Shaun White: The Last Run (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Does He Still Have It? - full transcript

[crowd cheering]

[panting]

[sports commentator] I think,
uh, just the pressure built.

I mean, Shaun has trained
for this Olympics more
than any other Olympics.

[spectators exclaiming]

And after falling
in that first run,

I swear I saw
a different look in his eyes
than I've ever seen.

Really? So you're going
to go with that's more
the mental pressure

than the pressure
of the course.

I mean...
Sometimes, you do fall.

[Shaun White] I was incredibly
depressed. I was frustrated.



I should've done this.
I could've done that.

I'm just churning,
and there's just, uh,
so much going on in my head.

It was hard
to kind of separate

the competition
and the sport from myself.

I was like, "Argh..."
Like, maybe I should talk
to somebody. [chuckles]

And I started going
to therapy and...

I'm gonna tell you something,

and we can always
cut it out later, but...

Honestly?

It sounds so strange,
but like...

After Sochi was the time
of my life. [chuckles]

Which is so weird to say,
'cause I lost.
I didn't do well.

I just thought, like,
I was gonna be, like,
left and forgotten.

Um, and then this new person
who won was gonna be



talked about and celebrated,
and I was gonna be long gone.

But, like, everywhere I turn,
people were like,

"What's up, champ?" Like,
"Man, you're still the man."
Like, [scoffs] "Whatever."

The world hadn't ended.
I was still alive.

[triumphant music playing]

I was touring
with the band I was in.

I had some amazing friends.

Like, my sister in town...

I don't know if I was, like,
running a hippie commune
at my place... [laughs]

at this point, but like,
I had this beautiful home
at the beach, and...

I found myself with time
to actually be at that house.

[Jungle] * So you come
a long way *

[Shaun] I remember really
feeling that bubble
of friendship and love.

You know, in the past,
I just assumed

winning everything
was gonna solve my problems.

You know,
and it would make me happy.

And then, here I am.
I just lost, and...

I found so much
happiness afterward.

[Jungle] * Just busy earnin' *

I don't know if I would go
back and change things.

You know?

I don't know if I would trade
who I am today for who I...

could and would have been.

I have a new thought
that occurred.

"How do I make this
the best thing that's ever
happened to me?"

[Jungle] * But I bet
it won't change *

* Can't get enough *

[wind blowing]

["King of a One
Horse Town" playing]

* Every day is just
a little white lie *

* Telling myself
I'm gettin' by *

* I just stay in this room
and cry *

* The snow, it covers up
the ground *

* King of a one horse town *

* I'm a king
of a one horse town *

* And I barely pull
my weight around *

[indistinct chatter]

[phone ringing]

[subdued music playing]

[interviewer] You good?
All right.

Shaun, you said after
not making the podium
in Sochi...

-[Shaun] Mmm-hmm.
-[interviewer]...that...

you had to kind of step back,
look at yourself,

and say, "Okay,
what am I doing here,

and am I still
in the game?" Right?

Yeah, it was more like a--
A mental thing.

[man] So, going into the 2018
Olympics, this is gonna be
your...fourth,

-Shaun? Yeah.
-This would be my fourth
Olympics, yeah.

[man stutters] How are you
looking at it? Any differently
or is it, like--

-[exhaling]
-Thirty years old now...

-Thirty now, yeah.
-You'll be 31...

-...in PyeongChang.
-Thirty-one.

-Yeah.
-How much of this is--
Is you saying,

"I'm not gonna end
my Olympic career
on what happened?"

-[Shaun chuckles] ...you know?
-My heart was aching for you
to watch other people

up on that podium
bringing medals home.

Oh, that was tough.

Well, that's the thing,
is that it-- It's been so long
since I lost.

I've won every single
snowboarding contest
you can imagine,

and I've done it for years
and years, and years
and years.

And...just because
I didn't win
the last Olympics,

[spectators exclaiming]

Everything I've spent
the last, like, 25 years
of my life doing

has somehow
gone out the window.

[all cheering]

I took a little time to do
something for me, for once.

Go play music. Go enjoy some--
Something new in life.

Enjoy a summer at home,
doing nothing.

You know,
and I turn around, and...

there's a bunch of people
that, like, don't think
I have it.

"Well, is he really
gonna be...Shaun White?

Does he really still got it?"

I don't know what will sustain
the rest of my life.

Everything right now for me
is hinging on the Olympics.

[tense music playing]

I went to Sochi and just had
a disappointing performance.

And it's been stuck
in my mind ever since,

and I wanna go back
and do it right this time.

Shaun really walked away.
He's burnt. You know,
Sochi hurt. And it hurt deep.

And during that time,
everybody had caught up.

The tricks had elevated,
and everybody had
their own variation

of the tricks
that he had pioneered.

-[cars honking]
-[wind blowing]

[JJ Thomas] It's so
there, dude.

-[Shaun] I know.
-[Toby Miller] You got it.

So the bet is... Shaun gets
two tries of the YOLO flip.

If he lands one of them,
I have to drink an entire
bottle of maple syrup.

JJ needs to drink
half a bottle of maple syrup.

He's got it.
I know he's got it.

I honestly don't know
why I made this bet,
but it's gonna be dope.

