White: “One last time this feeling”
His decision to end his career came in an environment that seemed kitschy for the young and always cool snowboarding sport: “During a chairlift ride, shadows fell over the mountain. No one was around and I watched the sun go down.” In this situation he made his decision. That’s why the Olympic decision will be “last Dance”.
“I’ve lived my dream. What I’m most proud of is that I’ve stayed at the top for so long in a sport that’s always changing.”, White looks back before his last competition. Now it’s all about one thing: “One last time with the boys. One last time this feeling, this tingling.” The Californian is also nostalgic: “I think a part of me will always miss being a champion. Reaching the podium and splashing the champagne.”
All-rounder on and off the boards
Shaun Roger White first stood on a board at the age of six, having previously tried skiing. A short time later he had his first outfitter contract in his pocket. He turned professional at the age of 13 and was already a millionaire a year later. Thanks to the advertising deals. What followed were countless successes in various competitions. Qualifying for the Winter Games in Salt Lake City he narrowly missed out as a 15-year-old.
For this he started with the X Games – the unofficial Olympic Games for fun and extreme sports. The sports, which have increasingly become the focus of the IOC in recent years, were already White’s playground at the beginning of the new millennium. He celebrated successes in the snowboard competitions halfpipe and slopestyle as well as on the skateboard. He was the first athlete to win gold at both the Summer and Winter X Games.
White developed more and more into its own brand. Movies have been made about him, since 2008 fans have been able to emulate him on consoles and play a video game named after him. “The Flying Tomato”, as White was called because of his red hair, became an entrepreneur himself and was also a musician on stage. Even if everything was no longer just about the sport, it remained the central element of the White universe.
The competition evolves
His positive obsession with snowboarding ultimately led him to Mount Olympus – winning gold at the Winter Games three times. 2006 in Turin, 2010 in Vancouver and 2018 in Pyeongchang there was no way around him in the halfpipe.
After more than 20 years at the top of the sport, it seems it’s time to call it quits. On the one hand, because his body sends him the appropriate signals, on the other hand, because the competition is gradually surpassing him. That’s why he’s no longer one of the absolute favorites in the halfpipe competition.
With big plans in the last competition
In the qualification White then had to tremble a bit. In the first run he fell on his Signature movethe double McTwist 1260. But in the second round he kept his nerve and easily qualified fourth for the final of the top twelve. He’s always good for a surprise there.
In advance, he announced with his own self-confidence: “I have big plans for this event.” Will he take the full risk one last time and unpack the greatest difficulties? Or does he present a new trick? It will be interesting to see what White has saved for his personal finale.
Source: with dpa