Olympian snowboarder Scotty James inspires the next generation

It was early spring in a Melbourne suburb. Six-year-old Scotty James sat transfixed in front of the TV, watching the live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

More than 100 horse-mounted cowboys carrying Olympic flags filled the screen, performing a choreographed ride across the floor of Sydney’s Stadium Australia. Hundreds of singers and dancers performed a series of segments commemorating various chapters of Australia’s history.

But even amid that fantastical pageantry, James saw something familiar, maybe even attainable. When the famed Aussie basketball player Andrew Gaze led his team into the arena bearing the Australian flag, James knew that was something he wanted to do someday.

"I just remember it so vividly," he tells The CEO Magazine. "I remember watching it and thinking, ‘Wow, that must be such an incredible honor. What a thrill.’"

As he grew up and entered the world of competitive snowboarding, James frequently recalled that moment, and it reminded him of what he wanted to be – not just a great athlete, but a great Australian.

"I would like to achieve an Olympic gold medal – definitely. It’s the one thing that isn’t quite on the mantelpiece yet."

For the next two decades, James committed himself to mastering his craft – launching himself into the air above a frozen halfpipe and landing intricate tricks that made spectators gasp in disbelief.

Eventually, James’ work paid off when he was invited to serve as flag bearer for the Australian team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

"It’s an incredible thing, walking into the Opening Ceremony with millions of people watching, and you have your team behind you, the Australian team, and you’re setting the tone and the energy for the Olympics," he says.

Having achieved one of his most remote life goals, James has spent the last few years branching out from snowboarding, launching himself into the world of entrepreneurship as an investor and strategic advisor for X Games (a series of action sports events), a children’s series author and a content creator.

"I’m doing all these other things outside snowboarding that I never thought were possible."

"I’m doing all these other things outside snowboarding that I never thought were possible," he says. "The curiosity and discipline I gained through snowboarding, and the sense that there is always more to learn and improve, made it possible."

A prodigy under pressure

James’ snowboarding career is so replete with triumphs and accolades that one might be fooled into seeing his success as inevitable. But that is not the story James wants to tell.

Even with two Olympic medals, nine X Games medals and three World Halfpipe Championship gold medals under his belt, James wants to forge a more honest legacy – one that includes the difficult moments that have been obscured by his reputation for being a snowboarding prodigy.

"There are some really amazing advantages to being labeled a ‘prodigy’. You get a sense of self-worth because people think you’re good enough to be something special," he says. "But the downside is that you’re not necessarily prepared for the other pressures that come along with the label."

Once snowboarding became his job, it was no longer just a fun activity. James had to attract sponsors and, eventually, bear the weight of an entire country’s hopes when competing in the Olympics.

"A lot of unexpected obligations come into your world when you become a prodigy, which can be challenging to manage," he says. "I had a really tough time before I was able to fully embrace what that label means and all of the obligations that come with it."

Things were particularly tough for James between the age of 14 and 15, just as he was graduating from his junior career into men’s category events. It was around this time that qualifying to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics started to seem within reach.

"The north star for me is to get more kids interested and involved in halfpipe snowboarding."

Meanwhile, James was grappling with life as a teenager – a growth spurt, an urge to be accepted among people his age and a yearning for free time.

"My interest in snowboarding took a bit of a slump," he recalls. "I missed my friends a lot, I was craving a bit more of a normal life, and I just wasn’t performing."

At the same time, there were other Australian athletes who were also competing for limited Olympic slots, turning up the pressure on James to earn his place at a time when he wasn’t even sure if he wanted one.

After putting in a disappointing performance at an event in Europe, James broke down. He told his family he wanted to quit the sport, and he meant it.

"My passion for snowboarding just disappeared," he recalls.

James’ parents accepted his decision to escape his pressurized environment and relinquish his Olympic ambitions. But they did not want him to lose his love of snowboarding altogether.

"Unless you’re 110 percent locked in, enjoying the sport and embracing all of the training, it is very hard to stay motivated."

"We shaped the new pathway for me to be able to love snowboarding and pursue my career, whether I got to the Olympics or not," he says. "I still reflect on that moment. Unless you’re 110 percent locked in, enjoying the sport and embracing all of the training, it is very hard to stay motivated. This sport is too dangerous to do half-heartedly."

