Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
American snowboarder Shaun White celebrates on the podium after winning a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

In pictures: Snowboarding legend Shaun White

Updated 0501 GMT (1301 HKT) February 11, 2022

American snowboarder Shaun White celebrates on the podium after winning a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

Shaun White has been the face of snowboarding since 2006, when he won gold in his Olympic debut and was dubbed the "Flying Tomato" because of his flowing red hair.

The American has won Olympic gold three times in the halfpipe event, and he's the only snowboarder in history to win that many gold medals. His most recent win in 2018 prompted an emotional celebration. 

White was 19 when he won his first gold. He's now 35, and he said Beijing would be his fifth and final Olympics.

"I don't know how many kids really aspire to be a cowboy and get to be a cowboy," he told reporters. "At a young age, snowboarding is what I wanted more than anything, and to be walking in these shoes today is just incredible. It feels so amazing. I'm so proud."

In his final Olympic competition, White finished in fourth place. He fell on his third and final run but took off his helmet and waved to the crowd as he said goodbye.

Winning has been a habit for White for nearly his entire life, as we see in this old photo he posted to Instagram earlier this year. "As a kid, the Olympics didn't even have snowboarding. I just loved doing it," White said in his post. "Snowboarding gave me purpose and brought my family together. I'm so proud that I helped grow and shape the sport into what it is today. I can't wait to see where the next generation takes it."
From Shaun White/Instagram
A young White is seen with his mother, Cathy, in this photo he posted on Twitter. White was born in San Diego and grew up in nearby Carlsbad. His family would often travel to the San Bernardino Mountains.
From Shaun White/Twitter
White poses with skateboarding icon Tony Hawk in 2001. White has also competed in skateboarding during his career, winning five medals at the X Games.
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White soars over the halfpipe during a US Grand Prix event in Breckenridge, Colorado, in 2002.
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White goofs around with pro skateboarder Bucky Lasek during the X Games in 2004.
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White celebrates after winning the halfpipe event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. It was his first Olympic gold.
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White is interviewed by late-night talk show host Jay Leno after his Olympic triumph in 2006.
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White appears on MTV's "TRL" with host Vanessa Minnillo in 2006.
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White competes on the halfpipe during the US Open Snowboarding Championships in 2006.
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White plays the guitar on a tour bus while attending the X Games in 2006.
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White wows the crowd during an X Games skateboarding event in 2008. He won the bronze medal that year in the vert competition.
Spencer Weiner/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
White celebrates after his final superpipe run at the Winter X Games in 2009. He won the event for a second straight year.
Bo Bridges/Getty Images
Before the 2010 Olympics, Red Bull, one of White's sponsors at the time, built White his own private halfpipe in Silverton, Colorado. There, he learned a handful of new tricks that would ultimately propel him to a gold medal in Canada.
Adam Moran/Red Bull
White plays a Nintendo Wii with late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon in 2009.
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White competes on the halfpipe at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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White celebrates with fellow American Scott Lago after winning the halfpipe at the 2010 Olympics. Lago took home the bronze.
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White holds two ESPY Awards he won in 2010 -- one for best male Olympian and one for best male action sport athlete.
Danny Moloshok/Reuters
White makes a cameo in the 2011 film "Friends with Benefits" starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake.
David Giesbrecht/Screen Gems/Everett
White won another vert skateboarding title at the X Games in 2011.
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White poses for a portrait in 2011.
Simone Casetta/Anzenberger/Redux
White soars above spectators during the Winter X Games in 2012. He received a perfect score of 100 -- the first time that had ever happened in Winter X Games history.
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White plays himself in a scene with Matthew Perry on an episode of "Go On" in 2013.
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White crashes on the halfpipe at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. He finished in fourth place.
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White is seen backstage before performing with his rock band, Bad Things, in 2014.
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White and actress Tracee Ellis Ross appear with host Andy Cohen on an episode of "Watch What Happens Live" in 2017.
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCUniversal/Getty Images
White competes at the the US Open event in Vail, Colorado, in 2017.
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White breaks out into tears after winning the halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. White trailed Japan's Ayumu Hirano going into his last run — the final run of the entire competition. But with all the pressure on him, White came through with a near-perfect score of 98.50. It was his third gold in four Olympics.
David Ramos/Getty Images
During a news conference after his 2018 Olympic win, White called past sexual-harassment allegations levied against him "gossip." White had previously admitted to sending lewd text messages to Lena Zawaideh, the former drummer of his band, in 2016, and the parties later reached an undisclosed settlement.
Patrick Semansky/AP
White performs at a skateboarding event in Marseille, France, in 2018.
Teddy Morellec/Red Bull
White greets a fan after his final halfpipe run in a Dew Tour event in 2021.
James Stukenberg/The New York Times/Redux
White gets fitted in Olympic gear ahead of the 2022 Winter Games.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images for USOPC
White walks off his last run in the halfpipe final in Beijing. He fell on the run and finished in fourth.
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