[quiet music playing]

[breathes deeply]

[Jesse] Looking at the next
Olympics, I think Shaun
wanted to push himself.

Put the board back
under his feet.

And write down a--
A list of tricks that he knows
he needs to do

in order to take a gold medal.

What's the statement piece?
What's the thing we're gonna
finish with?

What's the separator trick?

You know, YOLO flip,
which is a cab double 14.

And then a front double 14.

Which is a combination
that is incredibly
difficult to do.

Both those tricks have
a lot of blind spots,
and so, they're just scary.

They're incredibly scary.

Just because you've done
a trick doesn't mean
that you have it, you know.

And-- And you have
to work at it. It's-- It's
kind of like a golf swing.

I mean, it could be there
for you one day,
and the next, it's just gone.

And I had done the YOLO,
or the double 1440, probably
since the last Olympics.

And the-- The intimidating
part about the YOLO flip

is that,
as you're coming around,
there's a turning point.

You know, I know it
when I'm in the air,
but it's all memory.

The only way to get
to that is by throwing
yourself in the air,

and going, "Oh, here it is!"

-[JJ] Fuck yeah!
-[Shaun exclaiming]

Whoo-hoo!

-[JJ] First try!
-[Shaun cheers]

So, I'm standing there.
It's well below freezing
at night,

with, like, three other people
and they're like, "All right!
You're gonna do...

this amazing trick
that's pretty dangerous."

And something amazing happens.

-[boy 1] Wait, is that
Shaun White?
-[JJ] Yeah!

Oh, my God!

[JJ] Go yell at him. Go and--
Go on the jump
and say hi to him.

And cheer for him! Cheer
for him loud! He likes that.
Get him all hyped up.

[delicate music playing]

-[Shaun] Come on down!
- [kids clamoring]

-[Shaun] You guys done
for today?
-Yeah.

[Shaun] All right.

-You guys wanna see
something cool?
-Yeah.

-All right, come. You gotta
stand right here, though.
-[kids] Okay.

-[Shaun] Stand over here.
-[boy 1] Okay.

-[boy 2 exclaiming]
-I'm gonna come down
and hit this wall.

-Do some flip for you guys.
-[kids chattering]

[kids clamoring]

[boy 3] This is awesome!

-[Toby exclaims in pain]
-[man] Oh!

-[Shaun] Is he okay?
-Yeah.

[Shaun adjusting straps]

-[suspenseful music playing]
-[kids chanting] Shaun White!
Shaun White! Shaun White!

[continues chanting]

They're chanting,
dude. [laughs]

-[boy 1] He's coming!
-[boy 2 cheering]

-[JJ] Yeah, kiddo!
-[kids cheering]

[suspenseful music building]

[JJ laughing] Atta boy!
Whoo-hoo!

-Whoo!
-[Shaun] Whoo!

[kids exclaiming]

-[boy 1] Oh, my God!
-[boy 2] You're the best!
Awesome!

-[kids clamoring]
-[JJ] Whoo-hoo!

Shaun fucking White!
That's huge!

-Down the line.
-Huge!

-[JJ] Think you broke it?
-[Shaun] You
all right, brother?

-[JJ] Yeah? Broke it?
-[Toby] Mmm-hmm.

[JJ] All right,
let's get to the hospital.

[Shaun talking indistinctly]

-[JJ] Dude, they got, uh,
ski patrol coming?
-Fuck.

-[man 2] They're already
sending one on the way.
-[JJ] Okay.

-[ski patroller] Do you know
where you are?
-Yeah. I didn't hit my head.

-[ski patroller] You didn't
hit your head at all?
-Not exactly. I mean,

I remember taking off.
I remember dropping.
I remember everything.

-[ski patroller] How
did you land?
-On my back.

-[ski patroller] On
your back there?
-Well, I hit the coping, like,

here and bounced.

-[Shaun] Yeah.
-That's when I was just
like...

-Saw the deck
and was like... "Sick."
-[indistinct radio chatter]

[ski patroller] All right.
Are you able to, uh, board
down to the med room,

or do you want a sled?

No, you'd be all right, right?

Or, I mean, have them
look at it maybe, you know?

But I don't think
you need a sled.

[indistinct chatter]

Bittersweet. My buddy,
Tobes, went down. But, um...

At least we had the kids
to cheer us on.

[child giggling]

[Shaun] It's all the mood.
So once you get there,
you gotta feel it out.

Some nights are great,
and it just works.

Some nights you gotta force
it a little, and some nights
you gotta walk away.

[subdued music playing]

[Shaun] The mental...

I mean, the mental's always
the same, I guess.

I mean, you gotta go out there
and learn new tricks,
and keep motivated and...

try to find the best
in every scenario.

I mean, even
if it's not perfect,
try to learn

what you came here
to learn, um...

The only bummer
is just, like-- With age,
you get wisdom. [chuckles]

And that's like,
a doubled-edged
thing, 'cause...

-That way.
-You know, like... [sighing]

You get the fear now,
and you get
a little bit more...

Like, you know
what's happening.

You know what it takes
to recover from an injury.

[Esther Lee] You know,
as a physical therapist,

I've witnessed
some crazy crashes.

I've seen, before my eyes,
someone fracture
his, uh, femur.

I've seen broken ribs.

Collapsed lung.

