Shaun White Launches Active Lifestyle Brand with Backcountry
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PARK CITY, Utah (Jan. 13, 2022) — Shaun White, three-time Olympic gold medalist and winner of the most X Games gold medals in history, has partnered with premier outdoor specialty retailer Backcountry to launch Whitespace, his new active lifestyle brand inspired by the freedom to create and find your greatest potential.
“What makes action sports so incredible is that they are a melting pot for music, art, and culture. A community where everyone is welcome and encouraged to have their own style and vision,” says White.
“I’ve been a professional athlete for over 20 years, so I’m excited to bring my experiences competing, training, and designing together to make gear that represents action sports in an authentic way,” says White. “Whitespace is a term creatives use for a blank canvas: a place for everyone to be who they want to be and have the freedom to create whatever it is they want to create. Together with Backcountry, I’m excited to launch my namesake brand and bring this to life.”
Backcountry will be the exclusive retailer for Whitespace, and to celebrate its launch, a release of limited Whitespace Freestyle Shaun White Pro signature snowboards will be available for purchase on January 13 at www.backcountry.com/sc/whitespace.
A line of outerwear, snowboard hardgoods, and streetwear apparel will debut later this year.
The limited-edition snowboard launches just weeks ahead of Shaun’s fifth Winter Olympic Games, which begin on February 4th in Beijing, China. Engineered with Shaun’s insights, the inaugural board is designed to dominate in the halfpipe with the integrity and rideability of what White expects from the snowboards he rides. Each Whitespace Freestyle Shaun White Pro Snowboard will be hand-numbered, authenticated by serial number, autographed and wrapped in a custom leather band embossed with the year of inception. White will be riding the limited-edition board during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“We’re beyond thrilled to partner with Shaun White in the development of an outdoor brand that’s truly rooted in greatness,” says Melanie Cox, Backcountry CEO. “Shaun is the G.O.A.T. of snowboarding, but has also influenced fashion, music and business outside of the sport. Snowboarding has always been an alternative sport and has blended music, arts, culture and lifestyle together. As a result, Whitespace will push the limits of style in the mountains and beyond, and we’re incredibly proud to be the trusted partner.”
For 25 years, Backcountry has been pushing the boundaries of outdoor style and the backcountry way of life, and the new partnership with Shaun, elevates that legacy. By fusing White’s visions and influence with Backcountry’s lived experience, Whitespace will evolve the culture of pursuit and resonate beyond just the snowsports audience. The retailer will host the Whitespace collection on its website and will be an information hub for the brand’s future expansion.
Shop the Whitespace Freestyle Shaun White Pro Snowboard and be the first to hear about future Whitespace releases at www.backcountry.com/sc/whitespace.
About Whitespace
Founded in 2022, Whitespace is an active lifestyle brand created by Olympic gold medalist, Shaun White. The signature brand inspires focus and motivation that clears the noise, turns doubts into drop-ins, and unlocks the send. Rooted in snowsports, Whitespace makes premium gear and apparel for snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, training, as well as casual streetwear for everyday life. To learn more, please visit https://www.whitespacesnow.com/
About Backcountry
From the one-on-one expertise of our Gearheads to our epic selection of the best in both style and performance, Backcountry has been a leading outdoor retailer since 1996. Dialing in your gear closet, exploring your backcountry, recharging with après—Backcountry elevates the entire outdoor experience. In 2018, Backcountry began building its own Gearhead-inspired products; the fast-growing Built By Backcountry ski, MTB, climb, hike, fly fish, and après lines include collabs with brands like GORE-TEX Technology, Burton, and Simms. Seek it, find it, send it—the Goat takes you further.
Shaun White on Finding Love with Nina Dobrev: ‘She’s Been a Lifesaver’
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Snowboard legend Shaun White is still laughing about the ego check he experienced the first time he went to dinner with actress Nina Dobrev, shortly before the two began dating in 2019.
The pair met at an event in Florida organized by motivational speaker Tony Robbins, where they both gave presentations.
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“I actually didn’t know anything about her,” White — arguably the world’s greatest snowboarder —tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
So the pair decided to grab a bite to eat after the event at a nearby restaurant.
“The place was packed,” recounts White, 35, who is currently hoping to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics — his fifth and final — in Beijing. “And she was like, ‘Let me go see if I can get a table.’ "
The three-time Olympic gold medal winner, who long ago grew accustomed to signing autographs and posing for photos with strangers, watched as the 33-year-old star of TV’s The Vampire Diaries spoke to the hostess.
Nina Dobrev Shaun White and Nina Dobrev | Credit: Nina Dobrev/INSTAGRAM
He smiled knowingly when the woman began to blush, and remembers thinking to himself that Dobrev probably told her, “There’s an old gold medalist over there who wants a table.”
