James Pouch, one of Britain’s longest standing Park & Pipe World Cup skiers, has announced his decision to retire from competition ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Widely recognised for his style and technical strengths, James has made his World Cup debut in January 2020, racking up nine top 30 World Cup finishes across his career, as well as appearing at the 2025 World Championships in St Moritz.
James’ competitive FIS debut came in January 2017 in Waterville, USA, with his first competitive appearance outside of North America coming in a World Cup debut which saw him finish 40th in Slopestyle in Seiseralm, Italy. James broke the World Cup top-30 for the first time three years later in Silvaplana, finishing 22nd in Slopestyle, while his best World Cup result came in the Klagenfurt Big Air competition in January 2025 with a storming 16th place finish.
The 2025/26 season saw James record six World Cup results including two Big Air top 30s in Steamboat in December 2025 and Tignes in March this year.
Alongside his competition performances, James has been an integral part of the British Freeski team notably training and competing alongside Chris McCormick, Tom Greenway, and Tyler Harding in the Men’s Park & Pipe Freeski World Cup squad.
Announcing his decision to retire, James said:
“It’s been an incredible time skiing with the team over the years. I’ve seen parts of the world that I otherwise wouldn’t have, met amazing people, and been able to compete with the best skiers out there. I’ve had such a blast travelling, training, competing, and just spending time with the Park & Pipe squad. Freeskiing is in a great place right now and I feel really honoured and fortunate to have been a part of the scene for all this time. It’s something that will always be a part of who I am, but I know that it’s the right time for me to step away from competing and focus on my next endeavour. I want to say thank you to my family, teammates, coaches, and everyone else who has been a part of the journey, there are certainly a lot. Seven years later and I still can’t believe I’ve had the privilege to do this, I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Pics Credit: Sam Mellish / GB Snowsport.