Multiple concussions,
which is crazy,

because whenever I ask,
like, "Oh, what happened
to the person?"

"Oh, it's fine.
It's just a concussion."

I'm like, "Uh--" [laughs]

The risk that he's taking
to just be out there
and compete...

I think he's starting
to realize, like...

"Gosh, my body does not bounce
back as quick."

And I've had to break it
to him. I'm like,

"Uh, welcome
to getting older."

I'm 31 today, in New Zealand.

-[JJ] How does it feel?
-[Shaun] Feels pretty good.

We did, uh, a little, like,

hangout dinner at home.

The older I get, the more
I'm like, "Oh, let's just,
like, keep it casual."

I guess we start
riding at 7:30.

Yeah, it's pretty gross.

The Japanese are already
up there.

But I just got here
to the pipe, I'm gonna--
I gotta run before the...

other teams really get
the good ice.

[chuckles] I gotta get
in there before them.

-[JJ] Oh, someone's in.
-They're already in there.

[indistinct chatter]

-[man] Little early.
-Yeah.

For some reason,
I'm kind of feeling
used to it.

'Cause we've been doing this
for so many years. [laughs]

It's just... You know
what you're getting into
when you're coming.

[Shaun] The fuck
are we doing here?

[laughs] Did you see that?
This is a half-pipe right now.

It's my fucking birthday.
I'm pumped on everything.

[JJ] Mindset's huge.
I mean, confidence
is everything in this sport.

When it comes down
to going big and riding fast
in a half-pipe, that's mental.

That's just a decision
you make.

Some people
have different gauges.

And some are willing
to risk more and go higher,
and Shaun's that guy.

He just goes.

The guys who wanna
go big can go big.

It's not technique. People get
all caught up, like, "How
do you do this technique?"

[scoffs]

It's just balls
and, like, mentality.
How much do you wanna risk?

[muted intense music plays]

[snowmobile rumbling]

[Shaun] I remember this crash,
'cause it was so painful. I--

I-- I thought I broke
my pelvis.

I mean, I couldn't walk.
I couldn't get up.
I didn't know what to do.

I had to, like, slide my way
to the bottom of the pipe,
and I'm thinking, "Wow."

Like... we're done. That's it.

[Shaun groans softly]

This looks like a bathroom.

[indistinct chatter]

-[Shaun exclaims]
-Easy, cowboy.

[Shaun exclaims] I'm still
pissing blood.

-It's pretty dark.
-[JJ] Yeah.

[Shaun] I did just
kind of bleed for a while.

I don't know, dude.
I've never dealt
with organ injuries.

-[Shaun] Me neither.
-It's my first experience.
I mean...

I think-- I was reading
about it, and it's--
It's more like, people, like--

-It's like car accident
type stuff.
-[Shaun] Oh, wow.

'Cause the body's going
so fast, just hitting,
you know?

[Shaun] Yeah.

Hey, guys.
We're here to do a blood test.

We were in the hospital
last night for Shaun White.

He had, uh,
some bruising of his liver.

[doctor] If you lie
just comfortably,
I'll just get--

[exhales]

-[exhales]
-[doctor speaking]

You just don't know how
the cookie's gonna crumble
when people fall like that.

You don't know.
It could literally--

Something like that could be
a game-over season thing,
a career-over thing, or...

a two-week deal.

You just don't know.
That's what so scary
when that happens.

You said the tests
were looking better?

-They seem to be improving?
-[doctor speaking]

-Okay.
-[doctor speaking]

Mmm.

[exhales sharply]

[JJ whistles] That's great.

Six weeks sounds...long.

I'd give it four.
You could probably snowboard
in a month. Just don't crash.

-Yeah, of course.
-[JJ] But...

-You know? No problem.
-Yeah.

-No air bagging and shit.
-[JJ] No.

[Shaun] You know,
it's just like...

Shit happens, but...

I'm just so good at avoiding
situations like this.

I just can't believe
this mistake happened.

You know what I mean? Just...

It's like, you take your eyes
off the road for a second,
and look what happens.

[birds chirping]

[car approaching]

-I still got it.
-[JJ chuckles softly]

Argh! I hate this.

[exhales audibly]

[singing] * Mama, don't let
your babies grow up
to be cowboys *

["Mammas Don't Let Your Babies
Grow Up To Be Cowboys" plays]

-[Shaun singing indistinctly]
-[song plays over Shaun]

* Mamas, don't let your babies
grow up to be cowboys *

* Don't let 'em pick guitars
or drive them old trucks *

* Let 'em be doctors
and lawyers and such *

[Shaun] I took six weeks off,

and we came back
to New Zealand
with, like, a vengeance.

This is gonna be different.
We're gonna set the tempo.

Here we go, round two.

It's gonna be everything
we'd hoped this first session
was gonna be

and more, you know?

That was the mindset going in.

* Mamas, don't let your babies
grow up to be cowboys *

* Don't let 'em pick guitars
or drive them old trucks *

* Let 'em be doctors
and lawyers and such *

* Mamas, don't let
your babies grow up *

[song abruptly stops]

[JJ] Call the heli back.
Right now.

[tense music playing]

[ambulance siren wailing]

-[woman] You want to see
if he's okay?
-[JJ] Yeah.

-[woman] He's in 315.
-[JJ] Thank you.

