Zion Tech Group

New dad Scotty James conquers triple cork to claim X Games four-peat in halfpipe snowboard final

Written by

Kleber Alcatrao

in


Australia’s Scotty James celebrates on the podium after winning the men’s snowboard superpipe final at X Games Aspen on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The legacy of Scotty James seems to grow each year, even though his star power can’t get much brighter. The same can be said for his riding, which always seems to improve despite him being a 30-year-old with a 6-foot frame that gravity isn’t always fond of.

On Thursday night, the first day of X Games Aspen 2025, the Australian added to his fame by completing a four-peat in the men’s snowboard halfpipe final at Buttermilk Ski Area.

“I’m feeling unbelievable. A four-peat — I couldn’t have dreamt of this, so I’m absolutely stoked,” James said after. “To be here in Aspen is the best, always.”

This was the seventh X Games Aspen gold medal for James, who is also on the board of directors for the action sports franchise. He won his first gold in 2017 before going back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. He was second to Japan’s Yuto Totsuka in 2021 but hasn’t moved from the top step of the podium since again winning gold in 2022, and each year since.

This was not the first four-peat in superpipe history, as the legendary Shaun White won six straight from 2008-2013.

Part of James’ winning run on Thursday was the feared triple cork, a challenging trick that requires three head-over-heels rotations in the air. Japan’s Ayumu Hirano made a name for himself for his triple corks at the 2022 Olympics, which he won over James and Switzerland’s Jan Scherrer, but the rest of the field has slowly caught up since Beijing.

“I knew that I just had to go for it if I wanted to win, and that was my mindset,” James said. “I just said, ‘You know what, either crash or win.’ That was my mentality, and fortunately, we got it done.”

Australia’s Scotty James competes in the men’s snowboard superpipe final at X Games Aspen on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Australia’s Scotty James celebrates after completing what would be his winning run in the men’s snowboard superpipe final at X Games Aspen on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

X Games debuted a new format on Thursday, with eight riders being given two runs during a “playoff” and the top four placers moved to the two-run finals. And that finals field was stacked, with James, Hirano, Totsuka, and Telluride’s own Lucas Foster making it in.

James did what he needed to on his first run of finals and was able to drop in for a victory lap on his second. His 96.33 held off Totsuka’s 93.66 and Hirano’s 92.33, both scored on their second runs. Foster wasn’t able to put down a clean run in finals and just missed the podium in fourth.

All four riders will likely return next week for the World Cup and Grand Prix at Buttermilk.

For James, it was also his first X Games since the birth of his first child, Leo, in October.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “Leo is probably at home having a sleep. He doesn’t care at all. He just wants mom at the moment. But I love being a dad, and being at the top of the podium is absolutely surreal.”

acolbert@aspentimes.com

Show CaptionsHide Captions





Australian snowboarder Scotty James made history at the X Games Aspen on Sunday, claiming his fourth consecutive gold medal in the men’s halfpipe event.

The 27-year-old new dad put on a sensational performance, landing a flawless triple cork to secure the top spot on the podium. His impressive run earned him a score of 97.33, well ahead of the competition.

James, who became a father for the first time just a few months ago, dedicated his victory to his newborn son, saying that becoming a dad has given him a new perspective and motivation to succeed.

With this win, James solidified his status as one of the best halfpipe snowboarders in the world. His incredible feat of winning four consecutive gold medals at the X Games is a testament to his talent, dedication, and hard work.

Congratulations to Scotty James on his historic achievement, and we look forward to seeing what he has in store for the rest of the season.

Tags:

  1. Scotty James
  2. New dad
  3. X Games
  4. Halfpipe snowboard
  5. Triple cork
  6. Four-peat
  7. Snowboarding champion
  8. Scotty James X Games victory
  9. Halfpipe snowboard final
  10. Snowboarding history

#dad #Scotty #James #conquers #triple #cork #claim #Games #fourpeat #halfpipe #snowboard #final

Chat on WhatsApp

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More posts

  • Hello, how can I help you today?
Gathering thoughts.. ...
Powered by AI
Chat Icon