All language subtitles for Shaun.White.The.Last.Run.S01E01.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH

[film crew] Shaun White,
take one.

[producer] So Shaun...

...is this gonna be
the last run?

[sighs]

I really don't know. I mean...

...as long
as I can remember, I mean,
this is what I've done.

-Love you guys.
-[man] Love you too, dog.

You got this one, man.

[Shaun White]
This is who I am,

It's not really walking away
from the sport,

it's walking away
from a piece of identity.

And I just don't know
really who I am without it.

[commenter] Shaun White
is about to drop in.

He has two gold
medals already.

He wants to go again,
he wants three.

But at the moment
he has a problem,

he's only in second place.

Shaun White is dropped
in for gold.

[Cathy White] You know,
you see these athletes...

...that are so self-motivated.

[commenter]
He's gonna do the run.

There it is! Surely seals
the gold medal.

[Cathy] People say,
"Oh, your parents pushed you"
and stuff like that.

No, it doesn't come
from being pushed
it comes from within.

He's the one that says
"I'm gonna do this,"
and does it.

I don't know
what makes him tick,
his dad is kind of like him.

[laughing]

[Cathy] And Shaun,
for some reason,
just thrives on winning.

[crowd cheering]

[Shaun] When I think about it,
I don't really know

whether it's just the will
to win

or just the fear of not...

...amounting to anything.

That's why
so many competitions

is just not enough,
I gotta keep going.

[announcer] Can make
his own fate.

[crowd cheering]

[Frank Wells]
He truly transcended the sport
with everything he did.

I mean, he won Summer X games,
he won Winter X games,
he won pipe, he won slope.

He won everything.

I mean, who does that?

[person yelling]

[commenter] Shaun White,
the biggest name in winter
sport right now.

[Kari White] He loves crowds.

He loves pressure.

And I think he lives
for those moments.

[commenter]
Absolutely spectacular.

Delivering the Olympic gold.

[woman] Athletes kinda have
this different mentality.

To us they're, like,
always winning,

but to them they don't see
it that way.

They don't think
about how much they've won.

They think about how much
more they need to win.

[cheering]

[Shaun] It would mean
the world to me,

to wrap a career
with another Olympic gold.

I'm gonna be giving
my all, for sure.

[theme music playing]

* Every day
is just a little white lie *

* Telling myself
I'm getting by *

* Just stay in this room
and cry *

* The snow covers
up the ground *

* King of a one horse town *

* I'm a king
of a one horse town *

* And I barely pull
my weight around *

[theme music ending]

Take one.

[man] 'Kay, perfect.

Okay, hey Shaun,
how old are ya?

10.

-[man] 10 years old
and where... where you from?
-Yeah.

San Diego.

[man] Uh huh. What do you
think you wanna be

when you... when you get...
when you get older, Shaun?

-Pro snowboarder.
-[man] Yeah?

You have a girlfriend, Shaun?

Hm, I liked this girl,
but not anymore.

[man] Well,
what's your favorite
kind of snowboarding?

-Powder.
-[man] Powder?

Yeah.

[Cathy] It's been
an interesting ride, it has.

You know, ever since
he was a baby

and born with the stuff
that I had to go
through with him...

...it's been a crazy ride,
and he's always been
that different kind of a kid.

[crying]

[Cathy cooing] Shaun!

Shaun!

[Roger] Say a few words
for us here.

Can you say a few words
for us?

[Cathy] When Shaun
was born,
Kari had a brain cyst.

And I was pregnant
at the time.

So I had Shaun and we were
still going through brain
surgeries and stuff,

and didn't notice
anything about Shaun.

He was just the afterthought
because we were so busy
with her.

I took him
to the pediatrician,

and all of a sudden he goes,
"You need to go to the ER
right now."

They did a test on him,
and then they did another test
and said,

"Oh, he's a got a tetralogy
of Fallot,"

which is four defects
of the heart.

And so from there
it was just a whirlwind

of Kari, Shaun, Shaun, Kari.

They used to share
the same crib in the hospital.

[baby crying]

[Roger] And Shaun had
to have two heart operations

the first one didn't work.

[crying]

He was so little,
he was only like
[puffs air] you know?

I remember sitting
in the waiting room

and somebody goin', "Oh,
well, you know,
it's gonna be really,

um, amazing
if he doesn't have to have
a pacemaker."

[laughing]

And I was, like, "Oh, my God."

[Kari crying]

[Shaun] I remember
having, you know,
a big scar on my chest

from the surgery.

And then I remember
going in for these routine
checkups,

they were called
"stress tests."

And I would basically
exert myself
as much as I can

to see how much pressure
I could put on my heart,
see what it could take.

[Kari] Can I go in, Mommy?

[Cathy] I don't think it's big
enough for both of you.

Mommy!

[Cathy] Hi!

The only things I was told
I couldn't do was stay
in the jacuzzi too long

and scuba dive.

[chuckles]

Other than that,
my parents were like,
"Go for it."

[Cathy] Come here, Kari.
Look at Mommy.

-[Kari squeals]
-[Cathy] You're going
too fast!

Shauny!

Shauny!

-[laughing]
-[Cathy] Shauny.

Hi-yah!

Hi-yah!

[Kari] Shaun and I
were the closest.

And my mom worked nights,

so I kinda was, like,
the weird day mom for him.

I'd make him French toast
after school,

and, like, keep an eye on him.

He was also, like,
always in that space
of trouble.

[Cathy] What...
What did you do?

I made a mess.

You know, the thing with Shaun
growing up, what I remember
the most,

is just he had this motor.

Like, he was always on.

So energetic
that he'd just be
a little shit.

[Cathy] Shauny,
what do you have?

A kitty cat.

[Cathy] Let me see it,
bring it here.

[Shaun] Let's go!

He's just run around,
he'd punch you, he'd wrestle.

Like, he'd always wanna, like,
express himself physically.

-[Shaun] Help me!
-[Cathy] Jesse!

[Jesse] And he was fearless.

[squealing]

[Shaun] The dynamic
with the family was pretty,
I guess, ordinary.

Whatever that means.

My dad went to work
in the mornings,

then he came back, uh, midday.

Then the shift would switch
and then my mom would go
to work.

So she was always there
to see us to school,

and then we'd come home
and then my dad would
kinda like pick up from there.

We'd didn't make a lot
of money, I was, like,
a blue collar worker.

But, I mean, it wasn't like
we were living from hand
to mouth or anything.

[Cathy] I was a waitress
and where we lived

it was kind of like,
you know...

...kind of a lower job.

[Shaun] I mean, everything
was standard
until you got to the backyard.

In the backyard we had,
like, a jacuzzi,
we had a trampoline,

and we had a mini ramp.

Some kid broke his arm
in the neighborhood
and they had a ramp.

So I went and we cut
it in pieces

and I remember carrying it
down the side of the house.

