Four world-class skiers duked it out and wowed a capacity crowd on Buttermilk Mountain tonight as ESPN Winter X Games hosted the first-ever Skiing Big Air Final.

Thirty-four-year-old Daron Rahlves, arguably the most accomplished speed skier in American history, began competing in the Skier X event last year. In fact, his run in today’s Skier X Men’s Final marked only his second ESPN Winter X Games appearance – but he surged to the lead early in the final heat and never looked back. 

Mother Nature Plays Havoc With Skiing Slopestyle

It wasn't the event he planned on winning, but TJ Schiller will take the gold anyway. With snowfalls blanketing the Slopestyle course on Buttermilk Mountain at Aspen/Snowmass, the Skiing Slopestyle Final became Skiing Best Trick. Instead of riding the full course, all 20 competitors took two runs on its final jump, taking the best of two scores. Schiller (Vernon, BC, Canada) went big with a switch nose 1080 on his first jump, good enough for a 91.33 and the gold.