Fast Facts
Sport: Snowboard
Event: Men's Snowboard Cross
Olympic History: Milano Cortina 2026
Highlights: Winning the 2023 Junior World Championships in the Mixed team event with Josie Baff as my teammate has to be the highlight. An amazing achievement that was my first major result on the world stage.
Year Born: 2004
About James
Born and raised in Sydney, James Johnstone found his way onto a snowboard at nine years old on a family trip to the snow. His father, a passionate skier, took James and his twin brother to the rental desk and asked the question that would shape everything that followed: “Skis or snowboards?” Without hesitation, they chose the boards, and from that moment, Johnstone never looked back.
By the age of 13, his casual enthusiasm had evolved into a clear ambition. Snowboard Cross grabbed him immediately. Competing for The Scots College, he began the climb from junior talent to world‑class athlete.
The turning point came in 2023. Teaming up with fellow Australian Josie Baff, Johnstone captured gold in the Junior World Championships mixed team event - his first major international result and the moment he stamped himself as a serious contender for the future of the sport.
Johnstone describes stepping up from the European Cup circuit to the World Cup as “like moving from the VFL or WAFL into the AFL” - a brutal, unforgiving shift into the highest tier of global competition.
Training under the NSWIS, Johnstone has built a reputation for composure under pressure and an ability to evolve with every race. His sporting inspiration, AFL superstar Marcus Bontempelli, reflects the values he brings to his own career: leadership, humility, professionalism, and an unwavering work ethic.
When he’s not training or travelling the world on the competition circuit, you’ll find him watching sport - AFL, cricket, cycling, golf, and Formula 1 filling his downtime.
