16-Year-Old Australian Snowboarder Ally Hickman Joins Team Red Bull

A regular preseason training session in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, just turned into one of the greatest surprises for this young snowboarder. At just 16 years old, Australian snowboarder Ally Hickman has officially gotten the call to join the Red Bull team. As per Red Bull tradition, she received her signature helmet with the energy drink’s iconic logo and now joins an extensive network of some of the best action sports athletes in the world.

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The moment — captured in an Instagram video — could not have been any sweeter for the young snowboarder. After hitting a quarter-pipe feature, she rode off and met with fellow Australian snowboarder Scotty James nearby. James then asked Hickman the key question: “How long have you had that helmet for?”

“Like a year, maybe,” the young Aussie answered, not knowing what was about to happen. 

Then it all went down. “I think it might be due for a new one,” James said as he pulled the hidden Red Bull helmet out from behind his back. “Welcome to the team.”

The most wholesome part of the entire interaction was Hickman’s reaction. Her jaw immediately dropped, knowing that she had secured a spot on perhaps the most coveted team in all action sports. What made the helmet transfer to Hickmann special was that James is a fellow Australian and one of the greatest snowboarders of all time, also riding for Red Bull. After a big hug and putting the helmet on, she posted the first clips of her shredding as a member of Team Red Bull.

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For Hickman and Red Bull, it already seems like a match made in heaven. The snowboarder has already made a name for herself in the contest world at just 16 years old. In 2023, Hickman competed at the FIS Snowboarding Junior World Championships and won a bronze medal in the slopestyle event. She was just 13 at the time, making her the youngest competitor at the event. She later represented Australia at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics and was named the 2024 Snowboard Park & Pipe Junior Athlete of the Year.

And as time has gone on, Hickman has only gotten better. During a 2025–26 FIS Snowboard World Cup in Steamboat, Colorado, she earned her first career World Cup podium, finishing in third place in big air. Later that season, she made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games. She had a solid Olympic debut, finishing seventh overall in slopestyle. Her 2026-27 season has already gotten off to a hot start, finishing in first place in both slopestyle and big air at the Australian New Zealand Cup at Thredbo, Australia.

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Many perks go along with being a Red Bull athlete. Not only will Hickman receive a hefty supply of energy drinks, but she will also enjoy a comprehensive elite sponsorship package that includes financial compensation and access to the brand’s world-class training and rehab facilities. With bigger features and eyes on snowboard competitions, training and rehabbing with Red Bull is important for an athlete so young in her career. Red Bull and its team will guide her through building strength and will assist with any injuries if they happen to occur.

With the 2026-27 competition season nearly here, Hickman has some new gear to show off when she’s ready to drop in. As a member of Red Bull’s team, Hickman will have access to everything from energy drinks to training, ensuring she is energized and ready for each competition. And with her 2026-27 season already off to a hot start, the rising Australian star is a rider who could push her competition to their limits.