So we're jockeying in
pieces of this pipe

through and then put
it together.

And [sighs] Shaun
was doing, Jesus.

He'd get on the top
of the ramp...

He was doing, like, stunts.

Dive off of, like, the ramp
onto the trampoline.

As an adult, you think,
"Well, I know better.

They can hurt themselves,
I should stop 'em."

But for some reason or other
I had faith in him.

I just thought it was so cool,

I... I just remember being
obsessed with, like, being
in the air.

[Cathy] That's what
really flipped the switch,

thinking, like, "Wow,
he's got great balance,"

and he had nerves of steel.

The kid, I don't even think
he feels pain sometimes.

[Shaun] And I remember
the kids in the neighborhood
hitting this point

where, you know,
they would let off the gas
and they get fearful.

And I just never hit
that point.

I would always just want
to go bigger,

and... and if you built
a jump, I would hit it.

[male reporter 1] The Winter
Olympics in Beijing.
just 100 days away

[female reporter]
And this morning we're joined
by an electrifying athlete,

three time Olympic
gold medalist in snowboarding,
Shaun White.

[male reporter 1] What... What
does Shaun White's training
regimen look like today

then it did when you first
started, you know,
with the Olympics?

Yeah, I mean, goodness.
My first Olympics
I was... I was 19.

I'm... I'm 35 now.

Um, ooh. [laughs]

No, I...
I think it's... [laughs]

I... I will be honest, I need
a couple more days of rest
than, uh, I used to.

-[laughs]
-[reporters laugh]

What does it feel like
going up against guys now

who are... are quite literally
almost half your age?

You know, it was a trip.

I... I think it was around
the last Olympics
I... I remember...

...hearing the announcers
going on,

"Dropping in, the oldest
competitor, Shaun White."

-And I was like...
-[reporters laugh]

-Oof. What?
-[reporters laughing]

I... Forever I've been
the youngest competitor.

So, um... So that
was a big change.

Um, I kinda wear
it proudly now.

[female reporter] Kinda feel
like you should have some
seniority, you know?

-[laughs]
-[female reporter] So do
you still have to qualify?

Seriously, what does that
journey look like?

I do. I... I do, yeah.

You know, it keeps me
on my toes, you know?

And, um, so around December
will be, uh, some
of the qualifying event.

Tune in and, uh, check it out,

'cause I'll be, uh...
I'll be battling.

One step at a time
gonna try to make the team,

and then, uh, set the sights
on, uh, China.

No hopefully about it,
we will see you in Beijing.

I can feel
that nervous tension
starting to begin.

Why? I know what's looming
in the distance, and I just...
I wanna be ready.

Oh, my God!

[groans]

Like it could be
you had to do, like
a giant speech in front of...

...the world. [laughs]

And you're, like,
and you don't have
the speech yet.

You're like, "Okay. Like...

I gotta write that thing,"
you know?

[man] Shaun.

[Shaun] In halfpipe
snowboarding we call
it your run.

It's a routine
that you're building.

Just like a figure skating
or like a gymnastics routine.

You get five to six hits
in the halfpipe,

and each hit is your biggest
and best tricks.

But within that routine,

you need to have
certain tricks

that your competitors
might not have.

Something to separate you
from the pack.

It's one of the only
sports where...

...there's no real template
to follow.

Tomorrow I could invent
a new trick
and be the best in the world.

You guys are watching
how things are learned.

Everyone always asks,
"How do they learn
this stuff?"

Like this. [laughs]

You do hundreds of reps
into this bag

until it gets
in your muscle memory.

Beat it to a pulp
and then, on the right day,
take it to the hill.

This close. This close.

The work you gotta put in now
to learn a new big move.

[Shaun] Dammit.

Saas-Fee camp.

That's on a glacier
that's probably 9,000,
10,000 feet high.

Probably our highest
training camp of the year.

[JJ Thomas]
Ooh, now we're talking.

[Shaun] It's work.

They're hiking
straight up this halfpipe
at 10,000 feet.

And some guys
are in better shape
than others.

It's brutal.
And then they have to go
risk their life.

So it's like this combo
of working out...

...and taking on
this massive amount
of risk.

That's what you have
to balance.

[panting]

[panting] Today's the first
day the knee's been feeling...

...better.

I don't wanna jinx it but...

But whatever
it's doing's workin'.

[distant cheer]

-[man 1] Good?
-[woman] What's goin' on?

-[man 2] You all right?
-[Shaun laughs]

Was that the plan?

-[man 3] Uh, not exactly.
-[Shaun] Okay.

[man 3] Kind of.

[Shaun] And I thought
I was having a mediocre day.
[laughs]

[pants]

-[man 4] Good job today.
-Thanks.

[man 4] Just stay with it
though, it's gonna happen.

[Shaun] This
is the nitty-gritty of it all.

This is us kinda, like,
doing whatever it takes

to get the experience
and get the...

...tricks accomplished
and, um,

with that comes, like,
a lot of sacrifice.

I could easily fly home
the 24th
so that I'm home the 25th.

That gives me
an extra three days
in Europe.

[Cathy] Okay.

Maybe we do it all
after the Olympics.

[laughs]

[Kari] Also, I...
I'll probably be as big
as a house in February.

Oh, yeah, I forgot
you're pregnant.

[chuckles]

-[Kari laughs]
-Oh, my god!

[inhales sharply] Um, wow.

When are you...
When are you due?

[Kari] May.

I'm a little nervous
but I'm trying to be, like,
"It's fine!"

It'll be okay.

[Kari] All right, well,
we love you so much.

-All right.
-[Cathy] Hope
you're having fun.

[snorts] Okay, love you. Bye.

[Cathy] Love you.

So the 25th...

[Cathy] Shaun, don't...
don't hang off the...
get on the chair.

Put your arm around the chair.

[Shaun] Yeah, bro!

[Cathy] Shaun.

[Shaun yells]

[Roger exclaims] Oh!

[Shaun] I mean,
I was 5 when I started
snowboarding.

I was entered
into competitions
of snowboarding at 7.

It wasn't that, like,
I found this love
for this sport,

destined to be
the next great thing.

It was that everyone
loved snowboarding.

And it was our family
that, like, did it together.

When I started snowboarding

it was after
my brother started,

then quickly
my sister started.

And then my dad
was the next to go

and then my mom
eventually started
snowboarding.

So everybody
in the family snowboarded.

[Jesse] Like, we just got it.

And Shaun really got it.

You know, it took me...

...I don't know, seven days,
to, like, really get it.

And it took Shaun,
like, four runs.

It was incredible.

[Cathy] It just became
a thing with our family,

'cause we aren't
mountain people.

We didn't know anything
about the sport.

We just did it.

[Roger] The only time
we were a family
was on weekends.

I mean, I worked all I could.

His mom worked shifts
all the time.

I mean it was a commitment,
I guess, is what I'm trying
to say.

But, I mean,
we were all so into it.

