Aussie Snowboard Stars Ready to Dominate Livigno Halfpipe
As the highly anticipated men’s halfpipe event looms at the Winter Olympics, the athletes have been putting the finishing touches on their training runs at the Livigno facility. In a unique display of sportsmanship and collective input, snowboarders from both the men’s and women’s fields gathered after a recent session. They formed a semi-circle around the course designer, eager to offer their feedback and suggestions for any necessary adjustments.
This collaborative process, known as a course review, grants every athlete a voice in shaping the competition environment. While theoretically democratic, the reality often sees a consensus forming around the insights of a particular rider.
“We were all like, ‘Scotty, what do you think?’” laughs Australian snowboarder Emily Arthur. “He has such a significant presence within the entire community.”
According to those present, James’ key suggestion revolved around ensuring a better vertical balance between the right and left walls of the halfpipe. His observation was met with widespread agreement.
Valentino Guseli, a friend and rival of James, chimed in, “Well, it’s not always just Scotty. He was the first person that said it, but that’s what everyone was thinking.”
Scotty James: The Reigning King and His Quest for Gold
This level of influence is a testament to a decade spent at the pinnacle of the sport. James, a two-time Olympic silver medallist, is widely considered the favourite to claim the one piece of silverware missing from his illustrious career: Olympic gold.
Just as the next generation of talent appeared to be catching up, James unequivocally demonstrated he’s not ready to relinquish his dominance. He secured his eighth X Games title by unveiling a groundbreaking trick combination, linking a switch backside 1440 directly into a backside 1440. This late-career innovation served as a powerful reminder of his enduring skill and competitive drive.
While Guseli might be the sole Australian not actively rooting for James to stand atop the podium, his sentiments stem not from animosity but from the fierce, yet respectful, rivalry that defines their relationship.
“He’s the man, for sure,” Guseli acknowledges. For Guseli to potentially unseat James and claim the mantle of Australia’s top snowboarder, he understands he must first overcome the reigning champion. If James is the established monarch of Australian snowboarding, then Guseli, at 20 years old, is the ambitious challenger poised to end his reign.
“He’s a great person,” Guseli continues, his respect for James evident. “Obviously, in my position, and in everyone else’s position, you want to just win. That’s what we’re here for: we’re here to go for gold. As a snowboarder, I respect him very much, and I think it’s more about us going and kicking everyone else’s asses. That’s a cool thing.”
The snowboarding community, particularly within the Australian team, fosters a remarkably collegial atmosphere. James and Guseli both attest to how they push each other to achieve their best, a sentiment that appears genuine. This mutual admiration is tempered by a natural, “brotherly” competitiveness, as Arthur aptly describes it.
“There’s obviously some fire there, but it’s love at the end of the day,” she remarks.
Maintaining this positive dynamic is crucial, as both riders face significant challenges beyond their individual rivalry. They must contend with formidable international competitors, most notably a strong contingent of Japanese riders, spearheaded by Ayumu Hirano, the reigning Olympic halfpipe champion from Beijing 2022. The qualifying rounds are set to commence on Thursday at 5:30 AM AEDT.
“I think Valentino is an incredibly talented snowboarder,” James states. “I always say, most importantly, he’s actually just a really good kid. I have nothing bad to say about him.”
James further elaborates on the unique Australian competitive spirit: “Australians, naturally, we want to put each other down a peg. I think that’s in our nature. When someone does well, we want to just cut down a little bit. For me, through my journey, I’m not doing that.”
“Every time he does well, I send him a text and say, ‘Mate, well done.’ As a country, we’re small when it comes to winter sport, [but] we move mountains, and he’s someone that can stand on the podium in any of the disciplines.”
“I would always cheer him on to do that. Obviously, cutting through the BS – he and I know that we have to try and beat each other, and we’ve got to beat the whole army of the Japanese, and Americans, and everyone else as well.”
“I look forward to probably having a good battle with him here in the halfpipe. It’s going to be fun.”
Australian Women’s Big Air Campaign Concludes
In the women’s big air final, Australian hopes of a podium finish fell short. Tess Coady, who had not landed any of her practice runs leading up to the event, had to adjust her strategy. Stepping onto the slope as the first competitor on Monday night (local time), Coady opted for a more conservative approach.
Despite successfully landing all three of her runs, Coady secured a seventh-place finish. Her compatriot, Mela Stalker, finished in tenth place. The gold medal was claimed by Japan’s Kokomo Murase, with New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott taking silver and South Korea’s Seungeun Yu earning bronze.
“I was going to start switch back, and then go back side, but I felt more confident with the back side and then just start there and see how it went,” Coady explained, indicating her decision to prioritise landing her runs over attempting the most difficult tricks.
For Stalker, her debut Olympic final exceeded her personal expectations. Having gained valuable experience on the Olympic stage, she now looks forward to her preferred discipline: the women’s slopestyle.
The slopestyle course, with its notably large rails, presents a unique challenge that Stalker finds particularly appealing. “The rails are crazy, so I’m really excited to have a play with those [in practice] and see where it goes to,” she said. “We have some events that have pretty high rails, but not on the average that it is here, so I’m pretty excited to see how they all play out.”
Stalker’s affinity for rails is a significant advantage, and Coady shares this enthusiasm. Coady, who earned a bronze medal in the women’s slopestyle at the 2022 Olympics, expressed her excitement for the upcoming event. “I love rails. Rails are pretty fun. There’s a really fun little rail park just across [the street] over there that I’ll probably go ride for a little bit before the practice starts.”
The Winter Olympic Games are being broadcast across the Nine Network, 9Now, and Stan Sport.
