Two-time Winter Olympic Games medallist and Wānaka resident Nico Porteous has announced he’s stepping back from Olympic competition and will no longer compete in freeski halfpipe.

The 23-year-old is New Zealand’s most successful male snow sports athlete and leaves the sport as one of the most decorated halfpipe athletes in history.

“I’ve loved representing New Zealand,” Nico said. 

“Wearing the fern and competing for my country has been the most incredible experience and I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved.

“This wasn’t an easy decision to make but I’m excited to do something new and I feel like the time is right for me to look for a new challenge and new opportunities.”

Nico said he is not retiring from skiing - he plans to maintain his level of skiing and remain active in the sport through filming, product development, and other competitive events.

“I still love skiing and I want to keep skiing to the best of my abilities and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the sport.

“Ultimately, I’m ready for something new. What that looks like I’m not exactly sure but over the past few seasons I’ve enjoyed filming and producing videos, as well as working on gear and product design.

“There are also other events, like Natural Selection Ski, that I’m keen to explore. I’m open to new opportunities and excited to see what the next chapter looks like.”

Nico made history for New Zealand in 2022, landing a right and left double corked 1620 combination to win Olympic gold in the halfpipe at the Beijing Winter Games.

Nico backcountry skiing on his home turf. PHOTO: Miles Holden/ Red Bull

Four years earlier, he stomped a stunning run to win bronze as a 16-year-old at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.

His career highlights also include two X-Games gold medals, a World Championship title, and five World Cup medals - and he is widely credited with helping to drive the progression and creativity of freeski halfpipe and inspire a new generation of Kiwi snow sports athletes.

“What I’ve achieved wouldn’t have been possible without an amazing team of people behind me.

He thanked his family, sponsors, Snow Sports New Zealand and High Performance Sport NZ.

Snow Sports New Zealand CEO Nic Cavanagh congratulated Nico on his career and acknowledged his significant contribution to his sport.

“On behalf of Snow Sports NZ I would like to thank Nico for his contribution to his sport - not just the countless titles, podiums and medals, but also for his creativity, his passion and his unwavering commitment,” Nic said.

“The legacy Nico will leave on both the freeski halfpipe and wider snow sports community is nothing short of monumental and will endure for generations to come. The entire team at Snow Sports NZ wishes Nico all the best and we can’t wait to see what he does next – it will undoubtedly be great.”