INTERVIEW: Scotty James Talks Snowboarding, Mooki & building resilience

Scotty James is one of Australia’s most honoured snowboarders and a four-time Olympian. He was the flag bearer for Australia at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. His new book, Mooki and the Big Scary, will capture the hearts of all his readers.

Press Gang reporters recently had the privilege to interview Scotty. Here are the highlights.

What inspired you to write a book?

I wanted to share my experience with people like yourselves in school, and other kids, in a really fun way. Mookie is actually me – he’s my alter ego, and he’s got his two best friends, Cindy and Ralph and they go on some really fun adventures. 

But the main point of the book is really about the resilience that Mookie and his friends go through to reach the North Star. And I think that really resonates with me in my journey to date. So that’s been the inspiring part about writing my book and sharing my story.

What inspired you to start snowboarding? 

I think I’ve always really enjoyed the adrenaline rush. I love the competition, I love being in the mountains. My dad was a passionate snowboarder when I was growing up and we were always at the snow when I was younger. 

And now, to this day, I get a lot of joy out of going up on the mountain with my family. So, what inspired me initially was just my pure passion and joy for it. 

What was your hardest stunt you’ve ever done?

It is going to be a bit of a tongue twister. You ready? A switch backside. 1260 double cork in the half pipe.

What have you achieved as a snowboarder?

I’ve achieved some good feats in the competition field at X Games. I’ve got two medals at the Olympic Games 2018 and 2022. I have achieved being the flag bearer for the Australian team in 2018 at the Olympics. I’ve been three time world champion in snowboarding and all of it I’m most proud of. And my biggest achievement is that I’ve done it as an Australian, which has been very cool and the cherry on top for me in the success. 

Where do you train?

So at the moment I’m in Australia and I’m in my pre-season phase before I go overseas again. I’m actually going down to Thredbo in New South Wales for the next three weeks, which is exciting. 

I also train a lot in Switzerland. I spent a lot of time there and it’s where I base myself during the competition season. I’m in America a lot as well. So yeah, it’s a full-time travelling job.

How long did it take you to learn how to snowboard? 

I started when I was about three years old, so I don’t even remember the first time I went snowboarding. My first memories of snowboarding, I think I would’ve been around six or seven years old. 

But with a lot of persistence, because you spend a lot of time on your butt when you start snowboarding, over time I was able to adapt and learn. I had a lot of different instructors to help me. 

What’s the worst injury that you’ve had from snowboarding? 

No worst injury. I’ve had broken wrists, I’ve had big bruises all over my body. I’ve hurt my ankles before. I’m in a very risky sport, so they happen often. So It’s just about bouncing back. Getting back up on my feet is always the biggest challenge.