Shaun White

Bio:
Shaun White (born Shaun Roger White in San Diego, California on September 3, 1986) is a professional snowboarder and skateboarder. Born in San Diego, he spent his formative years honing his craft at ski resorts in California’s many mountain ranges, while also pursuing skateboarding. At the age of 9, he befriended skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, who mentored Shaun and helped him turn pro at the young age of 17 — but Shaun still snowboarded in the meantime, receiving his first sponsorship at the age of 7. In 2003, he became was the first person to compete and medal in both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports, and in 2006 Shaun found himself in the Winter Olympic Games in Turin, where he won his first gold medal in the halfpipe. He followed up at the 2010 games in Vancouver, but fell short in 2014’s Sochi games when a tough course put Shaun in fourth place. He continues to compete in the Winter X Games, where he has medaled every year since 2002.

Best Known For:
Shaun White is best known for his two gold medals in Olympic halfpipe. He is also a staple at the X Games; consistently competing in the Winter Games and occasionally in the summer.

Personal Life:
Shaun White, nicknamed “The Flying Tomato,” plays guitar in a rock band called Bad Things when he isn’t competing. In 2012, he was arrested for public intoxication and vandalism in a Nashville hotel — a crime for which he later publicly apologized.