After his final X Games appearance, last weekend, will the Olympics be his last contest?
You said you admired skiers that do everything, so what made you settle on competing in the pipe?
I never wanted to choose.
In 2014 I did it.
They were like; Congratulations, youre going to Sochi for Halfpipe and Slopestyle.
I was so ecstatic.
A few days later, they took back my halfpipe spot and gave it to Torin Yater-Wallace.
It was a coachs discretion decision.
Youre not going to be in the 4th spot.
I went to Sochi and I just focused on Slopestyle.
I couldnt have been happier with it, for the first event for slopestyle.
Was it the same story in 2018?
Again, I was the only guy doing pipe and slope.
I had one podium, but you need two.
The US is so stacked, that there were more than four people that had two podiums.
So, I missed out on going for Halfpipe again.
It was unfortunate because I felt like I actually had a run that could have medalled there.
I sort of lost those tricks and Im relearning them now.
At that moment, I felt like I really had the tricks to get on the podium.
Doing stuff that not many people were doing.
Obviously, that didnt happen.
By doing both disciplines, I was only getting half the practice that other people got.
Id have to run from one discipline to the other and I was a wreck from it.
Do you think they do that to discourage people from focusing on more than one event?
I dont think they do it for any reason really.
I think that theres a lot of logistical stuff.
They have so many riders and they have snowboarding to think about, as well as the womens disciplines.
My agent and I definitely went to them to say that the schedule sucks.
They also like stacked events.
An event would finish and the next day it would reset.
I knew I could do well in both of these disciplines, but I can only do so much.
My body was wrecked.
Ultimately, they said that they couldnt change the whole schedule just for one person.
They couldnt make exceptions and they couldnt give special treatment.
I actually, completely understand, but I felt like I wasnt asking for special treatment.
I was just asking to be able to have the same amount of training as everybody else.
I felt like I was almost being penalized for doing both disciplines.
I went for slope and it wasnt the best course for me.
Sometimes you just get to a course and youre like game on!
or youre like f*ck, what am I going to do here?
and it was definitely the latter.
I was struggling to figure out a run.
Because it was so rock-hard ice, I had this huge hematoma.
I was limping around and the US doctor ended up draining my hip of like 40cc of blood.
It was super gross.
Its obviously been big news that you switched to compete for Great Britain at the next games.
As a Silver-medal-winning US skier, what prompted the switch?
I got grief when I did that.
Id done it twice , for two Olympic cycles.
So you didnt want to ski slope for GB?
I did two World Cups: one in Calgary and last year in Aspen.
I wouldnt be taking one of those four spots, whether or not Id get it.
Im not taking someone elses spot for GB.
Theres no GB mens skier thats within the subjective criteria, to qualify, for pipe.
I already have my spot.
I hope thats true.
Had you ever thought about skiing for Great Britain before?
Its not as though I pulled some shady sh*t to do this.
I was born in the UK, my moms British.
Half of my familys British.
Ive always had both passports.
My family moved when I was 2, so I have spent my whole life in the US.
Thats actually why I chose to switch to GB.
I could go for either Olympic team, I have both passports.
At that point, I thought: I feel like Im an American.
I knew there would be criticism, but ultimately I wanted to do this.
That was just when I was kicking around the idea, so I did it for her.
Its my last games, Im going to dedicate this to her.
Im going to ski for GB and wave the Union Jack.
If you win gold will you sing the GB national anthem?
Do you know the words?
Honestly, I do, but I think I would f*ck some of them up.
Thats the same thing for the US National anthem too.
I always f*ck up the lyrics.
So, will you try?
Yeah, God save the Queen!
Do you do anything British?
I love a fry-up!
Thats what I grew up with, for breakfast.
On any birthdays/Christmas, we have roast beef and Yorkshire puds.
My mom is full-on, through, and through British.
I grew up having Heinz baked beans, with my eggs.
We would do egg in a cup with soldiers.
There are lots of little things.
How much do you talk about the weather?
Thats a pretty British thing!
On one side youve got britishness and skiing, but on the other, you live in LA!
I feel like growing up that definitely was a thing.
My mom talks about the weather a lot.
But in LA, its always sunny!
So, is this Olympics your last contest?
Win, lose or draw its my last competition.
Ill still keep skiing.
Ill be a skier for life.
I was just feeling really burnt out at that point.
Even still, my relationship with skiing has really changed.
That fizzles and ends up going away and its replaced by a deep appreciation, gratitude and love.
At least in a good/healthy relationship!
I feel like that is my relationship with skiing.
Do you think this is a natural time to end your competitive ski career then?
I was there with my other best friend.
It scarred me, it changed my relationship with skiing and the mountain.
At one point, it made me want to quit skiing.
Ultimately, I feel like Ive had this very long, ongoing relationship with skiing.
At this point, now, I feel like its just gratitude.
I have other interests and other things that I enjoy.
Ive also just done this for a long time.
I started skiing when I was 3, but professionally since I was 16.
Im 30 now, so thats almost half of my life.
I’ve been doing this competitively.
Always on the road, travelling and dealing with injuries.
Gus and Jossi Wells at the Dew Tour Photo: Josh Bishop
Will you film?
Yeah, I hope to.
Would you ever ski street again?
Yeah, I want to actually.
Its impossible not to get hurt doing urban, its so gnarly.
The level that its at right now is insane.
That used to be my favourite, I used to travel around doing handrails with Rage.
Rails are my favourite part about freeskiing.
More so than jumps or pipe or anything.
I feel like I never even hit them anymore because I travel with my pipe skis and its sad.
Id be pretty stoked to do some urban again.
I think Id just be specific on what it was because I dont have the knees anymore!
Its probably not possible, logistically, but -with astroturf and winches- could you do any urban in LA?
Will you do more acting and stuff after the Olympics?
I definitely want to, I dont think that Im the best actor.
I think Im ok, I really like it and I would like to keep getting better.
I would like to continue to work at it and take lessons and continue to audition.
There are a few other things that Im hoping to work on after the games.
Like TV hosting and commentary.
Ive written a few essays and maybe modelling too, Im open to anything.
In an interview, you said that skiing is on the way out' because of climate change.
Do you want to elaborate on that?
Taking planes is so harmful to the environment.
We go to Saas Fe every year, to train.
There are constantly little avalanches.
Small ones, up off the glacier, but you’re free to just see that its eroding.
I dont know exactly what it means.
Obviously, were still having snowstorms and theyre getting snowstorms in Houston and places that wouldnt normally get them.
Its going to negatively impact skiing.
I dont know what the timeline is going to be for that.
Do you make efforts to help reduce your own carbon footprint?
I do small things, like bike instead of taking my car, if I can.
I try and carpool if I can.
I dont use plastic or paper bags at the grocery store; Ill bring my tote.
I pretty much dont eat red meat.
I think that countries and political leaders need to do more to help curb the effects of global warming.
Something needs to happen because its not looking good.
Guss Favorite:
Trip:New Zealand.
Its so fun, I love Wanaka, I love Queenstown and the views are insane.
When youre not skiing, it feels warm and theres the lake right there.
I just love it!
Trick:It kind of changes.
Then right 5s would be my favourite trick for that while.
But I think through and through, my favourite trick is probably a switch 7.
Switch 7, on a jump, is probably my favourite, most fun trick.
Bigger tricks a dub 10, on a jump, is one of my favourites.
Alley-oop double, in the pipe, always scares me and makes me nervous, but its always fun.
Track:The last trip that I was on, I was very much intoBlack Out DaysbyPhantogram.
