There is no doubt that 23-year-old American snowboarding superstar Shaun White is a major hit at the Vancouver Games. But he knows that if it wasn’t for the global success of the X Games he likely wouldn’t be an Olympian at all.
White, in Chicago to get some rest from all the excitement of the Olympics, told me he was getting to eat a great deal more because he doesn’t like to eat much before a major competition. He also told me he went kayaking a day before winning the gold.
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How important has the success of the X Games been to the global acceptance of snowboarding on an Olympic scale?
White » It was the launching pad for our sport. The X Games brought the fans to the sport on TV on a worldwide basis, and it really got everyone hooked on our sport. Then when we became an Olympic sport, snowboarding was taken to a new level both, of course, for men and women. For us to beat “American Idol,” how cool is that? I mean we have come a long way, and now we have both the X Games and the Olympics to promote us that is the best of both worlds.
What other sports at the Olympics have you enjoyed watching?
White » Watching hockey was cool. I never saw a game in person, and it was awesome. Also, I am not going to lie, I loved watching the men’s and women’s figure skating. Those folks are amazing. They are such super athletes, and I could never do that for sure.
I know music is a big part of both your training and competition. How does it help you?
White » Music has been a major part of my training. It relaxes me when I am training, and then when I am ready to compete it really amps me up. I enjoy a number of groups, and as a matter of fact I was listening to Guns n’ Roses when I won the gold. Also, I have taken up the guitar, and I love playing music and hopefully getting better at it.
White has been busy since leaving Vancouver early Thursday morning. He is promoting the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack, which can be found online and at iTunes.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