-[Shaun] Pretty gnarly.
-[JJ] Yeah, I know.

And they'll be authorized
to do one thing.
Sew it back up.

-[JJ] I was hoping
you wouldn't flip.
-[Shaun] What?

[JJ] I was hoping
you wouldn't flip.

[Shaun speaking]

Yeah.

[indistinct chatter]

[sighing]

[sighs and sniffles]

[sighing]

[sighs]

It's eleven at night,
and they just, uh...

cancelled the surgery
till tomorrow morning, so...

I've gotta...

stay like this overnight.

And it's pretty awful.
And now, I'm trying
to eat some food.

[monitor beeping]

[Shaun speaking]

-[JJ] You did.
-[Shaun speaking]

[JJ] Yes.

[Shaun speaking]

[Shaun exclaims]

[sighs]

Oof.

-[JJ] I know.
-[Shaun] Yeah. Hurts, man.

-[Shaun sighing]
-[monitor beeping]

[JJ] Universe is smacking
you in the face, saying,

"Shaun, slow down.
You're the best...

Stop the pushing."

You've been pushing
after 20 years.

And it's literally telling you
to slow down.

-You know? Then I think
that's the message.
-[Shaun speaking]

[JJ] I know it is. I can feel
it in my heart, dude.
I can feel it.

You've done...
You've really done everything
you're doing this for.

-[Shaun] Yeah.
-[JJ] You have
nothing left to do.

-[Shaun sighs]
-[monitor beeping]

[Shaun speaking]

-[chuckles]
-[JJ] Yeah.

And you need to listen
to that and honor it.

-Because--
-[Shaun speaking]

[JJ] You gotta honor that.
Don't listen to it and just--

Because I did,
and it was really hard.

It was really hard, but--

Looking back,
I made the right call.

-[Shaun speaking]
-[JJ] And I'm healthy.
And I got out.

-And--
-[Shaun speaking]

And life's really good
when you're done. There's so
much cool shit you can do.

It's really, like, kind
of relieving. It's almost like
you get a new--

-[Shaun speaking]
-[JJ] You get, like,
a new lease on life.

[Shaun speaking]

[JJ] No pressure.
All of a sudden, you start
sleeping through the night.

[Shaun speaking]

[JJ] But it's gonna be
a lot harder for you,
'cause you're so good.

You're the best right now.

-That's why it's hard
to walk away.
-[monitor beeping]

[man speaking]

I don't know. And if someone--

If you're--
If you're asking me,
I think he's definitely not--

It's 50/50.

I don't know.
I honestly don't know.

-[tense music playing]
-[monitor beeping]

[JJ] Shaun White
is happy and content.

Shaun White is the 2018
Winter Olympics
gold medalist.

Shaun White is an inspiration.

[JJ] I'll, uh-- I'll call you
in a few hours there, Cathy.

-Let me get there
and get situated.
-[Cathy White] Okay.

-I'll give you an update.
-[Cathy] Give him
a hug for me, okay?

I will. We're gonna bring
flowers and stuff.

-[Cathy] Okay.
-We're gonna be fine,
Cathy. All right. Talk soon.

[Cathy] You know,
it's a mom's biggest fear.

That-- That was such
a horrible injury. I--
I couldn't believe it.

When I got that call,
Shaun made a mistake and sent
me the picture of his face.

[JJ in recording] Shaun White
is the 2018 Winter Olympics
gold medalist...

[Shaun] Yeah, I know--
I know my mom wanted me
to hang it up

when the crash went down.

She was like, "We're done.
It's over. Just stop."

It's always in the pit
of our stomach
to think that, like,

it could happen that quick.

I don't know. It's terrifying.

[JJ] How do you feel?

So much better.

I was really freaked out.

[Cathy] I just
can't watch him. I just...

I think when you almost lose
a kid, and I see-- You know,
I just-- [exclaims nervously]

I don't wanna live
through all that again.

[JJ] Kid's out.

-[exclaims]
-What's goin' on?

[Cathy] It was really hard
'cause he wanted to leave.

He didn't wanna get better,
and that was the hardest
thing on me--

Is, like, keeping him
in the hospital.

'Cause he kept
checking himself out.

He wanted to come home,
and I'm just, like, "No,
don't come home.

Get yourself fixed."

[breathing deeply]

[Shaun] I remember walking
out of the hospital
and just...

taking this breath,
thinking, "Thank God
I made it out."

Thank goodness I'm alive,
you know. Whatever's out
there that--

That kept me from, you know...

not-- Not walking out
of there, you know.
I don't-- I don't know.

[JJ] How does it feel
to get out, Shaun?

[sighs in relief] Feels
amazing. Feels like a miracle.

[delicate music playing]

[grunts]

[Esther] When someone's
laying on a table in front
of me for hours every day,

it's a vulnerable place.

You're often in pain.

Whether I'm giving you
the pain, or you're in pain
from an injury.

We've really bonded
through a lot of rollercoaster
days together.

-Good.
-[Esther] Yeah?

I've seen him cry.
I've seen him be the happiest

and the saddest.

And, um, so, I feel like
he's my little brother.

We've gone through a lot,
and I think, um,

even more so
in the last couple years.

[Shaun] I remember getting
a phone call from Esther.

She was like, "I'm sick."

