Shaun White Overcomes Early Round Crash to Make U.S. Slopestyle Snowboarding Team

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA (Jan. 16) – Olympic halfpipe champion Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) mathematically clinched a spot on the first-ever U.S. Olympic team for slopestyle snowboarding on Thursday at the Paul Mitchell Slopestyle at the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix.

White crashed hard in Thursday’s earlier competition and was down for nearly five minutes before he rode away. He then managed to refocus and put down a show-stopping run two hours later, posting a massive score and securing his spot on the Olympic team. Three-time X Games champion Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, CA) won the women’s competition, going two for two during Thursday’s slopestyle snowboarding doubleheader. White and the other athletes are set to compete in a halfpipe snowboarding doubleheader Friday.

"I’m just so thankful to make that run and to be on top of the podium and heading to Sochi," said White. "I’m just beside myself. It went from one side of the coin all the way to the other from this morning with that crash to now winning. I was pretty messed up this morning. I didn’t really see that coming. I haven’t taken a hit like that in a long time. I was almost thinking about calling the whole event. I couldn’t really see straight and everything was a little blurry. Then I sat there and decided to do that second run and it didn’t really work out. But I feel good. I definitely just rang my bell. It’s all in how I feel tomorrow. You crash and then the next morning is when you really feel it. I have a date with a bathtub full of ice right now."