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Shaun White 2/18

Shaun White 2/18
At birth had severe heart complications. Legendary skateboarder/snowboarder.
  • Met Tony Hawk at the age of five. Was too scared to approach him, so decided to get good enough for Tony to approach him. He did.
  • Sponsored skateboarder at 7. Attributes it to luck.
  • A kid asked him to sign a poster with a horrible picture of him. From this he worked with his parents and agent to get creative control of his image.
  • Learned early on to turn down opportunities, like a Shaun White fragrance. Learned to keep brand integrity.
  • When he peeked at 19, won his x games winter medal, was undefeated that season – the question became, what next?
  • Learned from Andre Agassi – once he realized that his sport wasn’t his whole life, he started to perform better. Book – Andre Agassi autobiography.
    • Learned to be honest and open about his ups and downs.
  • TF – how do you regain lost enthusiasm?
    • Quotes Agassi – “the feeling of winning doesn’t feel as strong, or last as long, as the feeling of losing.”
    • Didn’t lose his enthusiasm because of a deep drive to have to win. He couldn’t help it.
  • People ask him, why didn’t you get pulled into the drinking, the drugs? Because he wanted to win. He didn’t have time.
  • TF – where did his massive drive come from? He set a goal each season – one serious, one funny.
    • Funny goal – win as many cars per season as possible.
  • Vancouver Olympic goals – win Olympics, wear funny pants on the cover of Rolling Stone after winning.
    • Funny goal to downplay the magnitude of your tasks.
  • During a run – focus completely, don’t overanalize. Believe that you know the tricks, and convince yourself, who cares?
  • Book – 50 shades of chicken. Cook book.
  • Book – outliers.
  • The guy that builds the most impressive jumps in the world started by working at an inconsequential little mountain where he was allowed to do whatever he wanted because management didn’t care.
  • Physical training evolution – now he does it. Didn’t back then.
  • Mocumentary – 7 days in hell.
  • Trains balance, core, and visualizes his runs.
  • Pre-run rituals. Eats steak night before competing for superstition. Depending on the season, has the same Pre-run song. Has many superstitions.
  • Leverages fake competition in his mind to push himself.
  • Spent years learning guitar in secret, so that he could just show up out of the blue and be incredible at it.
  • Upcoming project – sports and music festival air and style. Going on tour. Airandstyle.com.
    • Kids under ten get in free.
  • Successful person – Andre Agassi – has success beyond money and fame.
  • Relies on brother for tough love. Pushed him.
  • Audience request – do something that is super hard/what you stink at all day, every day. Until you become good.
  • Go90 for event livestream. @shaunwhite on Instagram.