Minutes after soaring to perfection, Nico Porteous has already returned to earth.
With very little left in the tank and trailling his rivals for gold at X-Games Aspen, defending a superpipe crown he won 12 months earlier, the Kiwi ski phenom somehow pulled out the most stupendous performance of his young career to snatch victory on his - and the competition's - last attempt.
"It's like being knocked down in a boxing match, and having to get back up and throw more punches," he tells Newshub. "Your body's dead, your legs are dead, your mind's dead - it's been a long night, a long week, and you've just got to believe in yourself and go for it.
"Nothing else matters in that moment."
The result prompted TV commentators to dive even deeper into their reservoir of hyperbole, declaring it "the most incredible run we've ever seen".
Any other 20-year-old might be bouncing off the ceiling about now, fuelled by a generous supply of sponsor's product, which in this case would actually be an energy drink. Red Bull, apparently, gives you wings.
But the only flight on Porteous' mind right now is the early-morning plane ride to Europe, with a house to pack up before he can leave Colorado.
The past few weeks have been a blur for the freestyler, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, but seemed to show few ill affects, as he took out the US Grand Prix event - his first World Cup title - at Mammoth Mountain... then this.
"I had a run that I was really happy with and I knew it would hold its own, but it's one thing to imagine a run, and another to actually go and do it.
"I didn't expect to do that run tonight. I thought the two 16s or the switchboarding alone would be enough, but I ended up having to play all my cards and it paid off."
One thing you quickly learn about freestyle skiing and snowboarding - they speak a language all of their own.
Over recent months, Porteous has often alluded to a new trick that would raise his routine to another level for next month's Beijing Winter Olympics. He'd tried several times to unveil the switch left double 1440 in competition - tonight he nailed it, but not first time.
Physically and emotionally spent, he had crashed out during his third run and feared he had nothing left for what proved to be his decisive attempt.
While Porteous credits adrenalin for getting him to the finish-line, he only needed to look across at his NZ Olympic teammate for that spark. Snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott had already completed her programme at Aspen, scooping gold in big air and slopestyle competitions to take out the 'Best in Snow' award - a gawdy, golden Jeep grill.
"I'm so stoked and just seeing Nico lace the best run of his life tops it all off," she declared, auto accessory tucked under her arm.
That respect and admiration is strictly mutual.
"It's incredible," gushes Porteous. "Zoi is such a weapon... it's absolutely insane.
"I hate to say it, but the general public has no idea how much of a weapon she is. She is so dominant, she's literally unstoppable.
"To be able to gather inspiration from her performances and then for me to ski my best - one of the best nights of my life - it's such an honour. She is really becoming one of the greatest snowboarders of all time.
"To be her teammate and for her to be a fellow Kiwi is so, so cool and so inspiring."
The pair have virtually grown up together before our very eyes. Despite the unquestioned natural resources available in our land, Kiwis have traditionally struggled for traction in snow sports.
Until four years ago, New Zealand had only one silver medal - slalom skier Annelise Coberger at Albertville 1992 - from 66 years of trying.
Teenagers Porteous and Sydowski-Synnott broke that drought with twins bronzes at Pyeongchang, and have not slowed down since, showing their peers that anything is possible, if they can only imagine it.
If you can see it, you can be it.
Two weeks out from Beijing, Porteous has drawn a line in the snow for his rivals to match, although maybe he would have preferred to save his show-stopping routine for the biggest stage.
"It obviously gives me confidence - I wouldn't say in a result or a final outcome, just my skiing. I've proved myself... the run I did tonight was what I had planned for the Olympics and to do that prior to the Olympics gives me a lot of confidence in my skiing.
"I just have to maintain that and keep a level head, and keep working hard over the next two weeks.
"At the end of the day, it's a different country, different venue, different event, different competitors - we were missing a couple tonight. The Olympics is completely different, and I just want to take it as it comes and leave everything out there."
Porteous and Sadowski-Synnott have proved their Korean success was anything but a fluke, as they spearhead a 15-strong contingent at Beijing, where medals are now an expectation, not merely a dream.
