How fatherhood is inspiring Snowboarder Scotty James to chase Winter Olympics gold
Aussie Scotty James is a regular on the F1 track, but does his loyalty lie with fellow Melburnian, Oscar Piastri or brother-in-law, Lance Stroll? Plus, how fatherhood is inspiring him to chase gold in Milan.
In sport and in life, Australian Winter Olympic legend Scotty James has always had a knack for landing on his feet.
One of the world’s greatest ever snowboarders, James has been near the top of the mountain for a decade and a half because he’s mastered all the daredevil moves that only the most skilful and bravest competitors can pull off.
It might be the coolest sport at the Winter Olympics, but professional snowboarding is also not for the faint-hearted or reckless because the icy halfpipes which they compete on are steep, slippery and hard as rock.
While the somersaults they perform in the air get all the cheers and social media clicks, the real trick is how they manage to get back to Earth safely.
It’s a fine line which James has successfully traversed without too much fuss, although he’s broken a few bones and been bruised along the way.
In February, he’ll head to his fifth Winter Olympic Games at Milano Cortina in northern Italy, bubbling with the same energy and enthusiasm he had when he made his first Olympic appearance in 2010 as a 15-year-old.
“I haven’t been able to grow a beard since then to now so that hasn’t changed,” he said.
“My diet’s probably changed a bit. I think I was eating a lot of chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers in 2010, so that’s changed.
“As to my approach, I would say I’ve broken that stigma of being just a bit of a larrikin snowboarder into being more of a professional athlete, approaching it with the right intensity and having a plan and setting myself up physically, mentally as well as with the tricks and the things that I need to do to be able to win.
“There’s also a lot of that part of me when I was 15 at my first Games that I carry into this as well, which is being playful and making sure that you stay light on your feet and when things go sideways, you pick yourself up quickly and be resilient.”
Once a starry-eyed teenager from Melbourne with big dreams, James now finds himself as one of the oldest elite competitors in snowboarding.
Although he’s only 31, his life has flipped around as much as his sporting career.
He now lives in Monaco, and has fallen head over heels in love with Chloe Stroll, a Canadian singer-songwriter, whose father Lawrence is a billionaire and whose brother Lance is a Formula One racing driver, competing against Melbourne-born Oscar Piastri.
James had already become mates with Daniel Ricciardo through a shared sponsorship, leaving him in a bind about who to support whenever he attends Grand Prix races.
“We cheer on Oscar, we cheer on Lance and I’ve been with Red Bull forever so I guess I’m supporting a lot of different people,” he said.
“But to be honest, it’s such a dangerous sport, the bottom line is I just want everyone to race well and be all good at the end.
“For any Australian that has gone overseas and is doing well in their respective field, I definitely have a lot of respect because I think it takes a lot of courage to go and do that.”
Happily married, James and Chloe had their first child late last year, a son they named Leo.
While some athletes consider retiring when they become first-time parents, James said having a kid has inspired him to keep going. With the blessing of his wife, he’s now more determined than ever to keep pursuing his lifelong ambitions.
“Chloe’s a huge support in my life. She really understands obviously the determination and the consistency towards wanting to do your best to win. She comes from a family that’s in sport,” James said.
“Becoming parents has been exciting. I realised very quickly that obviously my goals on the hill are very important, and I do work very hard to make sure I can make them a reality, but when you have a kid, you realise pretty quickly that there’s something that will always be far more significant than anything that you do professionally.
“For me to have that balance in my life has actually been really healthy. It’s actually helped me with my training. It’s helped me get moving, you want to be there. You want to get the job done and go home and see the family. It’s been very positive.”
That’s not what all the cool kids in snowboarding want to hear. James may be older than them but he’s still a fierce contender, as his stunning list of accomplishments show.
He’s won the halfpipe world championship four times, including this year.
He’s won seven gold medals at the X Games and won the end of season snowboarding World Cup title four times.
James also won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and silver at Beijing in 2022. The only thing missing from his CV is the Olympic gold and he’s got as good a chance as anyone of winning in Milano.
“Speaking of the elephant, there’s only one way to eat one, and that is one bite at a time,” he said.
“The past 15 years in my Olympics experience, one bite at a time has been the trajectory for me and the way that I’m approaching this.
“One of my motivators is almost to be a bad smell that all the next generation are wishing that I would retire. And I won’t give them that gratification.”
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