When we had time to go,
we went.

[Cathy] We had my,
um, minivan.

And we took
the backseat out,
we built some beds.

And we started
traveling in that,

and then we figured
"Oh, it's too small."

So I went down
to the border and bought
a border van

where they would look
through the binoculars
at night,

trying to see the border.

And I got one of their vans
'cause it had the big sleeping
thing on the top.

[Jesse] This classic
white beast

that our parents picked up
outside of Mexico,

and somehow shellacked
wallpaper across everything.

My parents tried to make it
feel like a, you know, home.

[Kari] It was this shit box
on wheels,

but [laughs] it was the only
way to, like,
kind of make it happen.

It was the way
to get us to the mountains
and, like, save money.

'Cause, like, Aspen
was not cheap.

[Shaun] It's exactly
what you can imagine.

I mean,
it was a family road trip.

We were just going
from mountain to mountain,

we're getting
on each other's nerves.

You know, the heater goes out,
we're freezing at night.
it was... it was amazing,

It was... it was amazing,

like, it was
just the best time.

[Jesse]
And we'd go to Mount Hood

and we'd stay right
on the mountain
a lotta times.

We used to camp out
right over there
in our family van.

They had hot water
at the rest stop.

So we'd fill up, like,
one milk jug to get wet

and then a second jug
to, uh, clean the soap off.

It's really dark out,
so my dad's, like,
doing the...

And I'm standing
there in front of the,
um... showering.

And Jesse gets in the...
in the van and...

Throw on the high beams
and started honking,
and he just... naked,

ran off into the woods.

Butt naked.

So angry.

I'm just so happy I did that.

And that was every day.

But that's the kinda
crap that we all did
with each other

and we had some
of the best times.

[Jesse] You know, it's such
a funny thing

'cause when we started
snowboarding

it was the end of one era
and really the beginning
of another.

[man] Well,
we've got a lulu
for you tonight.

It's called snowboarding.

And this is one of the zaniest
we've seen in a long time.

[Jesse] The old era
was this world

of snowboarders
versus the mountain.

And it was, like,
snowboarders aren't welcome.

[people yelling]

[reporter]
This is what all the fuss
is about.

It's like snow surfing...

...an idea that originated in,
where else, California.

[Jesse] Living
in southern California,
you know,

everybody was surfing,
they were skate boarding,
they were snowboarding.

Like, that's what you did.

[Wells] When we first
started snowboarding

we were seen as the freaks.

[screaming]

We weren't allowed at,
you know, half the resorts.

And, to be honest,
they didn't know
how to handle us.

It was the bad boys.

It was just like
the skate boarders
at the 7-Eleven,

'causing a ruckus,
you know,
looked on as criminals.

And on the hill
it was even worse

because skiing is such
an elitist, expensive sport.

You got the skier
in the one piece,

you know, $5,000
Obermeyer suit,

and then you got
this guy in baggy jeans,
smoking weed, cussing.

It added
to that bad boy persona.

[reporter] The ski patrol says
it's got its hands full.

Quite a lot of them
were uncooperative.

Um, some of them
have had a little bit
to drink.

And, uh...

...smart alecks.

They tend to flip you off
if you ask them very nicely
to leave,

that they're endangering
the public,
and possibly themselves.

[Jake Burton]
Snowboarders in the beginning

we stuck out
like a sore thumb.

We had one board,
we didn't have ski boots on,
we didn't have poles.

We were not even allowed
on ski resorts at the time.

We were just, I think,
anti-establishment.

[reporter] You see
any compromise
in the future at all?

No. No. We just like to say
that we don't want them
at all.

[Thomas] I mean,
snowboarding back in the 90s,
it was way more rogue.

But it was cool
because you were kinda part
of a tribe.

Especially as a young kid
back in the day.

If they saw you,
they would "Oh, hey!
What's your name?

Come... Come hang out."

And you're just instantly
in this family.

And then you had people
like Jake Burton

who was basically
the godfather of the sport,

and he was taking
riders under his wing

and putting on
these huge events.

[Cathy] I think that
was the time period

when I thought,
"Okay, this is more
than just a family fun time."

I went to Burton
and said, "Hey,
I got this little kid."

[Shaun] It just so happened
that they were coming out
with a kids line,

and all of a sudden
I was sponsored.

[man] Shaun White!

-[Shaun] Yeah, bud,
how are you?
-I'm living. You?

[Shaun] I'm good.

But yeah, those early days
were so much fun.

I couldn't get enough.
I would snowboard
all day long,

and then rush down
to the camp,

and I would just skate
until it got dark.

I just remember going
and going and going
and never getting tired.

It was so much fun.

He would just fall
asleep in our arms.

It was like turning
a light switch.

[laughs]

I think it was probably
the best time of his life.

[man] Yeah!

[woman cheering]

[Jesse]
We grew up skateboarding.

This was the first love,
this was the first sport.

This is what opened
the doors for everything else.

[Shaun] We had some really
talented and amazing people
that lived in that area,

Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek,
Bob Burnquist,

all these amazing
pro skateboarders.

[Tony Hawk] Kids
that start skating vert, like,

they're scared to death
to drop in.

And if they start getting
above the lip,

it's like a whole new world,
a whole new experience.

And for Shaun,
it's like he lives
above the lip.

[crowd cheering]

[announcer] Now put
your hands together

for the Tony Hawk'
Gigantic Skatepark Tour,
everybody!

The guy had never seen
a skate video until I invited
him to a premier

of one that he was in.

[laughs] You know?

Hi, I'm Shaun White,
uh, I'm a skateboard
and snowboarder.

[Hawk] I think we gave him
a crash course

simply because he had to live
the life of a pro-skater.

We just sort of...

...beat him in, so to speak.
[laughs]

[Cathy] I really put him
out there a lot too.

Like, skateboarding,
I took him to MTV things

just so that he could
demo skate.

'Cause he just loved
it so much.

Shaun White
and Bob Burnquist,
ladies and gentlemen.

[cheering]

The first round we did,
when he gapped
the channel...

[Bob Burnquist] Almost hit.

[man on speaker] Yeah.

Shaun's really risking
his life.

I mean, Bob's got, like,
10 times the body mass
that Shaun does.

I was really nervous
about doubles.

And so I was in the audience
and... and they were skating,

and started skating,
it was really cute.

Everything was going good.

And then all of a sudden
I saw...

[announcers] Woah, boy.

[crowd gasps]

[Roger] Shaun,
are you all right?

It's your dad, Shaun.

I launched over
an 8 foot fence, was it?

-6, 8 foot chain-link fence.
-Yeah.

We both flew over it.

All of a sudden
we found ourselves
on the ramp with him.

[Cathy] It was the scariest
moment of my life.

-It was... I thought
we lost him.
-We were lucky.

All we can do at this point
is, uh, just, you know,
pray for... pray for Shaun.

