James Pouch, one in all Britain’s longest standing Park & Pipe World Cup skiers, has introduced his determination to retire from competitors forward of the 2026/27 season.
Broadly recognised for his model and technical strengths, James has made his World Cup debut in January 2020, racking up 9 prime 30 World Cup finishes throughout his profession, in addition to showing on the 2025 World Championships in St Moritz.
James’ aggressive FIS debut got here in January 2017 in Waterville, USA, along with his first aggressive look outdoors of North America coming in a World Cup debut which noticed him end fortieth in Slopestyle in Seiseralm, Italy. James broke the World Cup top-30 for the primary time three years later in Silvaplana, ending twenty second in Slopestyle, whereas his finest World Cup end result got here within the Klagenfurt Massive Air competitors in January 2025 with a storming sixteenth place end.
The 2025/26 season noticed James file six World Cup outcomes together with two Massive Air prime 30s in Steamboat in December 2025 and Tignes in March this 12 months.
Alongside his competitors performances, James has been an integral a part of the British Freeski crew notably coaching and competing alongside Chris McCormick, Tom Greenway, and Tyler Harding within the Males’s Park & Pipe Freeski World Cup squad.
Asserting his determination to retire, James stated:
“It’s been an unbelievable time snowboarding with the crew over time. I’ve seen components of the world that I in any other case wouldn’t have, met wonderful folks, and been in a position to compete with the most effective skiers on the market. I’ve had such a blast travelling, coaching, competing, and simply spending time with the Park & Pipe squad. Freeskiing is in an incredible place proper now and I really feel actually honoured and lucky to have been part of the scene for all this time. It’s one thing that can at all times be part of who I’m, however I do know that it’s the correct time for me to step away from competing and give attention to my subsequent endeavour. I need to say thanks to my household, teammates, coaches, and everybody else who has been part of the journey, there are actually so much. Seven years later and I nonetheless can’t imagine I’ve had the privilege to do that, I can’t thank everybody sufficient.”
Pics Credit score: Sam Mellish / GB Snowsport.
