Young learner
Shaun White took up snowboarding at the age of six to copy his older brother. Despite some falls, he quickly mastered the sport and was soon taking part in amateur competitions. By the age of 13, White was winning virtually every event he entered.
Rising star
Leading up to the Turin Winter Games, the young Californian was already known worldwide. He had won several snowboarding titles at the Winter X-Games, as well as most of the major snowboarding competitions. An Olympic Games title was now the only thing missing from his impressive CV.
Early fall
White’s Olympic debut in Turin did not start smoothly. He suffered an early fall in the half-pipe competition and needed to produce a brilliant performance to reach the final. He did so and qualified for the final in seventh place.
Olympic joy
In the first run of the final, White stole the show. He impressed the judges, who awarded him 46.8 points out of a possible 50. Before starting his second run, Shaun saw his opponents’ results and knew that he was already Olympic champion. Able to relax, he enjoyed the moment to the full and offered the spectators an incredible display of rotations.