Just, uh, think real positive.

Ah, that... that day
was brutal.

He was, like, 10, and, like,
fractured his skull.

And I just remember
his body and, like,
him being so limp.

and I literally
can't stomach
watching him fall.

Put him in the ambulance,
and, um rushed him
to the hospital.

[Shaun] Um...

I don't remember a thing.

From what I was told
from the paramedics,

my hand hit the ramp,
it broke my hand.

And then my head
hit Bob's hip,
it pushed my helmet back.

And then I smacked the ramp
and it actually fractured
my skull.

[Jesse] You know,
that was, like, the first

very serious injury
that came across our family.

And you know,
Shaun's a kid.
He's a kid.

You know, the guilt
that my parents felt...

...for him being there
and getting hurt.

It's not something
you think about.

I know they felt terrible.

Uh, the community
made us feel worse.

[Shaun] It's my first
day back to school.

I threw on this dirty t-shirt,
and I, like,
strolled into school.

And, um...

...you know, the teacher
just took one look at me
and started crying.

I looked like I got hit
by a bus.

I had no idea
it was picture day.

It... It was a funny
situation.

But at the time
things really changed.

I remember the community...

...thinking "Okay,
like, how could you let
your son do this?"

And, "You're doing
these sports

that we don't really
understand,

and... and think
are dangerous,
and look what happened.

Look what happened.
You guys got
what you deserved."

[Jesse] You know
if we were playing football,

if we were playing soccer,
if we were playing baseball,
and Shaun got hurt?

It's totally cool.

But he was hurt doing
something that most people
thought was, uh, outrageous.

[Shaun] Now people
are kinda looking
at my parents

as, like, bad parents.

People that, you know,
like "Hey, your endangering
your son."

I can't imagine...

...being my mom at that point

and not kind of thinking,
like, "Ooh. Am I doing
the right thing?"

The thing that did frighten me

is I realized
that I wasn't invincible
at that point.

I had just kinda lost
this drive to go
skateboarding.

And my mom...

...would kinda come up
and "Hey, do you wanna
go to the skate park today?"

And I'd just, "No.
I... No. Maybe tomorrow."

And I just kinda would
brush it off.

And so she finally
kinda confronted me

and said, "Hey, you used
to go all the time.
Like what's goin' on?"

[Cathy]
I think deep down
he was afraid.

But I kept taking him
to the Y.

You kept taking him to the Y?

Yeah, you know, he's like--

You didn't lock him up
in a room?

God, no.

[Shaun] I think that my mom
just, you know,

I don't think she wanted
to give into the fear
of what could happen

and "Oh, he's skateboarding
again."

And... And I don't think
she wanted me to give
into the fear.

[grunts]

-[man] Bradly might
end up capturing it.
-[Shaun] Yeah.

Looks like.

-[Thomas] Oh!
-[man] Whoo-hoo!

Whoo!

[cheering]

[Thomas] Yeah!

[group cheering]

[Thomas laughing]

[man] That was so sick.

[laughs]

[woman] Yeah, dude!

Damn!

Nothing motivates more
than standing there watching
somebody do a trick

that you've been wanting
to do.

There's a lot of that
kinda brewing.

[Thomas]
These guys are feeding
off of each other.

They watch their friend
do 'em.

It's just nuts.
It's like a fast moving train.

[Shaun] You don't wanna be...

...totally outgunned.

If you're... If you're
in the big game
and it's time to go.

You wanna have all the ammo.

That's what you want.
That's what you need.

You need to be put
in the start gate
with everyone else,

and, like, feel the,
you know, excitement
and the pressure.

-Oh.
-[man] I see.
He'll be sore.

[man 2] Yeah.

Fuck are you doing that shit.

Ah!

Fuckin' stupid bullshit.

When I was younger
I... I made these leaps
and bounds,

and just kinda, like, stuck
with it every single season.

And, you know, maintained
this sort of distance
from the pack.

And I was able to keep
this sort of dominance
in the half pipe

because of that distance
and separation I kept.

If they were working on this
then I was working on that.

It's been intense so,
a lotta the, um...

...Japanese riders
are just crushing it.

I mean, um, two of 'em
have dropped, uh,

front triples
in the half-pipe,

which is, like,
the big new trick.

[person 1 cheers]

[person 2] Ooh, yes!

-[cheering]
-[Thomas] Wow!

[Ayumu Hirano
speaking Japanese]

[Shaun] Ayumu's looking solid.

He's snowboarding better
than we've ever seen
right now.

I think he just did a combo
that's never been done.

He just went front triple
into cab double.

No one's done that before.

Like, triples just started
getting thrown,

but we didn't know
if you could come out
of it into something.

[Hirano in Japanese]

[Shaun] It's kinda my fault,
I think. [laughs]

I tried the trick
when I was...

...younger, uh,
probably 2013 gearing up
for the Sochi Olympics.

But, um,
since they're doing that now

it's kinda like set the tone
for the season.

Like you have
to have this trick in order
to do well.

Which makes me feel
like I'm falling
a little behind

in the race towards
the Olympics.

But I know I've tried
that trick before...

But yeah, that's kinda how far
and advanced that trick was,
the triple cork.

[man] Yeah, Shaun!

Yeah!

[Shaun] Triple corks,
three flips.

You're counting the rotations.

Okay, one,
and then the second, two.

And then where you're like,
"Okay, I should be landing,"
you go in again.

And that's the very intense
moment of commitment.

You have to know inside that,
like, "I'm gonna do this."

[Jesse] You're probably
goin' 30 miles an hour.

You're 18 feet
out of a 22 foot pipe,

which means
that you're 40 feet
from the flat bottom.

When you're off axis
and you're looking up to

[Jesse] the sky,
you just have to trust
that you are high enough.

There's not much more
you can do beyond the triple.

It really is the pinnacle
of this sport.

Yeah, it was beautiful.

Full power.
Keep that momentum.

[man] You gonna be all right?

Shaun's gonna ride
the sled down, Bobby.

[Shaun] Yeah, dude,
I was seeing sparks.

All right?

-[groans]
-There you go, stand up.

-Just relax.
-[groans]

-There you go.
-[exhales]

-[exhales] That hit...
-Yep.

Good thing you're tough.

-[machine beeps]
-[chatter]

[groans softly]

[man] You already did
the thing, Shaun.

[exhales] It's my hip.
[groaning] Ohh.

-[woman]
Okay, that's your pelvis.
-Oh, right on.

[woman] There's your hip.

The radiologist
agrees with me
you're not broken.

-Thank you very much.
-No, you're welcome...

-I appreciate all the help.
-...you're welcome.

I'm still gonna be a dancer.

-[man chuckles]
-You know what I mean?

All in the hips. [chuckles]

Let's go back up
and do it again.

Good luck, happy healing.

[Jesse]
It's just been this journey,

it's been a 10 year span,
something like that,

in which Shaun has
thought about the triple

but never really
had to dip back into it.

