Back when Shaun White was just 19 he won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Turin and quickly became a household name. White, then known as the “The Flying Tomato” due to his red hair, quickly became a household name for his high-flying antics on his board and laid back Southern California cool.
White would go on to win three Olympic gold medals in halfpipe snowboarding and appear in five Olympic Games. He also holds the record for the most gold medals won in the X Games. White recently performed in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing where he, unfortunately, didn’t win any medals.
After winning his first gold medal, White appeared on CNN, flashing his hardware and talking about all of the perks that come with his newfound fame. He recalled a recent flight where he was showered with attention from the flight attendants.
White: “[They] had all seen the Games and they were just so excited to see me and they’re like ‘you have the gold?’
And I mean, like, I had unlimited, like, service after that. I was getting drinks and I was getting snacks and I was taking photos in the back with all the stewardesses…”
Interviewer: “Wait a minute. Drinks? You’re 19 years old?”
White: “I’m talking about Mountain Dews, baby.”
It’s unclear whether he was actually served Mountain Dew, a sponsor of his at the time, or if he made the most brilliant recovery in live TV history. But what we do know is that White was jazzed about his incredible accomplishment and watching him celebrate is seriously infectious all these years later.