When several members of the restaurant staff appeared, the legendary athlete walked over to the group, confident he knew exactly what they wanted.
For more about Shaun White’s journey toward his last Olympic Games, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE.
Shaun White of the United States competes during the Snowboard Men’s Halfpipe Shaun White | Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
“Can we get a photo … with her?” White remembers one of the waiters asking. “And I was like, ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’ It was actually really funny.”
Before long, the two began dating, trying to juggle time together in the midst of their busy careers. “We were flying all over,” says White. “She’s an actress so she’s shooting movies, doing press and all these things, and I’m getting ready for competition, doing interviews and appearances.”
Shaun White Shaun White | Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty
But when the pandemic hit and the lockdown went into effect, the pair decided to put the time to good use by moving in together and were soon busying themselves doing home repairs and painting projects.
“We went to the hardware store bought a bunch of paint, and brushes and definitely got in over our heads, but it was really fun,” he says, insisting that he knew the actress was special when their two dogs — Steve, a French bulldog, and Maverick, her border collie Australian shepherd mix — became pals. “Steve has a bit of an attitude, but they get along amazingly. So it was really meant to be.”
The relationship, adds White, has continued to grow.
“Nina’s just been so supportive and so amazing through this whole process for me,” he says. “Through the pandemic, she was a lifesaver — she really made that time in my life special.”
Laax Open: Shaun White lands 3rd on halfpipe podium topped by Ayumu Hirano
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Here is the Whopping Million Dollar Income Shaun White Earns From his Sponsor Deals
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Published 01/13/2022, 3:06 AM CST
When it comes to snowboarding, Shaun White is a force to reckon with. Showcasing his breathtaking skills across decades, he is regarded as the GOAT today. With 3 Olympic Gold medals, White is the most experienced snowboarder out there.
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As a popular name in the game, the Olympian gets a lot of endorsement deals. In fact, he earns millions each year from these signings and also has a lot of big-name sponsors.
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Shaun White knows business
Known as ‘The Flying Tomato’, White is the highest-paid snowboarder of all time. He is the winner of 3 Olympic Gold medals and has won a record number of X Games titles as well.
With his stellar performance and sheer consistency, it is no surprise that Shaun White has signed some of the biggest endorsement deals over the years. In 2009 itself, White signed a 10-year multi-million dollar endorsement deal with Burton Snowboards.
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 14: Shaun White of the United States celebrates after his third run during the Snowboard Men’s Halfpipe Final on day five of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on February 14, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
White has a huge list of endorsement deals and sponsorships. According to reports, he earns $2 million per deal. White, along with his brother, is also into designing various sporting gear.
Notably, Shaun White shares a great corporate relationship with the energy drink brand RedBull. Other endorsements include Hewlett-Packard, Target, Oakley, and Ubisoft.
The snowboarder also helped Oakley develop their signature goggles, which turned out to be a bestseller in the early 2000s.
White’s current net worth is a whopping $60 million. Out of this, he earns a massive $10 million every year just from endorsements. Part of this is also because of the high prize money he gets from his wins.
Investments and personal projects
Apart from all the big endorsement deals, White also has his own app called Downhill Dash. This app features various video games which can be played online.
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In fact, White’s first video game, ‘Shaun White, Snowboarding’ sold over 3 million copies worldwide. The athlete also launched his own clothing line, called WHT Space.
ASPEN, COLORADO – MARCH 21: Shaun White of the United States takes a training run for the men’s snowboard halfpipe final during Day 4 the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup at Buttermilk Ski Resort on March 21, 2021 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
White is also a minority stakeholder in Mammoth Resorts in Mammoth Mountains.
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Apart from being a snowboarder, White is also into skateboarding and music. Currently fighting for a place in Beijing, all eyes are set on Shaun as he prepares for his last Olympic outing.
DIVE DEEPER
Shaun White all but wraps up spot in his 5th Olympics
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LAAX, Switzerland (AP) — Shaun White all but wrapped up a spot in his fifth Olympics on Thursday when he qualified for the finals of a contest in Switzerland and his nearest American pursuer failed to move on.
White finished fifth in the qualifying round, while Chase Blackwell failed to make it to Saturday’s 12-man final.
It means White, who came into the event as the fourth-ranked American in the World Snowboard Points List, cannot fall further down in that ranking, while Blackwell, who was fifth, cannot move up. The U.S. has four spots on the men’s halfpipe team and is expected to use those rankings to fill out the last three spots.
Taylor Gold has already secured a spot with a podium finish at a qualifying event in Colorado last month. Chase Josey and Lucas Foster are also in line to earn spots.
White can still use Saturday’s final to build confidence. It’s a final that will feature the top three finishers from the last Olympics — White, Japan’s Ayumu Hirano and Australia’s Scotty James.