That trick has been
seared into him
as just, like, a nemesis.

[exhales]

These doors
are just swinging open.

These guys are gonna drop
a triple right now, too,

right here.

Holy hell.

-Ahh.
-[all cheer]

What the actual fuck?

-Whoo.
-[man on radio]
Yeah, I'm all right.

It's pretty apparent that

if you have
a triple cork right now
you're ahead of the game.

Whoo!

I don't know if I've ever
seen a day like this
on the halfpipe,

in my, like, 30 years.

We're behind.

[fire crackles]

[cell phone rings]

-[JJ on phone] Yeah, buddy?
-Yo, I heard it was a big day.

[JJ] Yeah, this time,
let's see here...

Ayumu started it off

-with a front triple
to cap double...
-Nice.

...and then Yuto,
he started trying
for cap triples.

Ruka got it the third time.

-So all the Japanese riders
have done triples?
-[JJ] Um...

-[JJ] Yep.
-Wow.

Do you want me
to go up tomorrow,

and start focusing on, maybe,
dropping something like this?

-[JJ] Um... [sighs]
Good question.
-Yeah.

-It's a good one.
-[JJ] Good.

-I mean, the hype's here,
everybody's doing it...
-[JJ] I think it would be...

-...you know?
-[JJ] I just, I mean...

...I think a triple, honestly,
takes precedence right now.

Okay, well, we'll start there,
and then go...

-I don't know,
go to pipe after
-[JJ] Exactly.

-if it feels good.
-[JJ] I understand.

We're running a marathon here.

All right, bud,
we'll talk to you.

[JJ] All right, man.
Rest up, buddy.

[Shaun]
Well, that sucks. [laughs]

[smacks lips] The one day
I don't go up, it, you know...

But it's okay.

God, if I'd just
aired a little better,
I would've been in.

The road's kind of being paved
in front of my eyes.

It's kind of like...

That's just
the new normal now.
We got to do the triples.

Um... I was
kind of, like, waiting
and saving up for it

because I had a plan in mind,

but now it's like,
it feels like

things are getting
pushed along,

and I need to, you know,
get on it

before I get left behind.

[groans softly]

[man]
Um... do the other players
push you?

Um, yeah,

during contests and stuff.

That's why I enjoy 'em a lot.

It'll push you
to do that, you know,

that gnarly trick
you've been saving up.

Thinking about
those last contests

when they called me
Future Boy,

I don't like that. [chuckles]

I'd rather have them
recognize my skills
more than my age.

[Roger]
Summertime was skate,
wintertime was snow.

I used to call it,
like, Donkey Kong,

because
it was like that gorilla
carrying the barrels.

He'd just climb
until he'd get to this level
at skating,

and then winter would come
and he'd take snowboarding
to this level,

and then, you know,
just, like, climbing a ladder
or whatever.

[JJ] He started
getting podiums
in the pro events

at, like, 12, 13, 14, 15,
almost unbeatable.

I remember sitting on
a chairlift in Park City,
and we were watching him,

and he goes, "Man, that kid
hasn't even hit puberty yet.

When he's 16 we're done."

I was like, "No."
He's like, "We're done."

I'm like,
"Yeah, you're right."

[Jesse] Every pro at that time
was in their late teens,
was in their 20s, right,

and had, you know
had worked so hard
to get to where they are,

but this is the problem
when you, you know,
you play basketball

and then
Michael Jordan shows up.

It's like
it doesn't matter anymore.

[man] With qualifying,
are you the present
of the sport

or the future of the sport?

-Present.
-[man 2] Why?

I guess I've been,
you know, Future Boy
when I was a lot younger

because that's when
I was, you know,
up and coming, training,

but now that I am starting
to become, like, more of a...

...force to be reckoned with.

No, I'm just kidding. [laughs]

So, it's kind of cool.

I can, maybe, you know,
start going somewhere

and doing something with this,
you know?

-Shaun, give me Shaun.
Shaun White, go!
-[crowd applauds]

I've been to Japan, Norway,

a lot of places in Europe.

[indistinct] Whoo!

I'm out of film.

* I see you baby
shakin' that ass *

-[Shaun] Yeah!
-Oh, my God.

[Kari] My mom,
she wasn't, like, pushy,

but it was, like,
you could, like,
see the sacrifice,

and so it made you,
like, have more fun

and, like, appreciate it,
and, like, be more there

because you couldn't,
like, take it for granted.

-[hums]
-[Cathy] Shaun, did you pack
enough clothes for the trip?

[Shaun] Uh... Kinda.

[speaking Japanese]

[Cathy]
As Shaun needed to travel,

we didn't want him
turned loose.

I'm not gonna go through
two open hearts

to give my kid to somebody
to raise.

This is Roppongi?

-[man] Shaun White.
-Whoo!

[Cathy] At 13,
he made quite a bit of money
from his sponsors,

but in the beginning,
it was mostly money
that he got for travel.

And I just didn't want it all
to be about Shaun,

so if he got, you know, like,
$1,000 for a plane ticket

I turned it into
six plane tickets

[laughing] for $1,000,
so everybody wins.

[indistinct chatter
in Japanese]

-[Roger] I don't know.
-[Kari] We are
officially lost.

[Cathy] I thought...

[Cathy] How early are we?

-We're early.
-4 in the morning.

-[Cathy]
Are you guys having fun?
-[Kari] No.

-Fucking filming me.
Fucking A.
-[Kari laughs] Shh!

[man chuckles]

My parents had taken
a loan out on their home

to pay for the snowboarding.

-[crowd cheers]
-[Shaun] I didn't come from
a ton of wealth in the family,

but with that came that fight.

Okay, got it.

[Kari] Those early years,

the choices
that my parents had to make

really molded Shaun's career,

and it just built and evolved,

and, you know,
there was no norm,
[chuckling] you know?

He has the talent,
but I think that he was lucky

to have a mom with some
[chuckling] balls.

That early notoriety helped,
in the end,

mold this character
that Shaun is.

I think it was cool
to come home

where you're kind of, like,

the shit kid that, like,
misses a lot of school,

and, like,
it's kind of illegal,

and, you know, like,
we're a little worried

about, like,
if this doesn't pan out.

Oh.

-[man]
Why aren't you in school?
-Huh?

-[man]
Why aren't you in school?
-I got kicked out... [laughs]

-[man] What?
-...and it kind of sucks.

I had pretty good grades, too.

-[man] Why'd you get
kicked out of school?
-[Shaun] Um...

[exhales] Because I wasn't
there enough, really.
[chuckles]

[shouting] Shaun! Come on,
it's time to start homework.

-[Shaun chuckles]
-Now.

-[Kari] You're off the team.
-[chuckles]

-[chuckles]
-[Cathy] Now.

I'm not fooling.

You're not gonna
go skateboarding

if you don't get it done.

