Shaun White interview from the guardian

4th January 2009

Shaun White became a pro snowboarder in 1999 aged just 13. He has won 11 medals at the Winter X-Games and a Winter Olympic gold in the half-pipe in 2006, which he secured while listening to AC/DC on his iPod throughout. Now 22, White will compete in the 13th Winter X-Games, which start in Colorado on 22 January.

Shaun White interview from the guardian

Are the Winter X-Games your main event this year?

It's pretty insane. It's massive - just grown and grown and grown. Now when you show up it's like every single company is throwing some giant party during the event. Which really sucks, because I have to compete. So I'm, like, managing my going out and my raging, compared to having to sleep because I've got to snowboard tomorrow. It's pretty brutal.

How does it compare to the Winter Olympics?

Everybody was very serious there, as they should be. But you should have seen me cruise in there at breakfast on the first day. I'd just got off the plane at Torino and I was like: 'What's up, man? I'll get some Cheerios.'

Were you popular in the Village?

They were all like: 'Who is this guy?' Because it's not just snowboarders. There are big, monstrous Norwegians who do cross-country skiing and shoot things. They had guns. They were wound tight and they had guns. Not a rad combination.

Is snowboarding getting more dangerous?

You can only jump so far until you break your leg. You can only land so hard until something explodes.

You're also a decorated skateboarder. Which sport hurts more?

Cement doesn't give as much as snow. But I've probably taken my worst ones on a snowboard. If you're going off a 90-foot jump, you can't say: 'Oh, I don't want to do this now.' You're going no matter what. I've had some bad ones there. Going down just sucks in general.

Are you still learning new tricks?

You never really stop. But it's hard to learn new ones because you're at such a high level already. I can't just go out and learn a new trick every day. You've got to be amped up, and ready to try this triple-flip or whatever. You've got to be ready to chuck something.

At last summer's X-Games, you 'landed an armadillo'. Can you explain?

It was a new skateboard trick I'd just learned, and I was watching a lot of Spinal Tap at that point. [He puts on an English accent] 'We should call it the armadillo!' I flip my board while I'm doing a backflip and catch it and put it under me. It's, like, a frontside 540 rodeo - or a backflip 540, while I'm doing a heel-flip, then I catch it and put in on my feet, stalefish.

How long does it take to learn that language?

Trick names are so ridiculous! People are always like, 'Yeah, you spun a 1325 over that jump!' But it's really simple: 180 degrees is half a circle, and 360 degrees is a full circle. So just add them up! I get in interviews all the time and they're like, 'Yeah! That 1429 you did was sweet!' I mean, that would put me on my back. Come on dude.

You've had a lot of nicknames since Flying Tomato. Which is your favourite?

Red Zeppelin - I thought that was cool.

Are you the best red-headed sportsman?

I've got to hold it down for everyone, it seems. I meet all these kids who have red hair and they're like: 'Right on!' I've heard Prince Harry snowboards - is that true? He seems pretty ripping. He'd give me a nickname. Sir Whiteness or something.

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