge him. Still, David Wise should be proud.
04
15 years and all his teeth
Simon Dumont knows a thing or two about heights
© Christian Pondella /Red Bull Content Pool
For 15 years, American Simon Dumont has held a record that no one has yet beaten: that of the highest jump from a quarter pipe. On April 11, 2008, the freestyle skier soared 10.08 meters from the quarter-pipe at Sunday River in Maine, USA. And wrote his name into the legend. In 2019, David Wise planned to break the record with a jump to 11.7 meters. The problem? The officials couldn't approve it because the conditions weren't exactly the same. The result: Dumont still sits at the top, and no one seems ready to dislodge him.
05
Backwards. Switch. Whatever.
Skiing backwards is called skiing switch, like fakie on a snowboard. Switzerland's Elias Ambühl has held the record since 2017, with a speed recorded at 131.23kph. On the women's side, France's Emilie Cruz hit 107.14kph a year later. Most people don’t come close to either skiing regularly on a proper race course.
06
Taking down the king
Valentino Guseli goes absolutely massive at Swatch NINES
© Klaus Polzer/Red Bull Content Pool
At only 16 years old, Valentino Guseli shattered Shaun White's record, boosting 7.30m out of a superpipe, which are already 6.7m high. Guselli then broke another longstanding record in April 2024 at Swatch Nines when he flew to a height of 11.5m (37.7ft) on a hip jump, topping Swiss snowboarder Christian Haller's hip air record of 11.3m (37.1ft), set back in 2016. Guseli said: "I was just going as big as I could. I'd say it's the biggest hip I ever hit. And the thing that's gnarly about it is, when you first hit it, you already have to go big."
07
Legendary cliff dropper
Sometimes, you don't always have to land on your feet to validate a record. That's exactly what legendary Utah cliff dropper Jamie Pierre did on January 25, 2006, when he jumped from a cliff in Wyoming. His fall of 77m was validated as a world record even though he (literally) ended up back on his shoulders, almost head first in deep powder.
08
50/50 100 percent
Germany's Basti Rittig holds the world record for the longest '50-50' grind on a snowboard. The German snowboarder has held the record since 2017 with an incredible length of 84m.
2 min
World record: Longest rail slide
World record: Longest rail slide
09
It’s a Mad Mads world
In 2005, Mads Jonsson threw a gargantuan frontside 360 over 57m. Yes, fifty-seven metres. That's a little more than the size of an Olympic swimming pool. Madsness.
10
Biggest air ever
Terje Håkonsen absolutely sends it at the Hippie Jump in Kaprun
© Lorenz Holder/Red Bull Content Pool
Setting a world record is great. Doing it in style is even better. The year is 2007. In Oslo, Norway, the timeless master of snowboard style, Terje Håkonsen, overrotated a backside air into a backside 360 landing fakie. The record? He went 9.8m above the lip, setting a record for quarterpipe snowboard air that still stands. There’s a reason he is the best ever… still.
11
The King of Regina
Mark McMorris: still hitting them heights
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
As well as being a rail prodigy, Canada’s Mark McMorris is a trailblazer in the terrain park. In 2012, when he was just 18 years old, he took part in the X Games in Aspen and landed, for the first time in competition, a Backside 1440 Triple Cork. And we specify 'in competition' for the first time, because the native of Regina, Saskatchewan, had already landed this impressive trick the year before.
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