And... [exhales]

I was like,
"What do you mean?"

You know, like, [stammering]

I think I remember
being, like,

"Oh, [chuckles] like,

you got the COVID,
didn't you?"

You know, and she's, like,

"No."

I was diagnosed with
stage four cancer last year,

and so...

...he's really
helped me a lot.

[Shaun] I couldn't,
I couldn't even take it in.

Wait, like, why?

Like, what do you--
You know what I mean?

Like, you hear about
this, these things,
and I'm just thinking...

...like, how could this,
like...

...bundle of joy,
this fun, beautiful person

have this thing happen to her?

I was still lying in bed

when he told me that

he was gonna go
for another Olympics.

I've been questioning
if I'm pushing myself
too much,

and if it was any
other season,

I probably would be, like,

"No, I'm not gonna,
you know, I'm not gonna work."

But this is his
last Olympic run.

[Shaun] It's just been
so amazing having her around,

and I don't know, if you took
everything away,

you know, the competitions
and all the stuff,

just that kind of storyline
of us getting to hang together

and, and, and...

...you know,
spend time when...

[sobs]

...when we didn't
think we'd have it.

I don't know,
it's frustrating.

If it lessened up, and, like,
we had a, like, window,

it would work,
but I think
it's a little much.

[JJ] It's going in gust,

it will blow,
and then it slows down.

-It's funny until
somebody gets hurt.
-Yeah.

[Shaun] Honestly, the only way
these guys are gonna get out

is if they just
all stop riding.

Just stop practicing
if you don't wanna compete,

it's the only way
it's gonna happen.

Hey, I think, I think I'm out.

-[JJ] Yeah, just gym.
-I'm not gonna...

-You should tell
those guys that.
-Yeah.

Tell the event organizers.

-Oh.
-Right there.

-[indistinct chatter]
-Down there.

'Cause they're gonna
follow you.

-If you tell 'em to get out,
they're gonna do it.
-Yeah.

J wanted to, you know,
let you guys know,

I'm probably gonna sit it out
either way

if you guys did that.

Just letting you know,
I'm not, not pressuring
you to do it.

There is other,
there is other window
and opportunities,

just not right now,
this makes no sense.

That's great, that'll be cool.

They were really
nice about it.

-Hey, good job.
-Yeah, they were cool.

'Cause if you do that,
then that's,

you just spoke
for everyone, you know?

[man 1] Thanks, guys.

-We have tomorrow night.
-Yes.

We then need to be reduced

to two run finals
and not a three run final,

we always have the wild card
of Mammoth.

[Shaun] So I caught this cold

that was going around...

...and turned out,
that cold was COVID.

I'm spent.

I mean, I'm testing positive
pretty much everyday,

until I get here,
and they swabbed me
and I'm negative,

and I'm, like, "Really?

Okay."

Here we are, I'm gonna
make the best of it.

I'm still, like,
it's not just,

like, yeah, you test negative,

but there's still, like,
lingering effects,

like, I have a cough still,
like, I'm... I'm run down.

[clears throat]

I'm basically at this
competition to try and...

One, better my scores
from before,

and, obviously, I've been
saying this every time,

but, like, lock up that
position on the team,

but I don't know...

...uh, we'll have to see.

[commentator 1] Tonight,
we have the halfpipe
qualifiers and finals.

[commentator 2] I'm pretty
fired up about this, man.

[commentator 1]
We are gonna be
all killer no filler.

We're gonna have
rider after rider dropping.

[JJ] You got 14 minutes off
to practice, right?

So let's get out there.

[JJ] Holy shit, baby boy.

[man over radio] Well,
let's go with Shaun's drop
the next time, please.

[Shaun] I'm having
trouble breathing.

[JJ] You're good, dude.

-Let's just be smooth.
-[Shaun coughs]

-[JJ] Oh, it's coming' out.
-[Shaun] I'm sorry, man.

-[JJ] It is hell.
-[Shaun continues to cough]

[JJ] Oh.

We'll spray him down with
some Lysol or something.

[clears throat] I'm okay.

[crowd cheering]

[commentator 1] You and I
actually have to start
this thing right now.

[commentator 2] Okay.

We have a halfpipe qualifier
under way.

[commentator 1] Let's get down
to business, here we go.

Ayumu Hirano drops in,

first run of the evening.

So he is gonna
start things out,

frontside 14,

now finishing things off,
putting a solid one turn,

that's what he needs
to qualify

going to the finals,

that was a good enough run

probably to make it
all the way through.

Let's go, kid, bold, bud,
come on, come on.

[commentator 1]
Heat number two.

[commentator 2] And here comes
Shaun White.

Run number one for Shaun,
let's what you've got here.

Yeah, boy, that's it,
that was good.

[commentator 2]
Great run, Shaun.

[crowd cheering]

- [commentator 1] Luckily,
that's the run he needed.
-Oh, okay.

[commentator]
The time he needed,
the run he needed.

[JJ] That's what we like,
that's what we like.

[commentator 2]
So that's gotta be a big sigh
of relief for Shaun.

[commentator 1] Oh, yeah.

[Shaun] Can you just check it
and make sure it's not broken?

I landed real hard, real flat.

-[man 1] Yeah.
-[man 2] Right.

[man 3] Yeah.

