# Is Shaun White still the best?



## ListenUp (Mar 23, 2014)

I mean in halfpipe. He did get 4th in Sochi, but that's still pretty good. He'll prefect the YOLO by next year definitely, and can land a triple cork in halfpipe. I'm wondering if he's still on top. Iouri won this, but does that truly mean that Shaun's 14 year career has been knocked down in one single comp? And I'm not even the biggest Shaun White fan, but you can't deny he is the face of the sport. But is he still the best? Back in 2010, his tricks were like 3 years in advance for other rider, but now some have caught up!


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

He's not the best.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

He's in my top 100 easy.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

he's okay. depending on what your standard is.


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## Rance P (Oct 1, 2013)

Dude seems burnt out and the world has caught up. In the pipe he is still capable of winning. He won't dominate or be feared any longer...kinda like Tiger Woods has experienced the last few years. But based on his track record...he's still the best in the pipe. Next season will be all about some lame "comeback" angle. But with all that said...I'd rather watch Danny Davis.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

pipe GOAT so far.


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## ListenUp (Mar 23, 2014)

It's just sad because one loss at Sochi completely undermined 14 years of consecutive winning. It seeriously not fair on this dude and he knows that the Sochi loss will be all anyone remembers for a while.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

He's over the hill. Fact of the matter is that he is known as a cookie cutter pipe and park rat. Out of all the legends who were just specialists like that? I can only think of guys who took their skills to natural or urban terrain and showed us what could be done with what was there. I am sure his musical career will take off. 

Dude has the money to do whatever the fuck he wants in style and not do another thing for a check. So in the end he wins.

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> He's over the hill. Fact of the matter is that he is known as a cookie cutter pipe and park rat. Out of all the legends who were just specialists like that? I can only think of guys who took their skills to natural or urban terrain and showed us what could be done with what was there. I am sure his musical career will take off.
> 
> Dude has the money to do whatever the fuck he wants in style and not do another thing for a check. So in the end he wins.
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


if he focused on bc he could do just what craig or terje did in the twilight of their competition days... he might be a little burnt, and may rather do music at this point... but i think we see him kill the bc before this is all over. :dunno:


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## d2cycles (Feb 24, 2013)

ListenUp said:


> It's just sad because one loss at Sochi completely undermined 14 years of consecutive winning. It seeriously not fair on this dude and he knows that the Sochi loss will be all anyone remembers for a while.


When you create the hype to brand yourself and gain rewards, then you also must suffer the consequences when you don't live up the hype.


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## Big Foot (Jan 15, 2013)

I think Shaun White is the best at being super fashionable while riding half-pipe. Does that count?


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

Yes. Yes it does.


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

I have a lot of respect for the guy. When I was younger I was alright at archery (won the world champs a couple of times) and I dedicated a huge part of my life to it - training every morning and night outside of university and work and giving up a lot of social life so I didn't miss training sessions etc etc. I'm not saying what I was doing was anywhere near as intense as what SW has had to do to stay on top but still it's a fucking hard slog and takes its toll on your life. 

So I really respect what he's done but unless there are some drastic changes to pipe contests I think he's had his day. He's still damn good but a lot of great riders have caught up to him, some I would say have even eclipsed him. 

I'd like to see him do some crazy BC stuff but I reckon he's going to move on now.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

i think he's holding on by his fingernails to somewhere in the top 5, things are changing so fast...imo shaun's stock run would not have beat Taylor Gold's at the US Open, he just killed. 

*fwiw*, by the actual gauge of points on the world tour, Taku Hiraoka (bronze in sochi) is the #1 halfpipe rider for 2013/14

shaun has done so much , is so recognizable for life. if he plays his cards right he will be an elder statesman like Tony Hawk.


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## Rance P (Oct 1, 2013)

When I say this I understand the whole "shouldah, wouldah, couldah" theory.
But all things being equal...if Shaun had stomped that final run in Sochi....pretty sure he would have won gold and this conversation wouldn't even exist. Now...i'm sure part of that possible win would have been due to name recognition but everyone knows life isn't fair.
At any rate...I think he's the best...world has caught up and all bets are off. Hopefully it leads to more compelling pipe competitions in the seasons to come.


