There is always huge excitement at the X Games XVI, held annually in winter and summer, and the recent Winter X Games was no exception. Since 2002, the Winter X Games has taken place at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, and it was here late last month that something very exciting indeed happened.

Yes, of course, the whole event and all the competitions are extremely exciting but in particular something extraordinary happened in the air.

In the Big Air contest, spectators watched with dropping jaws as not one but two snowboarders pulled off an amazing triple cork – and landed it. For Mark McMorris it was the first time he’d tried a triple cork. He’s reported as saying: “I was trying back 14 double corks and it just felt possible.” So he went for the triple cork. “The first one I landed on my feet, but fell over. The second one I got.”

If you’re not up with the high-speed progression of snowboarding tricks in recent months, let’s give you the lowdown. In the summer, another awesome Norwegian rider Torstein Horgmo pulled the first-ever triple cork on a massive jump in his home country.

Then at the winter X Games, Horgmo managed to do it again, landing the triple cork trick on his final run of the big-air competition. He went on to win gold – and he did all this while nursing several broken ribs from an earlier accident.

After pulling off the trick, Horgmo confessed he “probably shouldn’t have gone for it”. “It’s maybe the stupidest thing I’ve done in my whole life,” he said. But the fans definitely welcomed the impressive stunt.

Sadness amid the highs at X Games

This Winter X Games was tinged with sadness, too. The event was dedicated to renowned freestyle skier Sarah Burke, who passed away on January 19, 2012 after a freak accident during training.

Other notable news form the X Games was Shaun White’s fifth year in a row taking gold in the Snowboard SuperPipe. This time scoring his first ever perfect 100.00 points.

We’re already looking forward to the Summer X Games!

Check out the video below!