When nineteen year old Red Bull athlete Scotty James hits the Sochi Halfpipe in February he will become a two time Olympian for Australia. He heads into Sochi as the current FIS World Champion and fourth at the recent Aspen X Games.
Snow It All threw five questions at him.
What were your expectations going into this FIS season?
I didn’t really have any specific goals or expectations coming into the FIS season, I just wanted to get some consistent results so that my qualification for the games would go smoothly. If someone had told me before Stoneham that I would come away with a podium finish in the pipe, a top 10 in the slope and take home the globe I’m not sure I would’ve believed it! I’m stoked!
What does your Crystal Globe World Champion status and X Games fourth place mean for you going into Sochi?
Getting a good result always helps with confidence, it’s not going to change how I’ve been approaching my riding though. Sochi will be a whole new ball game – a lot of the best riders in the world didn’t compete in Stoneham so the field will be tougher and everyone will bring their ‘A-game’… it’s going to be awesome!
Who did you celebrate your Crystal Globe with?
My coach Abe and my strength and conditioning coach Tim, who also happens to be my big brother, have been working and travelling with me for a while now. It’s been great having them with me, it definitely makes a huge difference when you have an awesome team by your side at the top of the pipe or slope course.
What is your mantra that you live by when competing?
I think the biggest difference in my approach to competing now is to forget about all of the “stuff” that can surround a competition-like environment and just focus on why I started to pursue this sport… it’s a lot of fun! So that’s what I do.
What do you listen to on your iPod before competing?
I love my music when I’m riding, ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry always gets me pumped up haha!
Find out more about Scotty James with our Behind The Podium interview series.
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