Beau-James Wells began skiing when he was three years old and had his sights set on becoming a professional freeskier from a young age. He began competing on the international circuit at the age of 15 and a year later was selected to represent NZ at the inaugural Youth Olympic Winter Games where he placed fourth in halfpipe. He became Junior World Champ in halfpipe in 2014, hung onto his title in 2015 and also added a silver medal in slopestyle. Beau-James is a two-time Winter Olympian and represented NZ at the 2014 and 2018 Games. He also chairs our Senior Athlete Leadership Team Committee.
2nd place Dew Tour halfpipe 2015; 2015 & 2014 Freeski Halfpipe Junior World Champion; 6th in halfpipe at 2014 Olympic Winter Games; 4th in halfpipe at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
Beau-James Wells began skiing when he was three years old and had his sights set on becoming a professional freeskier from a young age.
In 2011 Beau-James was selected for the Snow Sports NZ Winter Performance Programme, competing in freeski slopestyle and halfpipe. He very quickly made his mark on the international circuit, claiming fourth place at the Youth Olympic Games in 2012, 16th at the AFP World Championships and seventh in the North Face Freeski Open of New Zealand.
More top results including fifth place in halfpipe at the 2013 Dew Tour, signalled that Beau was ready to take on the world’s best. He was selected to represent New Zealand at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014 where he placed 6th in the halfpipe finals and 22nd in slopestyle in the qualifying rounds.
Beau rounded out the 2014 northern hemisphere season by claiming the Junior World Championship title in halfpipe and went on to defend his title at the 2015 Junior World Championships, also adding a silver medal in slopestyle. In 2015 he returned to the Dew Tour, this time landing on the podium and winning a silver medal.
Beau-James sustained a knee injury in 2016 which kept him off snow for seven months. He made a convincing comeback with a 10th place at the World Cup held as part of the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ at Cardrona Alpine Resort in August 2017, followed by 6th at the World Cup in Mammoth Mountain USA in December 2017.
Beau-James was selected to represent NZ at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games NZ and was selected as the team's flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony. He went on to finish 4th in the halfpipe.
Beau was named Central Otago Junior Sportsman of the Year for his achievements in 2014 and 2015. He was named Otago Junior Sportsman of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
Check out more of Beau's FIS results here or follow him on social media.
