Shaun White

Shaun Roger White is an American former professional snowboarder and skateboarder. Born on September 3, 1986, he is a five-time Olympian and a three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding, representing the United States. White holds the world records for the most X Games gold medals and the most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder. Over his career, he has also been awarded ten ESPY Awards across multiple categories.

White was born in San Diego, California, to Cathy and Roger White. The youngest of four children, he was born with a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot, which required two open-heart surgeries before he was one year old. As a child, he spent his early years riding in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California with his family, who stayed in a van in resort parking lots.

White began snowboarding at age six after following his older brother Jesse's transition from skiing, and he earned his first corporate sponsorship at age seven. His skateboarding talent attracted early attention, leading professional skateboarder Tony Hawk to mentor the nine-year-old White at a skate park in Encinitas, California. Hawk helped White turn professional in skateboarding at age 16. White went on to win the Action Sports Tour Champion title and became the first person to compete in and win both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports.

During his competitive snowboarding career, White participated in five Winter Olympics, winning half-pipe gold medals in 2006, 2010, and 2018, before concluding his competitive career at the 2022 Winter Olympics. At the Winter X Games, he accumulated 18 medals through 2013—13 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze—becoming the first male athlete to achieve a four-year win streak in a single discipline. In 2012, he became the first person in Winter X Games history to score a perfect 100 in the men's Snowboard SuperPipe.

Outside of competition, White has engaged in music, entertainment, and media ventures. He played guitar in the electronic rock band Bad Things, which performed a headlining slot at the 2013 Lollapalooza festival. He starred in documentaries including The White Album and First Descent, made television and film appearances, and established his own video game franchise featuring titles such as Shaun White Snowboarding.

As an entrepreneur, White launched Shaun White Enterprises after the 2010 Olympics, acquired the Air + Style snowboarding and music festival, and purchased a minority stake in Mammoth Resorts. In 2022, he introduced his active lifestyle brand, Whitespace. White also founded a professional snowboarding competition called The Snow League, which held its first event in March 2025 and established a media rights agreement with NBC and Peacock.