Australian · Mansfield, Victoria, Australia · Born 20 September 1987Australian snowboarder and two-time World Champion in snowboard cross, who helped establish Australia as a rising force in the sport before his death in a spearfishing accident in 2020.
Alex Pullin, nicknamed 'Chumpy,' was born on 20 September 1987 in Mansfield, Victoria, the son of parents who owned a ski hire shop. He gravitated toward snowboard cross, describing it as 'the most pure form of competition,' and made his Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Games, posting the fastest qualifying time in his event before crashing in the quarterfinals to finish 17th. Pullin went on to become the first Australian winter sports athlete to successfully defend a World Championship title, winning snowboard cross gold at both the 2011 and 2013 FIS Snowboard World Championships, along with two World Cup overall crystal globes. He was chosen as Australia's flagbearer at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and competed at a third Games at Pyeongchang 2018, where he recorded his best Olympic result, sixth place in the final. Across his career he won a Winter X Games silver medal and was named Ski & Snowboard Australia's Athlete of the Year in 2013. Beyond his sporting legacy, Pullin fronted a reggae band called Love Charli and was widely credited with helping lay the foundation for Australia's rise as a competitive force in snowboarding. He announced his retirement from competition in mid-2020. On 8 July 2020, Pullin drowned while spearfishing alone at an artificial reef off Palm Beach on the Gold Coast, Queensland, at the age of 32; he was believed to have suffered a shallow-water blackout. His partner, Ellidy Pullin, gave birth to their daughter via IVF fifteen months after his death.
Becoming the first Australian winter sports athlete to defend a World Championship title and helping establish Australia as a competitive force in snowboard cross
How They Played
Tactically sharp, fearless snowboard cross racer known for fast starts and consistent podium performances across a decade at the top of the sport
Lasting Impact
Remembered as a foundational figure in Australian snowboarding whose success and mentorship paved the way for the next generation of Australian riders, and whose sudden death was deeply felt across the winter sports community
Career Honours
- 2x World Champion, Snowboard Cross (2011, 2013)
- First Australian winter sports athlete to defend a World Championship title
- 2x World Cup Overall Crystal Globe winner
- 3-time Olympian (2010, 2014, 2018) and 2014 Australian flagbearer
Australian Athletes