Who Is Shaun White?

Shaun Roger White is an American professional snowboarder and skateboarder.

White is best known for winning three Olympic gold medals. He holds the record for the snowboarder cum skateboarder with the highest number of Olympic gold medals and X-Games gold medals, 3 and 15, respectively. He has also won at least 10 ESPY Awards over the years.

Besides snowboarding and skateboarding, Shaun White also dabbles in music and acting.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Skateboarding Career

Shaun White was born on September 3, 1986, in San Diego, California, to Roger White and Cathy White. His father was a plumber, whereas his mother was a waitress.

White spent much of his formative years riding Bear Mountain and Okemo Mountain, as well as the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California and small ski resorts in Ludlow, Vermont.

At the age of nine, Shaun White befriended professional skateboarder and his future mentor Tony Hawk at a local skatepark. After eight years of rigorous mentorship, White eventually turned professional skateboarder at the age of 17.

As a pro, White has won numerous titles, including the overall Action Sports Tour Champion title. He’s also the first skateboarder ever to compete in, as well as win both the Summer and Winter X Games in 2 different sports.

Snowboarding Career

Shaun White took an interest in snowboarding at the age of six. By the age of seven, he received his first snowboarding sponsorship. He has since taken part in four Winter Olympics and won gold in three of them, including in 2006, 2010, and 2018.

But as a snowboarder, Shaun White is probably best known for his achievements in the Winter X Games. White has participated in the Winter X Games annually since 2002 and won a medal in every event. He’s noted for winning a medal in all Winter X Games competitions in 2013.

As of the time of writing, White’s snowboarding medal count stands at 18, including 13 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze.

Other notable achievements by Shaun White during his snowboarding and skating career include:

• Becoming the first (and only) skater to land the frontside heelflip 540 body varial, also known as The Armadillo
• Becoming the first skateboarder to land a Cab-7 Melon Grab in vert skateboarding
• Becoming the first snowboarder to land back-to-back double corks at the Red Bull superpipe
• Becoming the first skater and snowboarder to win gold medals for four consecutive years in the Winter F-Games SuperPipe

Music Career

Shaun White is a guitarist for the electronic rock band Bad Things. The band released their self-titled debut album in January 2014.

White has also appeared in music videos by other artists. A notable one is the video to the song “City of Angels” by Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Acting Career

Shaun White has made numerous cameo appearances over the years. He appeared as himself in the film Friends with Benefits (2011) and on a 2013 episode of the animated television series American Dad!, titled “Da Flippity Flop.”

Other notable film and television appearances by Shaun White include on:

• The 2004 documentary The White Album
• The 2005 documentary First Descent
• The March 2, 2010 edition of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno show
• The January 16, 2011, episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
• The Disney Channel movie Cloud 9 (2014)
• The E! reality television show The Girls Next Door (2017)
• A 2018 episode of the Nickelodeon TV Series Henry Danger titled “Toon in for Danger.”

Shaun White has also appeared in numerous video games, including on his own video game franchise. They include Cool Boarders 4 (1999), Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder (2001), Shaun White Snowboarding (2008), Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage (2009), and Shaun White Skateboarding (2010).

Shaun White’s Net Worth

Shaun White is unquestionably one of the most accomplished athletes in the world. He’s probably the most successful snowboarder cum skateboarder in recent years.

As of 2023, White had a net worth of $70 million. A huge chunk of his wealth comes from skateboarding and snowboarding, as well as endorsement deals. White’s most lucrative endorsement/sponsorship deal is the 10-year, multi-million dollar contract that he signed with Burton Snowboards in 2009. Other big brands that he has inked endorsement deals with include Target Oakley, Ubisoft, and Hewlett-Packard. White reportedly earns an estimated $10 million a year from endorsements alone.

White also dabbles in music and acting. And while there’s little information on how much he makes from these endeavors, the amount definitely contributes to his overall net worth.

Lastly, Shaun White is also a real estate mogul in his own right.

In 2014, White purchased a 3-bedroom ranch house in Malibu for $8.94 million. He sold the house in 2020 for $11.8 million. Around the same time, he also listed his other Malibu home for sale for $12.75 million.

In 2017, White sold his 4,500-square-foot home in Hollywood Hills for $6.7 million. And in 2019, he listed his New York City penthouse for $2.95 million.

Lessons from Shaun White

1. The sky is the limit

Shaun White has achieved an impressive record as a snowboarder and skateboarder. But despite his incredible medal count, White hasn’t shown any signs of hanging his boots.

2. You win some, you lose some

Although White has enjoyed an illustrious skateboarding and snowboarding career, he has also suffered a number of devastating losses. In 2007, he lost to Teddy Flandreau and Andreas Wiig.

3. Never compromise your ideals

In a 2007 interview with Outside magazine, Shaun White claimed that he declined numerous film roles where the first lines for his character were “What up, brah?” This clearly speaks to White’s ability to interrogate the suitability of film roles before accepting them. He doesn’t hesitate to decline what he believes might compromise his ideals.

Famous Quotes by Shaun White

“Getting into music has changed my personality and way of doing things. I’m far more open now.”

“I always tell people that our sports aren’t that dangerous.”

“I’ve always been a guy who wants to play sports, not watch them.”

“My friends ask me why I still live with my family, but I feel comfortable there. We’ve all been through so much together.”

“Surfers have the most attitude.”

Conclusion

Shaun White is a professional skateboarder and snowboarder who’s best known for his impressive achievements in both the Olympic and X-Games. White is the snowboarder with the highest number of Olympic and X-Games gold medals. Thanks to his athletic endeavors, White is currently worth $70 million.