I like doing this better
because I can sleep in

and, you know,
do whatever I want,
so it's kind of cool.

Get down here now.

Right now,
I'm doing independent study.

I get packets of work
and I turn 'em in, you know,
whenever I get 'em done.

That's pretty much it,
and just get the work done,
and go play. [chuckles]

Go have fun.

You can be doing your homework

on a plane ride to Japan,
[chuckles] yeah.

-[man] Shaun White
with that kickflip.
-[crowd cheers]

[Cathy] Shaun, this is either
gonna make you or break you.

[man] Do you wanna grow up?

I think it would be cool
to grow, you know, get older

and, you know,
start just being
more independent,

and just doing
that whole thing.

[scoffs] There's this story
that my mom loves to tell

where we went
to this one restaurant.

Oh, my God, yeah, so Shaun...

because we didn't have sodas,
we didn't have anything,
you know,

we really were
on a tight budget.

So, we get to this restaurant,
and you want everything,

and I say, "Okay,
everybody get some fries,
we'll all share the fries,

and we'll all get a burger
and we'll split the burgers."

And he goes,
"No, I want ribs."
And I said, "What?"

I had just won
some major event.
I knew I had some money.

Well, it was kind of like,
"Well, you know, what?

Why do you have to have ribs?
I mean, we're all having
hamburgers."

Everybody's kind of like...
[laughing] like, "How are we
gonna play this?"

[Cathy] We just got in
this big fight with this,
[laughing] the ribs,

like, I don't even remember
how it finished.

Just don't think about it.

[Cathy]
But that was my biggest fear,

to a point where
I wouldn't even let Shaun
spend any money.

I was so strict with it.

You know,
it wasn't about the ribs,

it was about my mom

having the ability
to control the situation,

and I just wanted
to celebrate.

I just wanted
to, like, you know,
live a little.

[Jesse]
We didn't expect snowboarding
to make money.

You know, you don't
set a plan for a sport

where most people
[chuckling] are just, like,
the outcasts of society,

but it was incredible.

Shaun's all of a sudden
making six figures.

Like, what do we do?

[Shaun] You know,
I've always been having

a really great time
snowboarding,

but for different reasons.

Like, having a good time,

to me, was, like, winning...

-...the whole thing of it.
-[crowd cheers]

It's like you carry
the trophy home
on the airplane,

and everybody's like,
"What is that?"

Being paid in cash, you know,

they'd handcuff a briefcase
full of money

and police escort
to the hotel.

It was wild,
like it was out of a movie,
you know,

and I was, like,
infatuated with it.

[crowd cheers]

[man] Shaun White!

It's a funny question
to be asked, I guess,
you know, like,

at what point in my career
did the innocence die?

[Cathy] Come on, Shaun,
get your money.

[Shaun]
I remember always feeling

like I had to fight
for what I was doing,

it was never handed to me,

so I would say
that the innocence was...

it was, was never really there
in many ways, you know.

We saw a future in this sport
and others didn't,

and I wanted
to prove them wrong.

I was young
but I could do the math.

I was looking
at the top riders

and what they were making,
you know, every competition.

I could guess
what they were making
from their sponsors.

I mean, I knew
what my parents earned,

and I could potentially
make what they were making,
you know, for a whole year

in one day.

I think I was 15 at the time,
and I was invited
to this competition.

It was called
the Toyota Big Air.

I was so excited
because this was
a major event,

and it had
the biggest prize purse
in the sport.

[crowd exclaims]

[Shaun] And I remember
being there with my mom,

all the other riders,
they were out partying,

-and we show up
to the competition day...
-[man speaking Japanese]

...and I'm in love
with the jump.

-[man speaking Japanese]
-[Cathy] Good job, Shaun.

[Shaun] You know,
a lot of the riders
were hungover

and were not feeling the jump,
and they were like,

"We should split
the prize money,
no competition."

[man speaking Japanese]

[Shaun]
And I'm doing the math,

and the flights
that I paid for,

the hotel, all the expenses,

and I'm thinking,
like, [scoffs] "No.

No, I want to ride.
I want to compete."

You know, snowboarding
is an individual sport.

It's not like, you know,
football or baseball,

traditional sports
where you have a team
built in,

you have this camaraderie,
you have a family.

And, at this point,
I'm 15 years old.

Like, I wanted that friendship
so badly.

I wanted to be accepted
in that community.

And now, I have
to stand up to my heroes,
[chuckling] basically,

and fight for what
I thought was fair.

I wanted to ride.

There was this big board

that had
all the invited riders faces
on it,

and they were drawing
dollar signs on my picture,
over my eyes...

-[man speaking Japanese]
-...and then they would
just continually

keep coming up to me,
you know...

-...and giving me shit.
-[man speaking Japanese]

I remember just, like,
putting my headphones on,

and um... I'm thinking like...

"You're going down.

This is, you know,
this is my moment."

[crowd cheers]

[man] Shaun White! USA!

[Shaun] And I nailed it.
I put down my jump
and I won.

I won $50,000 and a car.

-[Cathy] Yeah! Whoo!
-[crowd cheers]

[Cathy] Yeah, Shaun!

[Cathy] How about
we take it on the plane?

[Cathy] Shaun! Shaun!

I'm watching.

At this point,
who was gonna tell me

that I wasn't
on the right path?

That I wasn't gonna
amount to anything?

Here's the proof, like,
and from that point on,

like, it wasn't...

I wasn't looking
for acceptance
from the riders around me.

I wasn't looking for,
you know, approval

from, you know,
the neighborhood
or community I lived in.

I was like, "I'm doing this."

-See you later.
-Okay, man.

-Thanks.
-Call me if there's anything.

Oh, she's gonna love it.

-[Shaun shouting] Mom!
-[Cathy] What?

Ew.

-[Cathy] Ew what?
-I think I saw something
in the garage.

-What? What?
-Ew.

-Ew.
-What?

-What?
-A critter.

-Oh, you're kidding me.
-Ew!

-Yeah, Daddy's really good
with critters.
-Oh, my God.

-Hey!
-[Shaun] I'll let it out.

-No, don't let it out.
-Chase it out!

-Out!
-[woman giggles]

-There's no rat over here.
-Freaking rat.

I love you, Mommy.
Got you something.

-[car honks]
-[woman giggles]

-[Cathy] No.
-[Shaun chuckles]

[car honks]

[man chuckles]

I love you.

-[woman laughing] Oh, my God.
-You deserve it, Mom.

-[sniffs]
-[man] Isn't that awesome?

[man and woman laugh]

-Love you, Mom.
-[Cathy cries]

[crying]
Why did you guys do that?

-You deserve it.
-Because you're...

You know how much
you do for me?

-[Cathy] It's so extravagant.
-[Shaun] No, it's not.
Not for you.

[Cathy]
This is all that you made

-while you've been
snowboarding.
-[Shaun] No, no, no, it's not.