[Shaun] Did a little number
on my ankle on that.

You gotta big ass score, dude.

-You're in the fucking finals,
you know what I mean?
-[Shaun] Yeah, okay.

-Maybe I'll go chill.
-That's kinda what I'm saying.

Just have your phone on you
in case something goes crazy.

-[groans] Little crunchy.
-Yeah?

[commentator 1] Hongbo Gao.

Top scores are gonna be
Yuto Totsuka for 86.66

and Shaun White
in heat number two
with a 79.33.

All right.

[groans]

I really jammed it
in that last run.

-You did?
-Yeah, really hard.

With all the space here--

[Esther] Dude, you're not even
heading to the stand yet.

I know.

-[Esther] Are you hydrating?
-I'm just trying
to get through.

Yeah, I'm gonna take a run

and see of my ankle
is feeling good.

[JJ] We got 14 minutes
for practice.

[Shaun] I'm gonna get
broke the fuck off.

I can feel it coming.

Why don't we just ride,
stay warm,

and get your confidence
back up on that hill, like--

Okay, I'll do that.

Yeah, I really jammed it
in that last run.

Yeah, I'm done.

[man] You're talking
about Shaun?

Yeah, he is out,
he did a little ankle jam,
so he's gonna skip.

-Are you sure?
-Yeah, he's out for sure.

-So we'll scratch him off.
-Yeah, thank you, guys.
Thank you.

[commentator] Something
is going on with Shaun White

who did qualify for the final

is now at DNS
and will not start.

- [commentator 2] Wow.
- [commentator 1] Yeah.

Lucas Foster will get
things started off
in the men's competition,

get an opportunity to earn
himself some points,

and with Shaun
now being in DNS,

this will now kinda shake
things up a little bit.

This is the last qualifier
in the States,

let's not forget there's still
another event coming up

in a weeks' time
in Laax, Switzerland,

with the Olympics now less
than a month away.

Not ideal,
but it is what it is.

[man] What about the team?
Was that enough points?

No, [chuckles] he won't get
into the team today with that,

he needed, uh,
top five or three,

which he could've
gotten easily,

but, um...

...now he's gonna have to play
the waiting game,

he's gonna have to hang out

and just see what happens...

...next week at Laax.

[producer] How painful
would it be

if Shaun didn't make the team
on this last run?

[chuckles] If Shaun
didn't make it,

that would be
a massive bummer.

I mean, I haven't even really
contemplated that
because that kind of,

I mean, I don't even know
how to digest,

I don't even know what to say,
that would just be weird.

[Shaun] I already regretted
at this point

not staying and finishing
the Mammoth competition,

but then again, I could
easily be sitting here
with you guys,

saying,

wow, with my arm in a sling,
like,

"Oh, I really I wish
I wouldn't have done
the Mammoth contest."

Like, I don't know,
I could've been injured,

so I... I just,
I wasn't feeling it.

And the reason I think
I've gotten this far,

you know, in my career is from
listening to my gut,

and, like, walking away
when I don't feel safe.

[JJ] I've always said that
the Olympic qualifying
process

for the US team
is more of a show
than the actual Olympics.

The Olympics is just like the,

you got the candle burning
on the cake,

and you're blowing it out,
like, "Happy birthday."

This process of getting there
is a, it's a grind.

We both kinda thought
he was in a pretty
safe position,

but anything can happen,
we're learning,

and what happened that night.

[woman] 15 seconds,
we're good.

Yeah, boy, come on.

Lucas had a good performance,

couple of top guys
didn't land,

Shaun didn't compete at all,

bummed him out,

so I said, "You should
probably get on the jet
and come to Switzerland,

or you can stay at home
and just watch
the roulette table

and hope it doesn't hit."

[commentator 1] Do we see
a switch double?

Yeah, we are.

Bam! 1260 in perfection.

[JJ] Now we're here
for the last event in Laax,

which is the Super Bowl
of snowboarding, really,
this is prime time.

It's the last
Olympic qualifier.

It's basically the Olympics
before the Olympics.

[interviewer] The reason
you're here

is so you can qualify
for the Olympics,
give us an explanation.

This is an important day
'cause I need to,

you know,
just solidify my points,

um, in order to make the team,

I'm on the bubble,
it looks really good,

but, uh, I didn't want
to leave it up to chance,

I wanna go.

[JJ] I'd say, right now
it's safe to say

it's between Shaun
and Chase Blackwell

for the fourth spot.

It's gonna be a battle
to the end,

and then you have
the wildcards like,

Joey, Toby, Ryan Wachendorfer,

if they have a
big performance today
and Shaun doesn't,

they could pass him, too.

Fucking hell.

[commentator] Joey Okesson,
20, 1260.

[crowd cheering]

-Hey, man.
-Good to see you.

Thanks, man.

Can you give us a ride?

[commentator 1] 2022 Laax Open

from beautiful Switzerland
under the lights,

we get set
for the last major event

before the big showdown
goes down

in Secret Garden in Beijing

in less than
three weeks' time.

There are still some spots
to be nailed down.

[commentator 2]
Yes, there are,

and most notably, Shaun White.

Now, this is a big event
for him here,

he's not officially named
in the team,

I couldn't see the US
going over there

-without him because
he's the ringer.
- [commentator 1] Yeah.

