'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Shaun White participated in five Winter Olympics as one of the United States' greatest snowboarders. Beginning in 2006, he was a staple at the Winter Olympics until 2022, which ended up being his final pro competition.
White retires as one of the most popular Olympians of all time. He just recently turned 36, so there's probably no future in athletic competitions for him. White has been competing for about 20 years so he's probably enjoying retirement.
White has a longtime friend and mentor in Tony Hawk, one of the best skaters of all time. The snowboarder doubled as a skater, even going pro at the age of 16.
Shaun White was asked what might bring him out of retirement stated and it all comes down to Hawk. The pro skater has been retired since 2003 but his reappearance on the competitive scene would drive the former snowboarder to come out of retirement.
Shaun White said:
“I don’t know if I think the only thing that will bring me out of retirement would be Tony Hawk coming out of retirement, and then we could batter once and for all one the world ramp.”
He went on to compare the hypothetical contest to legendary battles from fiction:
"It would be like, the student vs. the teacher, Darth Maul vs. whatever character is not as cool as Darth Maul if you know Star Wars. It’s pretty much it,”
The two athletes have been friends for a long time, with Hawk first noticing Shaun White when he was a nine-year-old before becoming his mentor. He helped get the future Olympian into professional skateboarding at the age of 16.
The Olympian described Hawk as his hero, which is why a contest between the two is the only thing that would bring him out of retirement. However, that does remain unlikely, as both are past the competing age. Speaking about Tony Hawk, Shaun White said:
"He basically was my hero and every kid my age was fascinated with him and he would skate at my local skate park, and I just assumed one day, I had this grand plan in my head, that if I just skated well enough, he might come talk to me. So I was too terrified to approach him and it worked.”
The Olympic gold medalist also talked about how he loved being around Hawk and added:
"I got to watch him interact with the fans and how he divided his time with his family and things. And he really remained the same guy, through all of it. The success and the ups and downs, so he was like that perfect person to be around.”
Following his retirement from snowboarding, Tony Hawk invited Shaun White back to the ramp, an invitation that is still yet to be answered.
Shaun White's Olympic career
White was a decorated athlete in his day and has taken home three gold medals in his career. In 2006, he won the halfpipe event with an impressive score of 46.8. In 2010, Shaun White won that same event with a score of 48.4, though his initial run received a score of 46.8, which would have been enough for him to win the gold.
In 2014, White finished fourth but redeemed himself in 2018, winning his third gold medal. He finished fourth in 2022 in what would be his final professional competition.
