With big air and big hair, Shaun White won the gold medal in halfpipe at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The boarder, sometimes called the Flying Tomato, for his wild red hair, won the event by beating out fellow American, Danny Kass. White is a two-sport athlete, who was the first person to compete at both Winter and Summer X Games in two different sports (snowboarding and skateboarding.) Here's a closer look at the 2006 Olympic champion.
Shaun White Hits The Snow
Shaun White was born September 3, 1986 in Carlsbad, California. White first started snowboarding when he was six years old after watching his older brother, Jesse White, trying it. Shaun White started entering amateur competions a year later. After winning almost every snowboaring competition he entered, Shaun White became sponsored by Burton and turned pro when he was just 13.
Shaun White - Future Boy
Shaun White was nicknamed Future Boy when he first started competing as a pro. He was only 13 but was already pushing the limits of snowboarding. White established a rep for getting big air and tying together snowboarding tricks in ways that had never been done before. In 2003, Shaun White stomped all over Winter X Games and every other event he decided to enter. Shaun White won the gold medal in the slopestyle and the superpipe and also took the Games' best-athlete award. A month later, Shaun became the youngest snowboarder to win the US Open Slopestyle Championship. In 2004, Shaun White carried off gold from the X Games again,
Courtesy of EXPN
by winning the Snowboarding Slopestyle competition.
Shaun White Skates
After setting new standards in the world of snowboarding, Shaun White decided to make his mark in skateboarding. White joined Tony Hawk on his Gigantic Skatepark Tour in 2002 and made his pro skateboarding debut at the 2003 Slam City Jam. Shaun White finished fourth in the vert half pipe, which qualified him for the 2003 X Games, where he finished sixth in the vert competition.
Shaun White - Back In Black And Gold
In December 2005, Shaun White qualified for the 2006 Winter Olympics in halfpipe snowboarding by winning two US Olympic team qualifying events in Breckenridge, Colorado. He became an Olympic champion after winning the gold medal in halfpipe snowboarding in Turin, Italy. His gold-medal run included back-to-back 900s and was run with AC/DC's Back In Black as his background song.
Shaun White - Did U Know?
Shaun White released a snowboarding movie called The White Album in November 2004.
Shaun White's success in snowboarding and skateboarding has made him a ton of cash. He now owns three houses and a couple of cars (which he just learned to drive).
Shaun White's newest snowboarding flick is called, First Descent. The movie also stars snowboarder, Hannah Teter.
|
|
