Scotty James Lands Never-Before-Seen Trick, Wins 5th X Games

At 31 years old, Scotty James just proved that pushing boundaries never gets old.

The Australian snowboarder stunned crowds in Aspen, Colorado on Saturday by landing a trick combination no one had ever completed before. He nailed two consecutive backside 1440-degree spins in the halfpipe, one riding forward and one riding backward, a feat so difficult that it had never been successfully landed in competition.

The judges rewarded his innovation with a score of 95, easily securing his fifth straight X Games halfpipe title. The win also tied him with snowboarding legend Shaun White for eight overall X Games gold medals, cementing his place among the sport's all-time greats.

James briefly touched the snow with his hand after the second jump to stay upright, but the technical difficulty and originality of the combination spoke for itself. After his winning run, he celebrated by crowd surfing into the hundreds of fans who had gathered to watch, wearing his trademark red boxing gloves.

"I felt I wanted to do something for myself and for halfpipe and to push backside riding as much as I can," James said after his victory. He credits groundbreakers like Mark McMorris and the iPod (Iouri Podladtchikov) for inspiring him to constantly evolve the sport.

Why This Inspires

James's willingness to take risks at this stage of his career shows what's possible when experience meets courage. He's already proven himself as one of the best in the world with Olympic silver and bronze medals, yet he continues to push himself beyond what's comfortable.

The timing couldn't be better. With the Milan Cortina Olympics just weeks away, James heads into the competition as the favorite after this historic performance and a recent win at the Laax Open in Switzerland.

The one achievement missing from his otherwise stellar career? Olympic gold. James has been open about his desire to complete his collection, and if Saturday's performance is any indication, he's bringing everything he's got to Italy next month.