Tudhope’s wisdom to rediscover the mountain’s blank canvas

Listening to Ben Tudhope’s poetic explanation of why he loves snowboarding, it’s easy to think of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic medallist as a wise old man of Australian snow sport.  

In some ways, he is.  

If all goes to plan, Milano Cortina will be Tudhope’s fourth consecutive Games, a stretch that also includes six World Championship medals in dual banked slalom and snowboard cross, one of which was gold in 2023.  

Yet, for all his wisdom and experience, Tudhope – a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder – will be barely 26 years old by Games-time, a peculiar contrast resulting from his Paralympic debut coming when he was only 14 and was the youngest competitor from any nation at the Sochi 2014 Games.  

“I’m still kind of young on the team but also one of the veterans now,” said Tudhope, who has cerebral palsy.  

“Going to my fourth Games, I’m still having fun with it and loving it.” 

A reason he still loves competing is because he’s rediscovered the enthusiasm that propelled him to the world’s elite and the gained the respect that earned him appointment as captain of the Australian Paralympic Team for the 2022 Beijing Games alongside Para-alpine skier Melissa Perrine.   

“I feel like my most joyful time is when I was in Sochi at my first Games,” he said. “So, I’ve learned to take myself back a bit and use my experience from Sochi and the joy and the love and the passion I had for the sport back then. 

“Now, 12 years on, I have the same joy, love and passion – and fuel for the Games – as well. That’s what I like to share with the newcomers coming on to the team; you have this opportunity to represent Australia, to compete at the highest level. Enjoy it. Enjoy what you do because not many people get to.” 

Reverting to that excitable youngster competing on the big stage over a decade ago has allowed Tudhope to reflect on why he loves snowboarding so much.  

“Everyone sees the mountain differently,” he said.  

“When you’re at the top of the mountain, it’s like a blank canvas. You can ski that mountain however you want, find the perfect line for you. And, then the next person goes and they see that line so differently again. They interpret it so differently.  

“So everyone’s competing in their own natural discipline, they know what they want to do but it actually all comes from their love of skiing and snowboarding and how they saw the mountain before they started competing.” 

Paralympics Australia