<p>Item 1: private half-pipe built near Silverton, CO. Anyone think about the environment versus trick riding on a snowboard? So they build him this thing, which takes people and machines, and then they maintain it, which takes people and machines, and they fly in on a helicopter. Talk about lack of respect for the environment.</p>
<p>Item 2: I was watching him on Colbert and Stephen asked why snow boarders don’t cry when they lose. White made a gay-tinted joke about how they must cry because they already bought the outfit … Uh, dude, you try skating, try doing something for longer than 20 seconds, try doing something where you’re judged to a standard of perfection for almost 5 minutes, try doing a sport where you’re actually out of breath after a run. How about the fake attitude that boarders are oh so cool when they’re out there shilling for bucks from sponsors and appearing in ads and, oh btw, having corporate sponsors build you a half-pipe. Really counter-culture. NOT.</p>
<p>My impression is that he’s a spoiled, self-absorbed jerk.</p>
<p>I love Shaun White! He can do either snowboard or skateboard and do it well and have fun doing it. If he can make a living doing it, good for him!</p>
<p>my son is a skateboarder. It’s not a highly rated “sport” and it’s not a sport that would get him recruited, but believe me, he works up a sweat. True it doesn’t look like an aerobic sport, but he’s in fantastic shape. Why be critical of Shaun White? He’s at least always polite to his fans. I think the luge or skeleton look less like a sport than snowboarding.</p>
<p>I totally disagree. I think he is really cute-he’s got that skateboarder vibe, so take that into consideration. He has a passion for his sport, he seems kind and respectful.</p>
<p>As for you thinking this isn’t a sport, are you kidding me? Just because it’s not an endurance sport doesn’t mean it’s not a sport. Do you also disrespect sprinters (track and field)? After all, it only lasts for seconds, vs. hours for a marathon. I don’t understand the vitriol, quite frankly.</p>
<p>I saw the interview on Colbert and I think its a real stretch to find anything homophobic about his answer to Colbert’s loaded question: You get judged by judges, figure skaters get judged by judges, how come you guys don’t burst into tears when you are done?</p>
<p>Shaun just put himself in the figure skaters shoes, "Gee, I wore this outfit and I still didn’t win… "</p>
<p>He also explained his “need” for his own private training facility. Sure it’s a bit much, but I won’t blame him for destroying the environment. He also was very upfront about his sponsor, Red Bull (matches his hair). </p>
<p>He may be a deehead, but I thought he came off pretty well with Colbert.</p>
<p>The only thing that’s given me a negative vibe about Shaun White is the fact that he air-guitared along to the National Anthem when they gave him his gold medal… Pretty disrespectful, not very classy, and kind of embarrassing…</p>
<p>Other than that, I think he’s down-to-earth, simply AMAZING at what he does, and pretty hysterical in every interview I’ve ever seen him do.</p>
<p>I think he and what he does is awesome. I really don’t care if he has a place of his own to practice. It created jobs. The almighty environment can handle it. Where does it stop–sheeesh. The “environment” also blew much of Haiti and New Orleans off the map.</p>
<p>Shaun White is amazing, and all those people and machines and helicopters he uses equate to jobs, while barely making a dent in the environment. Good for Shaun for making a good living doing something he loves, not to mention providing entertainment for a whole lot of people.</p>
<p>All the big rugged male athletes in Vancouver, and the women here are weak-kneed over a guy who looks like Carrot Top’s understudy. Makes all those Johnny Depp sexiest man alive awards seem logical in comparison.</p>
<p>I like Shaun White. I don’t have a problem with Red Bull providing him a halfpipe. If you want to talk about wasteful and bad for the environment, well, the entire Olympics is technically wasteful. And golf courses …</p>
<p>I love his attitude. It’s a refreshing change from the grim determination you see from some of the other Olympic athletes. To be at the top of your game and be able to have fun doing it—what could be better? And the air guitar endeared him to me.</p>