Scotty
James
Australia
·
Snowboarding
Date of birth | 6 July 1994 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Melbourne |
Age | 32 |
Nationality | Australia |
Career start | 2008 |
Discipline | Snowboard Halfpipe |
It's not often that you hear of Australians being into winter sports, but Scotty James is one of the few. In fact, in 2010, he became the youngest male athlete from any nation to compete at the Winter Games in more than 50 years.
So, how did the rider from Melbourne pull it off? Snowboarding from the age of three definitely helped. They don’t even make snowboards small enough for three-year-olds, but when his dad saw a mini toy snowboard in a shop window, he bought it. Little did the shop owner realise that the 80cm board would be a stepping stone for James to achieve so much in the sport.
Early start in winter sports
He broke onto the international circuit in 2008 and has been tearing up the likes of the FIS World Cup, the Burton European Open and Winter X Games ever since.
But it hasn't been easy. James has a condition that causes his knee to randomly dislocate – not ideal for a professional snowboarder. But when you take into account that he competed in the 2010 Winter Games with a fractured wrist, it's clear why nothing has stopped him from reaching the top of his game.
Building a halfpipe legacy
His track record is full of gold medals and big event wins. In 2019, he became the first male snowboarder to win three consecutive World Championship titles in any snowboard discipline, taking halfpipe gold in Park City, Utah. In 2020, he continued his winning run with victories at the Laax Open and X Games.
In 2021, James added World Championship silver to his medal collection, and the following year he secured silver in the halfpipe at the Beijing Games, upgrading the bronze he had won four years earlier in PyeongChang. Later in 2022, he scored a stunning 99-point run at Copper Mountain – the second-highest score in FIS World Cup history.
2023 started with more success as James claimed halfpipe gold at the X Games in Aspen. The following year, he maintained his incredible Winter X Games SuperPipe record with his sixth win in eight years. He also added a new title in 2024 when he became a father for the first time.
Australia's most decorated Winter Olympian
The lack of sleep doesn't seem to have affected his athletic endeavours. James may be getting older but he's also getting better, challenging younger generations. In 2025, he claimed his fourth consecutive X Games SuperPipe gold and seventh X Games title, while also winning the Laax Open for a fourth time and securing a record fourth World Championship halfpipe title at St Moritz.
James then kicked off 2026 in style by dominating the competition at the Laax Open. No one else stood a chance as the experienced Aussie earned a huge score of 98.75 points to claim the halfpipe title for the fifth time. One week later, James claimed his fifth consecutive X Games SuperPipe title in Aspen, securing his eighth X Games gold and matching Shaun White and Chloe Kim for the most SuperPipe golds in X Games history.
Later in the year, at his fifth Winter Games, James won silver in the halfpipe at Milano Cortina, becoming Australia's most decorated Winter Olympian with three medals.
Career highlights:
- Becoming the youngest male athlete from any nation to compete at the Winter Games in 50 years, aged just 15, in 2010
- Earning a near-perfect score of 99.00 in the men's final of the US Snowboarding Grand Prix – the second-highest score in FIS history (2022)
- Winning a fourth World Championship gold medal in the halfpipe event (2025)
- Securing his eighth X Games SuperPipe gold medal and fifth consecutive title (2026)
- Becoming Australia's most decorated Winter Olympian after winning a third medal, silver, at the Games in Milano Cortina (2026)