Shaun White: A look at the king of snowboarding

During the 2022 Winter Olympics, legendary snowboarder Shaun White announced he would be hanging up his boots, leaving professional snowboarding behind. He retired from the sport at age 35, but he managed to dominate the scene for over two decades and still stands as the most decorated snowboarder! Let's take a look at some of his career highlights.

White was born September 3rd, 1986, in San Diego, California (US). He grew up near Carlsbad, where he began to mingle with skateboarding, surfing, and skiing.

According to Brittanica, He survived a heart defect that required two operations when he was an infant. Despite his early health problems, he was soon again on top of his boards.

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White followed in his older brother Jesse's footsteps and switched from skiing to snowboarding at age six, reports ESPN.

Just a year later, at seven, White was offered his first sponsorship deal. He was a natural talent at a very early age.

His ability with board sports was not only visible on the snow slopes. White was regarded as a great surfer and a strong skateboarder at a young age. Both him and his brother were absolute board fanatics.

His Olympic debut at the Turin Olympics in 2006 set him apart from the rest of the group. His fearless approach to snowboarding saw him conquer his first Olympic title that same year.

He was a true innovator behind the sport of snowboarding, performing tricks in competitions that once were thought impossible. White created the Double McTwist 1260, which "combines three-and-a-half twists and two flips," explains the Olympics website.

The Double McTwist 1260 earned White a prestigious gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He secured the gold on his first run.

He would go on to pull off a similar stunt during the 2018 Winter Games, executing another Double McTwist 1260 maneuver to perfection. He won the Olympic gold once again and conquered PyeongChang with his signature move.

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White has evolved alongside the sport. Since his debut in Turin in 2006, White has witnessed changes in regulations over the years, including the increased wall heights.

"The Olympics' halfpipe walls were 18 feet high in 2006, but were then raised to the current 22 feet," reports NPR. That's nearly twice as tall as they were during his debut at Nagano in 1998.

With great success, comes a lot of effort, and in White's case, he endured harsh training and life-threatening falls. Falling from a 22ft half-pipe is no joke.

While training for the 2014 Winter Games, White attempted to perform a triple cork, which ended in disaster. The Californian snowboarder soared high above the pipe before smashing backward into the pipe's lip, later falling down the wall.

While in New Zealand, training for the 2018 Winter Olympics, White also experienced a horrible cash that could have ended his career right there. He fell onto the edge of a superpipe, resulting in bad injuries to both face and back - 62 stitches were required.

Along with multiple injuries he endured throughout the years, he also faced s e x u a l harassment allegations during the #MeToo movement.

White initially dismissed the drama as 'gossip', but later apologized for his remarks on the matter, further apologizing for his past behavior.

His final Olympic run was in 2022, when he embraced every moment out on the powder.  He ended his career with an incredible performance, where he landed two double 1440 and a cab double 1080.

He finished 4th in the men's halfpipe final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, putting an end to a remarkable career that extended over two decades.

"It's done and I'm so relieved," he said after finishing his run. "I did what I could and I'm proud of fourth. Obviously I would have loved to have third, and then If I would have third, I would have loved to have second. I always want more, but I'm proud," shared White during an interview.

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