Freeskier

Jossi Wells

Wanaka, New Zealand

In the eras of triples, Jossi Wells' signature zero spins make a compelling case for simplicity and style. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of style in the ski disciplines of halfpipe, slopestyle and big air. While it might not directly translate to contest wins, style earns and keeps fans. And fan favorite Jossi Wells exemplifies clean style. From his black-and-white Instagram account to his custom-built motorcycles to his Olympic slopestyle run in which he famously zero-spun the entire jump section, Jossi stands out from the pack and skis by his own rules. In the last dozen years, without compromising, Jossi has earned X Games medals in halfpipe, slopestyle and big air and represented his home country of New Zealand at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where he placed fourth in slopestyle.

The oldest of four boys, Jossi paved the way for his brothers to become professional skiers and X Games competitors. Jossi learned to ski at Cardrona, where his father was a ski patroller and his mother worked in the childcare center, when he was two years old and ski raced until he was 15. The “platter” lift that services the Superpipe is named after the Wells family. When Jossi competed in Aspen at age 16, he was the youngest ever skier to compete at Winter X Games. He earned his plane ticket by playing violin outside his local grocery store. Ten years later, with five X Games medals already to his name, he won X Games slopestyle gold, only two years after a breaking his neck. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Jossi was the only skier to compete in both slopestyle (11th) and halfpipe (4th).

Jossi is building his ski mountaineering skills with dreams of skiing big peaks around the world. But during the 18 months leading up to the 2022 Olympics, you’ll find Jossi training Slopestyle and Big Air as he goes for Olympic gold one once more.

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