[commentator 2]
But, I mean, he is not
on that list as of yet,

so we'll see what happens
here tonight.

[commentator 1]
This is 23-year-old,
Ayumu Hirano.

Two time Olympic
silver medalist.

Giant 1440.

Wow, fucking hell.

[commentator]
1440 frontside grab.

[JJ] Oh, my God!

[commentator 1] 1440 backside.

Backside 2160--

-[JJ] Holy--
-[crowd cheering]

-[crowd cheering]
-[woman] Yeah!

[commentator]
That was a fantastic run.

[JJ] Oh, man.

[commentator] And walks off
like it ain't not a thing.

[JJ] Wow, what a bad man!

[commentator] All these
younger crop of kids,

they're all Shaun White's
fault.

The reason that these kids
are all ripping right now

is because they saw
Shaun White stand
on top of the podium,

and they said,
"I want to do that, too."

So if he's gonna
blame anybody,

he gotta blame himself

'cause he's created this
whole crop of new rippers.

[Shaun speaking]

-[JJ speaking]
-[Shaun speaking]

[JJ speaking]

Another American
that made the trip
over here, Lucas Foster,

coming off a great
performance in Mammoth.

Really getting it going here.

There's that double,

really smooth
between the walls.

Wow! Huge front 12

drifting way down
into the backside 12,

the best one I've ever
seen him land in competition.

Holy cow!

Bowman coming out
of Mammoth Lakes, California,

and now here he is
in Switzerland under
the lights.

Oh, my God, he's going fast!

Into a huge Cab
double cork 1080,

Switch, double cork 1080,

into frontside 1260.

What are you doing
out there, Josh?

Are you kidding me?

Wow!

[commentator] 81.75
for Josh Bowman,

that moves him
into third place.

Hey, who's Shaun after?

That will be
right after Ao Gu.

Okay, thank you.

[commentator] So,
the 35-year-old from
Carlsbad, California,

gets set to make
his final run ever

in the Laax halfpipe.

[crowd cheering]

[clapping]

[JJ] Yes, Shaun.

[commentator]
Ladies and gentlemen,
dropping in next...

...a man who needs
no introduction.

Multiple Olympic medals.

Most of them gold.

Multiple X Games golds.

The most famous snowboarder
on the planet,

make some noise
for Shaun White!

[audience cheering]

[commentator] Here he goes!

- Look it's a frontside 16,
triple entry.
-[JJ] Oh!

[commentator] A massive
frontside doublecork 1080

into a Cab double cork 1080.

A sky-hugging signature
frontside 540 tailpin.

Backside double full 1260,

and now to finish off,

frontside grab.

[crowd cheering]

Whoo!

[crowd cheering]

[commentator]
That's unbelievable!

[chuckling] Whoo!

[laughing]

[commentator] The fans
appreciate what he has
done for the sport,

and what he just did.

Oh, my God!

That was dope.

[chuckling]

[commentator]
With an 84.00 full-up.

Shaun White getting it done.

[commentator] Unbelievable.

The guy said he's, like,
the most famous snowboarder,

and then the crowd blew up,
and I was like,

-"I hope he's
hearing this shit..."
-He loves that. He loves that.

And then he just was,
like, whoo,

like, ten feet higher than
he went the whole trip,

I was like, "Ohhh!"

[commentator] So,
it's now Ayumu Hiarno,

Jan Scherrer, and Shaun White,
the top three.

What a podium!

Let's go!

Yeah! [laughing]

Yeah!

On the last run!

On the last event.

Oh, here we go,

China.

Uh, we going, we going.

[man over speakers]

[crowd cheering]

[man over speakers]

[crowd cheering]

[Shaun] We got it done,
I'm so happy. Oh!

It feels so good
to just earn it.

Here we go, next stop
is the Olympics.

[crowd cheering]

Whoo!

Yeah!

[interviewer] And what does
this mean to you now?

What do you take
from this event

looking forward to Beijing.

[Shaun] Oh, well,
now it's, it's all about

how do we
win this thing, you know?

I've been, I've been
trying to make the team,

trying to stay healthy,
trying to stay strong
and motivated,

and, at this point,
it's, it's all about

what I can do now
to try to get that top spot

when we get out there,
but, um...

...I'm a competitor, so,
I want it, you know?
[chuckles]

[crowd cheering in background]

[interviewer] Shaun,
thank you so much.
Congratulations.

[Shaun] Yeah, thank you,
thank you.

Whoo!

Oh. we're going to China!
[laughing]

-[man] Wait, is that 31?
-[Shaun] Thirty-one.

Man, this is so exciting.

-[man] Yeah, it's awesome.
-Right?

-If you don't have
carpal tunnel, but--
-No, we'll be good.

I'm so excited to announce.

Hi, everyone, um...

So I've been
smiling like this all day,

and I will tell you why,

it's because today
I'm announcing that
I've started my own

snowboarding
and active wear company

called Whitespace.

Um...

[chuckles] Sorry.

It's just so exciting to me,
I've always wanted to do this,

and, um...

We've decided we would do
a soft launch,

so I went ahead
and made 50 boards.

[man] This is 26.

Checking this thing.

