Shaun White Says Goodbye to Snowboarding

After 5 years of being in the Olympics, Shaun White’s era has come to a sad end in Beijing, China. White fell on the last Olympic run of his career. His second run was his best, but it just wasn’t good enough. On Feb 10, 2022, with a score of 85.00, Shaun White finished in fourth place; coming just short of a medal.

“I’m proud of this life I’ve led, and what I’ve done in this sport, and what I’ve left behind,” White later said.

When Shaun was asked about his legacy, he emotionally said “You’re watching it — these younger riders. They’ve been on my heels every step of the way, and to see them finally surpass me is, I think deep down, what I always wanted.”

With sadness comes happiness though! And this time it was for Ayumu Hirano, who finished first place with a score of 96.00 for Japan. It’s a big deal because Hirano, age 23, is a two-time Olympic silver medalist. We can only imagine how it feels for the young snowboarder to finally get gold. After the competition was done, Shaun White congratulated Ayumu and said “let’s skateboard this summer.”