Shaun White is one of the most successful snowboarders in competition history. He started at an early age. In fact, he was so small his mum used to carry his snowboard to the top of the half pipe at the Quicksilver cup… before he annihilated the competition.
He pops up on social media from time to time, but is Shaun White still competing in snowboarding? Or is Shaun White Retired?
Shaun White officially retired from competitive snowboarding in 2022, aged 35 years old. He threw in the towel at the end of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics after competing in the half-pipe event. Unfortunately, he crashed out on his last run, putting him in fourth place, just out of the medals.
With such success, Shaun White has created a long-lasting legacy in snowboarding and skateboarding. Let’s look back on Shaun White’s achievements, what his plans are, and if we will see more of this iconic sportsman in the future…
Shaun White's Career
Shaun White started as a skateboarder. He regularly competed at an early age and met Tony Hawk at just nine years old. Tony even mentored him to become a pro… at just 16 years old.
He won many skateboarding titles during this time and moved from skiing to snowboarding. He was the first athlete to compete in two different sports in both the summer and winter X games.
Shaun White got his first snowboard sponsorship at age seven and competed in five Winter Olympics, winning gold in the half pipe event in 2006, 2010 and 2018. On top of this, he has won a medal every winter since 2002. His winter X games medal tally stands at thirteen gold, three silver and two bronze.
Throughout this time, he has subsidised his earnings by appearing in various video games, such as Cool Borders, Sean Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder and his own Games called “Shaun White Snowboarding,” “Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage,” and “Shaun White Skateboarding.”
He also bought a small share of Mammoth Resorts and is now one of the owners of Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. He also owns the Air+Style Festival, which he bought in 2014 when he moved it from Innsbruck, Austria, to Los Angeles, California.
What Is Shaun White Doing Now?
Although Shaun White is no longer competing, we haven’t seen the last of the flying tomato. Even though Shaun White is the richest snowboarder in the world (with an estimated wealth of about $65 million!) his competitive streak continues into the business world.
He is using his finances and experience to launch his own snowboard brand, White Space. His new snowboard company was revealed in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. The company will have a small collection of snowboards and outerwear for sale.
Even with Shaun’s drive for winning, his business model is relatively modest as he is realistic about taking on the big-name brands in the snowboarding industry. But you never know; we may all be riding Whitespace, snowboards and wearing the apparel in the future.
Final Thoughts
So… is Shaun White retired?
Not really.
Whilst Shaun has retired from competitive snowboarding, he still has his hands full with many other snowboard-based ventures. But one question remains. Will he return to the competitive snowboarding arena?
Only time will tell!
Now to check out the other most famous snowboarders in the history of the world! Do you think Shaun made the list?