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## ThredJack (Mar 18, 2014)

I think he's not. Honestly, he just isn't anymore. He's burned out a little, and I think he needs a break. It's easy to compete 4 years ago, when you're riding at a level beyond anyone else. But then a couple more years pass, and everyone catches up.... suddenly you need to step it up to win, and you don't.

My question is, why was everyone able to catch up? Did he get complacent and not progress, just kinda let it get to his head that no one could beat him anyway and "Why should I kill myself to get better, when I'm already the best?" Or did he just plateau, and try as he might couldn't progress fast enough?


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## Meezi (Jan 31, 2010)

No, I think he should retire from competition and just do his thing. Let the young bucks come in and push the sport. He's the equivalent of Tony Hawk, the GOAT of snowboard halfpipe.


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## td.1000 (Mar 26, 2014)

this might be off-topic, but do people still really care about halfpipe? they pretty much stopped building them here, and I always wondered if this was happening in other places


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## ListenUp (Mar 23, 2014)

I think Shaun White is still the best. He has style for days, and will improve on the YOLO and triple cork over the next year, after he's down with his band touring stuff, while other halfpipe pros are trying to do the YOLO, he's ahead of them with the triple cork, if someone else gets the triple cork, he has YOLO. Remember he's only 27, no one says shit about Torstein. He's 28, and doesn't even get first all the time. But that's the thing. Even with this win iouri has never been consistent. He doesn't always do well, and this one trick, YOLO won't carry him very far, unless he consistently keeps progressing. Shaun White said he'd compete in Korea 2018, and he will totally get a gold medal. I'm just hoping ill see him compete a lot over the next few years because I know he's nearing retirement (my guess is like 33)


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## BoardWalk (Mar 22, 2011)

Tony Hawk's Secret Skatepark Tour (Full) - YouTube


Start at 44:34


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

Tons of SW threads this season!

Give the kid a break, isn't he like 27 or something? He dominated for half his life, now he's just trying to get the world to stop viewing him as a total douche, which is good. 

There's a new generation out now that will make him obsolete within the next few years. Nobody beats father time..


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## Redline (Jan 14, 2014)

Pipe is fun as hell to ride, but you are right they are becoming scarce. None within 3 hours from here.


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## ListenUp (Mar 23, 2014)

speedjason said:


> it seems to me he does not have much creativity really.
> he usually just do what others have done, for example the YOLO.


I hope you're joking. He invented the Double McTwist 1260. That's his most famous one but a lot of the tricks that are common now, he was the first to do most of them! YOLO is the first trick he's brought out and struggled with ever. He is a extremely creative guy, and most definitely without him, YOLO would not of been invented for years to come. Shaun White is what drove half pipe snowboarding progression. He drove slopstlye until he couldn't balance progression between the two disciplines. He's obviously not the best at slopestly, but is the best at half pipe. Yes his end is near, but still has a couple of good years left. I think what I forgot when I asked the question was that no one else does YOLO and Iouri is only 2 years younger than Shaun. Basically, he doesn't have that long left either. Other riders still need to catch up a little, but that gap is closing very quickly, especially since other pros train year round while he doesn't anymore


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

speedjason said:


> it seems to me he does not have much creativity really.
> he usually just do what others have done, for example the YOLO.


ignorant post is ignorant.


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

I think that the rest of the competition has caught up with him - to an extent - but other than the young Japanese kid (and iPod when he's on) is there really anyone else at his level? The half pipe at next years X Games will be pretty interesting and I think we'll find out what kind of trajectory SW's career is on.