[Michael Strahan]
Winter Olympics in Beijing
is kicking off in two weeks,

and this morning
we're excited to have
Shaun White joining us.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

[George Stephanopoulos]
What else are you working on
besides the Olympics?

My goodness, um,

I started a, a snowboarding
and active wear company
with my brother,

uh, it's called Whitespace,

it's, uh,
it's right behind me.

-Little product placement,
um...
-[all laughing]

[Shaun] I keep getting this,
like, idea in my head where,

you know,
I was seven years old
when I first got my, uh,

I actually first got
a snowboard
from Jake Burton,

who unfortunately passed away,
uh, recently.

-[interviewer] So Shaun White
is about to drop in.
- [Jake Burton] Yeah.

-[interviewer] You've watched
him from a young age.
- [Jake] I know.

He loves to compete,

but he loves to snowboard
and skate

and do a lot of other stuff,
he's a great guy.

[Shaun] I was first sponsored
by Burton Snowboards

when I was six
or seven years old.

That encouragement
and support that early on

meant the world to me
and to my family as well.

We started, you know,
going to the mountains
and doing the competitions,

and, like, this became
very real all of a sudden.

[Kari White] I think
that's kinda like

where he separated from,
like, that amateur vibe,

and then it just kind of,
like, exploded from there.

[Jake] It's not so much
about...

...how many days you ride,
it's about how much fun
you have, you know?

You know,
I'm just another rider,

but to be up there with
the best riders in the world,

it doesn't get much better
than that.

Dave, it was sick, man.

And to see everybody
so much happier

and so much more alive

when they're doing
their thing...

...it's cool.

[Shaun] Jake Burton
was a huge inspiration
in my life,

I mean, he was really
the father of the sport.

[Jesse White] It's cool to see
how, you know,

you can go from
such early days

from Jake Burton
handing the torch
to Shaun in many ways,

and Shaun taking it
and now handing it
to somebody else.

[man] Forty-eight.

[Shaun] When I had heard
Jake had passed,

I mean, I was devastated.

We all were,

were all pretty shook
in the fact that

this figure that was larger
than life to us

wasn't gonna be around,

you know, wasn't gonna be
at the bottom of the halfpipe
when we came to the finish,

and that was the hardest
to come to grips with.

You know,
he gave me that start,

and I keep thinking, like,
"Wow, if I could be that
for the next generation."

You know, some
young boy or girl or,

you know,
whoever is starting out

and has that spark
and excitement for this sport

and to me there to support.

[Shaun yells]

I'm not mad at it,
I'm really not, bro.

I'm not that mad at it,
I mean...

Slow.

The last three were, like,
way better than that one.

Fuck you,
you fucking piece of shit.

I mean,
I think it's safe to say,

the tricks he's working on
right now,

that's front 16
and the front triple,

are really his ticket
to the gold medal.

We're playing this game of,

I need the, the shutdown
trick, the triple...

...so, we--
I'd love to see him
get one on snow,

but we're pretty late
in the game right now,

I mean, we're five days out
from our flight to China.

Fucker.

[groans]

We saw Ayumu
come through here today,

and that guy is a ninja,

he is just, he is the only one
who can do this trick

consistently in the bag.

[Shaun] Fuck, so perfect.

Triple.

Ayumu is landing like,
he's like this before
he even hits the bag.

Okay, here is the one thing
that we know

from the guy
who does these the best
in the world right now.

Dude, that last flip comes
into just pure triple.

'Cause right there,
he just hold.

[Shaun] I'm really close,
it's just, like,

I... I have...

...all the components,
I just need to find
the rotation,

and then I'm there.

It's like, I can either
stop and try to do
how he's doing it

or just do it
how I'm doing it.

Do you want me to do
the, the Ayumu throw

and then hold on?

-Yeah. Yes.
-See that that does?

[JJ] Ooh, I think
the grab helped.

That's what I'm talking about.

I love right here
how you're still holding on,

that's key,

and now you just wrap it.

[Shaun]
That's a fucking triple, bro.

[JJ] Yeah,
it's gonna be heavy,
it is a triple.

I think it's working,

he's looking pretty good
right there.

I think he just needed to see
someone do it,

do it perfectly...

...and you can see,
he's got the energy.

When you're...
When you're on to something,
you get that invigoration.

He can get it,
he just gotta stay connected.

So if he comes out
at the Olympics

and lays just one
of these last hit...

...I mean, that could go gold
for sure.

-Close.
-Almost.

[JJ] We're getting closer.

[Shaun]
Fucking three more feet,
I'll be on my feet.

-You know?
-[JJ] Oh, yeah.

One, two,

three,

and then you landed
on your butt, flash feet.

I'm just trying
to push up the speed.

See, that's what I don't like.

That would've been
fuckin' death.

That's my biggest fear.

Fuck!

-[JJ] You missed the grab?
-No!

-[JJ] It just felt weird?
-It's just off axis.

[JJ] Yeah.

Watch how I'm flipping,
it's like, end over end.

-We're so close, J.
-[JJ] Yeah.

This is the closest I've been.

[JJ] If he decides to do
a 16 or a triple on snow,

how big is the risk?

It's massive.

So do we really wanna be
taking that risk

three says before
we fly to Olympics?

No.

But...

...it could seal it up
but it could also put you out
of the whole Olympics.

[Shaun] So stressful.

So stressed.