Mons Røisland gave himself the ultimate birthday present this year.
The 27-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday (January 28) added two bronze medals to his collection of trophies this weekend thanks to his third place finishes in Men’s Snowboard Big Air on Saturday (January 27) and Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle on Sunday during X Games Aspen 2024 in Aspen, Colorado.
“X Games always brings it out in everyone and it was definitely a crazy show out there. It’s always bigger at X Games, and I’m really happy with my riding today and got rewarded by getting on the podium,” Mons tells Celeb Secrets host Juliet Schroder following the Big Air contest at the base of Buttermilk Mountain on Saturday.
“I’ve had my parents and my brother come out almost every year, and it’s just amazing. [X Games] definitely holds a special place in my heart and it really is our biggest competition every year, so be doing well this weekend is just amazing.”
Joining Mons on the podium was 18-year-old Taiga Hasegawa (JPN), who committed the entire competition to stomping a clean backside 1980 — a trick in which he’s mastered in all four directions — and Hiroaki Kunitake (JPN), who also entertained fans with show-stopping tricks, which included a jump over the fence for one of his dismounts. They finished in first and second, respectively.
With gold on his mind for the following morning, Røisland came out to show out during Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle on Sunday. Feeling confident after the bronze medal finish merely 12 hours prior, Mons shared with Celeb Secrets “Having a medal in the back and then going in with the confidence from today is definitely the dream scenario, so I plan on getting after it and having nothing to lose.”
“I’ve been on the podiums a couple times since Slopestyle, but never gone on top of it, so that’s definitely the big goal… but it’s gonna be hard for sure. There’s a lot of good guys that have amazing runs, but I’ll do my best,” he continued.
Still earning a spot on the podium, Mons finished third while Silverthorne’s Red Gerard (USA) became the new king of slopestyle when he was crowned the champion over Mark McMorris (CAN), the winningest X Games winter medalist with 23 total medals. On a mission from the start, both Gerard and McMorris were equally perfect in the rail section but the differentiator came down to the last hit when the competitors were judged on Gerard’s flawless 1800 and McMorris’ perfect 1620.
As for what’s next, Mons says he is taking it easy when to come to contests and will be focusing his time filming in both Canada and Alaska.
Celeb Secrets caught up with Mons moments after the Big Air contest, where he talked about his bronze medal finish and what’s next for the rest of the season. Check out the full interview below and let us know if you’re hyped for the snowboarder’s big finish by leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post.
For more coverage from X Games Aspen 2024, click here.