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## DToay34 (Oct 30, 2013)

I feel he is like the Tiger Woods of snowboard. For awhile Shaun White was unbeatable, just like Woods used to be in golf. Now both White and Woods are beatable. White still has potential to win competitions in the next few years, but now that he has been beaten, people don't see him as superhuman. When he's in the lineup for a competition next year, we should be in for a great event. As of now, In my opinion, he still is ranked #1 for the best halfpipe rider, but he's left the door open for someone else to claim that spot. We'll just have to see what next year brings.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

You have to be a child prodigy like Woods&White to be able to log the time and development process to get to triple corks in the pipe. This will always be a small sample size of riders. And when you factor in the increased risk factor (KP) that will shrink that small population of riders further. I don't think there is a Woods or White always waiting in the wings. But these child prodigies do age out eventually.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

DToay34 said:


> I feel he is like the Tiger Woods of snowboard. For awhile Shaun White was unbeatable, just like Woods used to be in golf. Now both White and Woods are beatable. White still has potential to win competitions in the next few years, but now that he has been beaten, people don't see him as superhuman. When he's in the lineup for a competition next year, we should be in for a great event. As of now, In my opinion, he still is ranked #1 for the best halfpipe rider, but he's left the door open for someone else to claim that spot. We'll just have to see what next year brings.


Both feel the pressure of being the best, but can't produce like they once could. He may be the best, maybe not, but both Tiger and SW are not going to win dominantly like the once did.

On another note, you want to talk about an elite athlete that continues to progress with his sport into his forties, Kelly muthafukin Slater. He still paddles out in 25 foot pipeline, beats groms and can do all the new school airs necessary to win world titles or get close (last year)at age 42.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

Slater is Peter fucking Pan. He still looks like a kid.


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## NSXRguy (Jan 17, 2011)

i believe that without SW, the sport of superpipe would not have progressed as fast as it did

The same could be said with slopestyle with McMorris

Womens snowboarding need a female SW to make them progress as much as the men did


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## bcollins (Jan 30, 2013)

tonicusa said:


> Slater is Peter fucking Pan. He still looks like a kid.


Talk about a world class athlete that no one knows about outside of the surfing world....dude is a legend, I remember watching Kelly Slater:Black & White as a teenager and just being amazed. 

As far as White goes, I think the Tiger Woods analogy is a good one. One of the best of all time but no one is really scared of him anymore and that "fear" was a huge psychological edge for both of them in the past. Also, like Tiger, White has forced others to push their skills to the next level in order to be competitive.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

IMO you can see it in his eyes his whole mind set is just a little off…Scared of losing


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## ThredJack (Mar 18, 2014)

NSXRguy said:


> i believe that without SW, the sport of superpipe would not have progressed as fast as it did
> 
> The same could be said with slopestyle with McMorris
> 
> Womens snowboarding need a female SW to make them progress as much as the men did


Well they have Jamie Anderson in Slopestyle, she seems to be pushing that event pretty well. As far as pipe though, I can't really think of anyone. Maybe Kaitlyn Farrington? No clue.


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

Let's be honest, has he fallen off some, obviously. But if he spent a third the amount of time he use to at perfecting his pipe skills he'd likely still be dominating. He *barely* rides now compared to what he use to and he's still dominating 90% of the field who dedicate 100% of their life to it. And if he dedicating himself purely to BC like Terje anybody who says he wouldn't be one of the best there as well is lying to themselves. 

The dude just does whatever he has to to get what he wants. Currently thats transitioning to music and being an ambassador but if he actually wanted to be pure dominance he would be. I mean who can basically make halfpipe a minor hobby for themselves and still be one of the best? It's unnatural and because of that he will be the best in my eyes for a while yet.


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

ThredJack said:


> Well they have Jamie Anderson in Slopestyle, she seems to be pushing that event pretty well. As far as pipe though, I can't really think of anyone. Maybe Kaitlyn Farrington? No clue.


Kelly Clark has dominated the women's pipe for quite awhile - at least in the X Games.


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

I concur with lab, he is 27 and he is doing music now too in which he likes when he was a kid. SW still works hard for competition as what you have seen on his Video prior to Sochi,if he landed that YOLO trick this topic would be different. I'm sure he will still compete and be a threat on halfpipe on the next olympic. Then if he lose,it will be just another topic like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James comparison:dunno: He will still be the best until somebody else wins as much as he did on either X-Games or Olympic games or surpasses him. Just to point out, I am no SW fanatic but i do admire his desire to be the best,there is nothing wrong with that.:thumbsup:


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## Hank Scorpio (Oct 3, 2013)

ThredJack said:


> Well they have Jamie Anderson in Slopestyle, she seems to be pushing that event pretty well.


