I promise this will be the last of the "non-traditional" athletes on the list. The remaining 23 guys will be from the 4 major American sports. That being said White has accomplished more in his young career than perhaps all of the other athletes on the list combined. One could also make an argument that he is the most recognizable on the list.
As if hurtling yourself out of a half pipe with a board strapped to your feet wasn't enough of a challenge, White has been pushing his body to the limit since birth. Born with a congenital heart defect, he underwent two open-heart surgeries before the age of one.
White, also affectionately known as "The Flying Tomato" and "Animal" (as in the Muppets character) for his signature red flowing locks, is best known for his accomplishments at the Olympics and the Winter X-Games. In fact, the Winter X-Games have nearly become synonymous with Shaun White. The two can hardly be separated. Much like Tony Hawk, who is a mentor to White, the young phenom was able to take a fringe sport - and one that was associated with a certain slacker stereotype - and make it mainstream and popular with people from all walks of life. Shaun White passes "the mom test", which means you know he's a huge star when your mom knows who he is when you're watching the X-Games.
In 2006 at the Winter Olympics in Torino, White captured his first Olympic gold in the half pipe, officially putting him on the map with mainstream America. However, White was well-known amongst snowboard and skateboard fans well before then. He was the first athlete to compete in both Summer and Winter X and win in different sports. A sponsored rider at the age of 7, White has won a medal at the Winter X-games every year since 2002. In fact he has two separate streaks of 4 straight golds in a Winter X event (super pipe and slope style). He is the most decorated athlete in X-games history.
He really became a mainstay on the national scene with his Gold Medal win in Vancouver in 2010, also in the half-pipe.
Aside from the USA/Canada hockey battle, Shaun White was arguably the biggest American story at the games. His popularity soared, and he hasn't looked back since.
Shaun White dominates his sport unlike any other athlete on this list of young stars. White dropping into a half-pipe is like Mo Rivera toeing the rubber in the 9th. Game over. His career accolades are littered with firsts and records, and he is credited with inventing numerous maneuvers in both skateboarding and snowboarding.
His ripe age of 24, his determination to keep winning and continue to evolve the sport and his likable personality add up to a very bright future. Much like his altitude in the pipe, his career is headed upward.
Check out this clip from the 2011 X-games last week. Questionable outfit. But don't question the result. *editor's note - don't know who long that link will stay up. as of posting date, XGames had not loaded a clip of the run for some reason.
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