[Shaun] All of a sudden,
I'm a millionaire at 15.

I mean, I've got billboards
on Sunset Strip.

Epic balls... there.

You can't miss 'em.

[Shaun]
I always wanted to win.

-I wanted to be the best,
I wanted to succeed...
-[crowd cheers]

...but the sport
had finally grown
into the mainstream,

and now the sponsors
are coming in.

[woman] Set and action.

-[crowd] Shaun! Shaun!
-[Shaun] And mind you...

...in the public eye,
I'm like this massive figure,

but on the inside
it was literally just
my brother, my agent,

and my mom.

-[man] Shaun!
-[Jesse] And that was
the beginning,

I think, of, you know,
the rocket ship,

or the snowboarding
for his endorsements.

[Kari] As he was
locking himself into deals,

the expectations
just kept growing, you know,

and then with his mentality
of an athlete,

expectations of yourself
keep growing.

[man] Well, welcome,
one and all,

to the US Grand Prix
World Halfpipe.

Hard packed out there,
had some fresh snow
over the last few days.

And thanks for everybody
joining us out here
at Toyota US Grand Prix.

[Shaun]
So, today's finals day.

Basically, you get three runs.

The best run score counts.

You know,
my goal is, pretty much,

just to land, like,
a solid first, you know,
one or two runs,

and just post a good score
so that I get the points
in order to make the team.

The biggest goal is to be
the top finishing American,
that's the key,

and then podium would, yeah,
basically lock it up,

so we'll see how
that all pans out.

-[Nina] Car keys?
-Bye.

Bye. [kisses]

I think they're on the dash.

-You got this.
-Love you, baby. Bye.

Okay.

[JJ]
Our Olympic qualifying process

is different
than other countries.

We pick our team
right before the games,

but we have four
qualifying events,

the Grand Prix, the Dew Tour,

Mammoth, and Laax.

We're competing against
the other countries
who want to win,

but they're really competing
against themselves.

You want to be
the top American.

So, basically,
there's, like, 12 guys
who have a shot at it,

and there will be four spots.

[man] Athlete for team one.

[Rick]
At this point right now,

there's a couple
of doors wide open

to make this US Olympic team.

There's a ton of pressure
on these guys and girls.

[man] Shaun in
a podium position
with still one to go.

If you get a podium

you pretty much
lock up a spot,

but if that doesn't happen yet
we go down the points list.

[JJ] So, that's kind of
the two ways you make it.

One podium,
they're going to the Olympics,

or we go to that point list,
the world snowboard
point list,

and just, you're gonna
go down the line of Americans
who's on that list.

Right now,
Taylor Gold's probably
our highest ranked athlete,

Chase Josey
is right behind him,

Chase Blackwell, Lucas Foster,

Toby, Ryan Wach, Shaun.

He didn't compete a lot
last year and the year before,

so the point list for him
is a mess.

He's not sitting good on it.

I remember going
to the US Open when I was 12.

Shaun won that year
and he signed my goggles.

We grew up watching him
when we were 5, 6 years old.

He was dominating already
so it's pretty surreal.

[Rick] To get some
of those other guys
in the same pipe with him,

I mean, the energy changes.

They want to take him down.

He's got to earn this.
It's gonna be tight.

[man] Good luck
to all the athletes out there.

Shout out to everybody
for being on hand.

You ready
to see some riders, Copper?

-[crowd cheers]
-[man] This is gonna be
rapid fire action.

Dude,
I'm feeling, like, dizzy.

-Dizzy?
-Yeah.

Do you have any water?
Just have a sip.

[exhales and sniffs]
Can I see your t-shirt?

Okay.

[man on radio] 15 minutes.

[sighs]

[woman] I'll give you
the thumbs up.

-Is that him?
-Yeah.

[man] Dropping in, here we go.

Three time
Olympic gold medalist,
Shaun White.

-[crowd cheers]
-[man] All right, Shaun White,
the pipe for his first of two.

-[man 2] Yes, sir.
-[man] That's what
I'm talking about.

[commentator]
And the Double McTwist 1,260.

Almost goes down.
Able to power it out. 1,600.

-That's right.
-[commentator] He is working
on a strategy here.

He just needs to put
one on the board.

[commentator 2]
Then the score comes in
as a 75.50,

so Shaun White
goes in to first place
early here

in the men's competition.

Only your best run
of the three counts.

Shaun knows
exactly what he needs to do.

[man] All right, check it out,
are we gonna see a 1080 twist
in the game right now?

-Let's try to see.
Yes, we are. Oh.
-[crowd gasps]

[man] Yeah, are you
all good up there, brother?

-[man on radio]
Yeah, we got eyes on him.
-[sighs]

-[crowd applauds]
-[JJ] One crash,
you could be done.

Just that simple.

When you're young
there's no crashing.

You crash
and you just keep fighting,
and you keep fighting.

But once you're in your 30s,

you start crashing
and you just go,

"Do I really want
to do this again?"

Don't worry about pushing
real hard right now
if you don't want to.

Just, kind of,
get the confidence back.

That shit's scary.
I've done that.

[JJ]
These guys are gladiators,

and as the pipes
have gotten bigger,

and the tricks
have gotten bigger,

the risk is just huge.

-[sighs]
-[JJ] We hate it
when people get hurt...

...but it's why people
like snowboarding.

It makes your heart beat,
it makes you feel alive.

-[man] This is Raibu Katayama.
-[crowd cheers]

[man] Gigantic frontside 1080.

[crowd gasps]

Jesus. Poor guy.

Fuck. [sniffs]

[JJ] Raibu got hurt horribly

on the same trick
Shaun got hurt on
four years ago.

You know, it's, like,
called a Yolo,

and, yeah, it's a bummer,

but it's just
part of our sport.

We all know
what we're signing up for.

[sighs]

[JJ]
It's very calculated risk,

but it's just like
racecar driving.

People watch it
because if there's a crash

it's like nothing
you've ever seen before.

Same with these
snowboard crashes,

they're basically a car crash

but it's a human body.

There's probably
something wrong
with the human race,

something... I don't know.
[chuckles softly]

-I'm guilty.
-[crowd chatter]

[Shaun sighs]

-[crowd chatter]
-You got one more lap?

[sighs]

[man] All right,
let's see some redemption here
for Taylor Gold.

-[man] He's just working up
the grab on 'em on a tube.
-[man 2] Yeah!

[man] Switch madness
for ya right there.

-Coming in switch again.
-[crowd cheers and applauds]

-That was huge.
-Awesome.

-[man] 87 for Taylor Gold.
He goes into second place.
-[crowd cheers]

So, that's gonna
put Shaun White

off the podium now,
into fourth.

Let's get right back
into the action here.

-Here's Ayumu now.
-[crowd cheers]

Frontside double cork 1260,
three doubles in a row.

[sighs]

[man] And look at this,
he's done it. 87.25.