LOL no. She's been doing virtually the exact same run for 5+ years, it's just that women's snowboarding is so lame that no one else seems to be able to link a 540 and a 720 together as Jamie can.

But make no mistake, there has been virtually ZERO progression in women's slopestyle for years.


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## ThredJack (Mar 18, 2014)

PalmerFreak said:


> Kelly Clark has dominated the women's pipe for quite awhile - at least in the X Games.


To be honest, I didn't even think of her. Don't know why, but she slipped my mind. She is getting up there now though, so her career is probably closer to the end, but she does dominate.



Hank Scorpio said:


> LOL no. She's been doing virtually the exact same run for 5+ years, it's just that women's snowboarding is so lame that no one else seems to be able to link a 540 and a 720 together as Jamie can.
> 
> But make no mistake, there has been virtually ZERO progression in women's slopestyle for years.


Well, I admittedly don't follow Women's snowboarding much, so.... she has looked good this year. Didn't realize it was the same run she was doing, that's lame.


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## ListenUp (Mar 23, 2014)

NSXRguy said:


> i believe that without SW, the sport of superpipe would not have progressed as fast as it did
> 
> The same could be said with slopestyle with McMorris
> 
> Womens snowboarding need a female SW to make them progress as much as the men did


Yes what's up with that? I'm really suprised at how big a difference women's and men's tricks are. The thing women are doing to win the Olympics were things Shaun white was doing to win x games back in 2002! It irks me how no one is truly driving women's snowboarding. I have high hopes for Chloe Kim, I'll be watching her for the next couple of years because she is amazing and will ultimately become a big name for women's snowboarding, if she isn't already


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## ListenUp (Mar 23, 2014)

Hank Scorpio said:


> LOL no. She's been doing virtually the exact same run for 5+ years, it's just that women's snowboarding is so lame that no one else seems to be able to link a 540 and a 720 together as Jamie can.
> 
> But make no mistake, there has been virtually ZERO progression in women's slopestyle for years.


FINALLY SOMEONE SPEAKS THE TRUTH! I saw Jamie Anderson throw down like a 720 or 900 and win the freaking Olympics? Women's snowboarding could go so far but it's like everyone is scared to go bigger! Same with pipe, Kelly Clark is doing well but I'm just surprised that women's snowboarding isn't a progressed as men's. I thought that because women are lighter they can go higher and do more spins? It's physics, man. Pure physics. Ok probably not, I've never been good at physics


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

This just in: Shaun White gets sex change, dominates women's slope and halfpipe. Now the most hated athlete in both women's and men's snowboarding.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

seriously doubt SW will become any kind of force in the bc/filming world, dude just isn't....rugged. Trice would snap him like a twig (i'd like to see that actually)


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

CassMT said:


> seriously doubt SW will become any kind of force in the bc/filming world, dude just isn't....rugged. Trice would snap him like a twig (i'd like to see that actually)


 He is a diva. Btw.....thanks for sending that pow down my way. Lookin at 60+ Inches before Sunday.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

dumpin on my deck right now, which means its Puking on the mtn. my guess is 12 by morning, it's on, again, woooop!


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## jliu (Jan 20, 2009)

been a lot of sw posts lately...

I think you need to also define "best". Best is very relative when it comes to something like snowboarding. Is he the best contest pipe rider? Probably, but the comp and age are catching up quickly to him. I saw some post about the Tiger Woods comparison and that does make sense. Years ago Woods would win major championships by 10 strokes...he was just on a different playing field. White was similar years back...but the playing field caught up.


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## HuskyBlue (Mar 20, 2014)

Shaun White is easily still in the top 20 in the world. However, as others have said, he is aging. Taylor Gold is really catching fire and is only like 20. Personally, I like Danny Davis a lot, but Shaun definitely has my respect. And that one kid from Japan who placed silver at Sochi also placed in the top 10 at Aspen, so he is one to watch out for.


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## madmax (Sep 10, 2013)

Then this happened: Shaun White Announces a ‘Career Change’ from Snowboarding, Plus: 5 Riders Who Have Quit Snowboarding to Follow Other Pursuits | Onboard Magazine


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