With his family’s help, James managed to rediscover his love of snowboarding while also becoming Australia’s youngest winter Olympian in 50 years.

MOOKi saves the day

Growing up, James’ family invoked a nickname – MOOKi – to remind him of the joy snowboarding once brought him.

"What would MOOKi do?" they would ask him. "Be more MOOKi."

MOOKi is more than just a nickname – it is also an alter ego that represents James’ early days experimenting with action sports when the skateboard ramps were homemade and everything was just for fun.

"When I can embrace that playful approach and enjoy every moment, I gain the courage to overcome any obstacle along the way," he says. "That was a big milestone in my approach to be able to love snowboarding again."

"There are some really amazing advantages to being labeled a prodigy. But the downside is that you’re not necessarily prepared for the other pressures that come along with the label."

In August, James will release a children’s book he wrote titled MOOKi vs The Big Scary, which features MOOKi embarking on grand adventures, encountering unexpected obstacles and overcoming them with the help of his two best friends.

"I think it’s really important for kids to know that it’s okay to fail, and that achieving a goal is a process," James says. "An important part of the story is that MOOKi isn’t perfect. He doesn’t reach the goal without his friends and some encouragement, always after tripping up a bit along the way."

It is a lesson James bears in mind for himself as he prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

"That’s the elephant in the room," he says. "​​I would like to achieve an Olympic gold medal – definitely. It’s the one thing that isn’t quite on the mantelpiece yet."

Advocating for athletes

Young Australian readers inspired by the MOOKi character will soon get the opportunity to channel their inspiration into action. James is in the process of donating a four-meter mini-halfpipe to the resort village of Thredbo, in Australia’s Snowy Mountains. It will be called MOOKi’s Mini Pipe.

"The north star for me is to get more kids interested and involved in halfpipe snowboarding, regardless of whether they decide to pursue it as a career," he says.

For those who do pursue a career in snowboarding, James hopes the new mini-pipe will make training slightly more accessible.

This initiative is part of a wider interest James has in serving the action sports community – something he is also doing as an investor and advisor for X Games. In this role, James is able to weigh in on issues that matter to athletes while competitions are being organized. He can advocate for competition formats that keep athletes excited, relaying feedback from athletes to the games’ organizers.

"When we’re excited as athletes about our environment to perform, that’s when you’re going to get the best show, and then X Games will come away with an amazing result," he says.

"When I can embrace that playful approach and enjoy every moment, I gain the courage to overcome any obstacle along the way."

The X Games also recently announced they will introduce a bold, new, global, team-based format in 2026 that will provide a year-round international competition calendar for X Games and enable athletes to earn compensation. Teams will be a vital component of the new X Games League (XGL) and will be composed of athletes from multiple disciplines who will compete for individual and team points to earn both individual and team prize purses.

As both an active athlete and an advisor for X Games, James has the unique perspective of being able to speak to both the business strategy to grow the sport globally, as well as his experience as an athlete and how, for the first time, they will be able to focus on performance while benefiting from a stable and sustainable career path in action sports.

"Having a seat at the table while also competing on the snow continues to inspire me to see what’s possible. The best way to change the game is to be part of the team that helps push our industry to grow and break barriers in business," James says.

Advocating on athletes’ behalf is especially important today as demands from broadcast networks and sponsors increasingly conform to the digital media landscape. Athletes are expected to have two careers, James says – one on the field and one on digital platforms.

"Performance is always going to be important to me," he says. "But commercial dollars are more associated with digital influence than performance these days, so my goal is to stay at the top and keep winning, while also ticking the other boxes on digital platforms."

To that end, James and his brother Sean have set up 11Oakland Productions, a media company producing a steady stream of viral social media content. James appears in most of the videos, which include parodies of Formula 1 drivers, 90s sitcoms intro sequences and behind-the-scenes looks at halfpipe competitions.

"When I admire a sports or entertainment personality, I love to look at their social media and see who they are and whether they’re comfortable being a bit dorky," James says. "When they are, that really resonates with me because that’s kind of who I am."

There are many aspects of James’ life that must be robotic, ruthless or disciplined, he says. Making silly videos with his brother gives him a chance to show another side of his personality.

"First and foremost, we want to make ourselves laugh," he says. "And if other people laugh along as well, that’s great."