Shaun White Basic Biographical Information:
- Name: Shaun White
- Gender: Male
- Hometown: Carlsbad, California
- Date of Birth: September 3, 1986
- Family: Single, mom Cathy White, dad Roger White, brother Jesse, sister Kari
- Occupation: Pro Skateboarder, Pro Snowboarder
- Began Skating: 1993
- First Sponsored: 2003
- Turned Pro: 2003
- Favored Discipline: Vert
- Stance: Regular
- #1 Sponsor: Burton
- Nickname: Flying Tomato
Shaun White Skateboarding Style and Strengths:
Shaun White combines his skills as a pro snowboarder and pro skateboarder, creating his own fresh style. Shaun pulls off spins and airs, making them look easy. Shaun White is also gutsy, spending every one of his runs in the 2005 X Games Best Trick competition trying to pull off the never-before-seen 1080 (See Photo). Shaun didn't manage to land it, but he will eventually.
Shaun White Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks:
Shaun White loves huge backside airs and the backside 540, though he has a hard time getting the trick back after not using it for a while. To ESPN he explained, "I leave to go snowboarding and that is the hardest trick for me to get back, to relearn. I sit there for hours, pounding myself into the ramp until I have it."
Shaun White Career Highlights:
2003 - won gold in Superpipe and Slopestyle at Winter X Games
2004 - won gold in Slopestyle at Winter X Games
2005 - won snowboarding gold again in Slopestyle at Winter X Games, along with first place in the Nippon Open in Fukushima Japan, first place at the Rail Jam at The Session in Vail, CO and first place in the Snowboarding World Cup in Lake Placid, NY.
2005 - won skateboarding gold at Dew Tour in Louisville, KY
2005 - won skateboarding silver in Men's Vert at X Games 11
Shaun White Personal History:
Shaun says his older brother Jesse was his main influence in skateboarding. Shaun grew up close to the Encinitas YMCA, which sported a vert ramp. Shaun kicked off his snowboarding career in 1999. Shaun joined the Tony Hawk Tour in 2001, then left and began added his skateboarding career to his snowboarding habit in 2003. Shaun White's family is super supportive of his choices, and the family remains close. Shaun also surfs and plays the guitar.
Shaun White Interesting Fact:
Shaun had two heart surgeries before the age of 5.
Shaun White Quote:
To ESPN Shaun explained how competing in skateboarding is harder than in snowboarding. "I think it's so much harder to go big and do the tricks. They're so much faster and so much less under control.
I'm used to doing airs and stuff in snowboarding, but I almost think you go bigger on a vert ramp."
