Shaun White used to battle with his older brother Jesse for control over the family's PlayStation game console while the two grew up near San Diego. Now, at 23, the Olympic gold medalist in men's halfpipe stars in his second video game, Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage, set to hit shelves Sunday.
Developed by Ubisoft Entertainment, the game is a sequel to White's first title, which sold more than 3 million copies since its release last November.
White may not be a household name, but neither was Tony Hawk when he came out with his first video game 10 years ago, Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Now some fans know Hawk more through his virtual skateboarding stunts than his actual work on the ramps. Could the same be true for White someday?
White spoke to The Times about how he got his start in snowboarding, what he wants people to get out of playing his video game and what he aspires to become.
How did a kid from Carlsbad, Calif., grow up to be a snowboarder?
I ended up going to Big Bear skiing with my family. When my brother started snowboarding, I did too. I was 6 then, and I started to compete when I was 7. I actually grew up in Del Mar and Carmel Valley. The schools were really good, but they didn't recognize my sport. At the time I had money saved up [from winning snowboarding competitions and sponsorships], so I bought a house in Carlsbad as an investment when I was 13, and that let me go to school in Carlsbad. The schools there really supported me when I competed.
Didn't you want to surf instead?
My dad got me a huge board when I was little. He loves to surf. He suited me up and sent me out on this huge wave. I went under, and when I came out the board hit me in the face. So I said I never wanted to do this again.
One of your sponsors, Red Bull, last February built you a private halfpipe in Silverton, Colo. Is that going to appear in the game?
It actually is. There's a special Red Bull level where that halfpipe turns up. It's a fun way to bring in something I've actually done in real life into the game. It's cool to actually have people see footage of that, and now players can ride it. What's special about it was that it was so high up on the mountain.
How involved were you in developing the game?