Japan one, two,
three right now.

Ayumu Hirano in third place,
Shaun White down in seventh.

[crowd cheers]

[man]
Final run coming your way.

-Let's get it, bud, come on.
-[man] Here's your three
Olympic gold medalist,

member of
the US halfpipe team.

-Let's give it up
for Shaun White.
-Go! Go, Shaun!

[man] Here we go.

Huge on the front as well...

-...but real heavy,
uncharacteristic.
-[crowd gasps]

[Shaun] Fuck!

[man] And you see
the frustration,

but, guys,
you are in the presence
of greatness.

Please make some noise.

-Put your hands together
for Shaun White.
-[crowd applauds]

[commentator] His coach,
JJ Thomas, will get with him,

and Shaun less than thrilled
with that offering.

[commentator 2] This journey
is not gonna be the cakewalk

that we've seen
from Shaun White

in years past.

[commentator] This is the last
and final qualifying event

for the 2006
Torino Winter Games.

Shaun White has won all four
previous qualifying events,

and he's putting on
a veritable clinic here

-with an extraordinary run.
-[crowd cheers]

[Shaun] Did I win?

[groans]

Oh, my God, that's all five.

[man] I'm just so happy
that you went to Torino.

[man 2] This is our Olympic
halfpipe team right here.

-Shaun White!
-[crowd cheers]

[man 2]
Everyone at Mountain Creek

-make some noise.
-[crowd cheers]

[announcer speaking French]

[woman] Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome
to the opening ceremony

of the 20th
Olympic Winter Games.

[Cathy] People are wearing
red, white, and blue,
you know,

all these countries
are representing themselves.

I don't think
he even had a clue
what was gonna happen there.

You know,
trying to tell Shaun,
you know,

this is such a thing
in your life

you're never gonna
experience this before,

and he's like, "Eh, you know,
it's just a comp."

We... are we, are we rolling?

-[bleep]
-Buongiorno, hey, ciao.

[Shaun] I remember going
to my first Olympics,

and at this point
I was 19 years old,
it was 2006.

I just thought, like,
"Oh, this would be cool,
like, if I win."

-You know, I don't think
I knew the magnitude of it...
-[crowd cheers]

and so at the competition
I think I was a little
too relaxed.

I was really confident
[laughing] in myself.

I had this winning streak
going in.

Whoo!

[commentator] Shaun White

determined
to bring home gold here.

Remember, the top six
in the first run

-is a fast track
to the finals.
-[commentator 2] Wow...

starting things off huge.

-[both] Oh!
-[crowd gasps]

[commentator 2]
Uncharacteristic
for Shaun White.

You know Shaun
is fuming right now inside.

[Shaun]
I was like, "Oh, it's okay,

I've got another run,
you know."

But I get to the bottom
and I see my brother,

and he's just, like,
the horror in his face.

He's like, "What did you do?"

And then it sunk in.

I only have one more chance

to make it into
the finals of the Olympics.

Oh, my God, qualifiers.

I just remember
having, like, a newspaper

that I was, like,
beating this thing to death.

My mom was, like, gone,

like, throwing up in, like,
the, like, bathroom area.

-[commentator]
American Shaun White
-[crowd cheers]

waiting to drop in
on his second run.

He is in a rare
and precarious situation.

[man] Yeah, Shaun!

[Shaun]
What if I touch a hand?

What if there's
a piece of snow

that's just three inches
too far to the left,

and I hit it, and I fall?

All these variables
started going through
my head...

...and then
the nervousness hit.

I have to put this run down,

and this horrible feeling
sunk in

of, like, am I gonna be
the guy that had
an undefeated season,

only to blow it
at the Olympics?

[crowd cheers]

[commentator] Has Shaun White
ever felt this kind
of pressure?

-I don't think so,
I don't think so.
-[crowd cheers]

Opening things up
with a massive lien air.
Here's his problem spot.

He goes backside by 40...

-...eliminating the 900
all together.
-[crowd cheers]

All he needs to do
is land this last trick.

-[crowd cheers]
-[commentator]
There is it. Okay.

-That is a qualifying run.
-Okay!

[Shaun] Something about having
to fight my way into finals

really set the tone
for what was gonna
happen next.

[crowd cheers]

[commentator]
There is a massive crowd,

and the world's best
are gonna throw it down.

Many of the crowd are here
to see one man.

Shaun White,
listen to the reception
he's gonna get here.

He's got it.

He's got this one. This is it.

[commentator] The 19-year-old
from San Diego

already got
six X Games gold medals.

Starting off his challenge,

the biggest name
in winter sport right now,
Shaun White.

Oh, that is beautiful riding.

Here he goes into the 1080.

He sticks the landing.

Oh, Shaun White
is putting on a show here.

-Absolutely spectacular.
-[crowd cheer and applaud]

Shaun White
delivering the goods

-Yeah!
-on run number one.

[commentator] He scored 46.8.

Oh, yes!

Shaun White in top spot,

and that score is gonna take
some beating.

[Shaun] And, all of a sudden,
the last rider drops

and doesn't beat me score,

and I'm like...

"Oh, my God,
I just won the Olympics."

[crowd cheers]

[commentator] The job was done

-on run number one.
-[Shaun] And I've still got
one more run to do.

You know, that's what we call
the victory lap.

So I, my legs are shaking,
I'm breathing heavy,

partly crying,
I can't see where I'm going.

[commentator chuckling]
Shaun White, going
as high as anyone.

[Kari] It just felt like
we were, like,
on top of the world,

and it was like
nothing else mattered.

This huge, like, "He did it!"

-[crowd cheers]
-[commentator] His mom, Cathy.

His dad, Roger.

Time to celebrate
for the American.

Whoo! [laughs]

[cries] I can't believe...

It's like a dream, right?

It really is.
It's making me wanna cry.
[chuckles]

[woman] You've had
a lot of expectations

and pressure
throughout the years.

Is it off your shoulders?

Yeah, you know,
it's been crazy.

I mean, it's the best year
of my life.

I don't think I'll ever
have this again.

It's amazing.

I'm just happy
my family's here,

and I told myself
I wasn't gonna get
all teary, but...

[woman] I know the family,
they've scarified
a lot for you,

throughout the years.

You told me you wanted
to make your family proud.

-Do you think you did that?
-[Shaun chuckling] I hope so.

[Shaun]
I slide up to my family
and they're all in tears.

Everyone's crying.

I see my mom, and she hugs me,

and she's just like,
"You don't get it."

I'm like, "What do you mean?"

She's like,
"You don't understand
what you just did.

You will forever be known as
Shaun White the Olympic
gold medalist.

That title will follow you
for the rest of your life."

[crowd cheers]

That's when it sunk in
my life was never gonna be
the same again, you know?

And everybody
was congratulating me
on this Olympics and this win,

but I couldn't help but think,
like, [chuckles]

"This is just the beginning."