Shaun White: Skipping Skateboarding in 2013 Means Big Things in Snowboarding

Shaun White cut his hair, landed a triple cork 1440 and decided to abstain from skateboarding until after the Sochi Winter Olympics. Now what?

As quoted by Alyssa Roenigk of ESPN, White will spend this year preparing for the Winter Games and away from a skateboard:

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That's the one thing that upsets me the most is that I had knee surgery [in August 2012] so I couldn't really skate that much this past summer and then coming up, I don't intend to skateboard the year before the Olympics. It's just one of those things where a twisted ankle can put you out of the Games. I don't like taking that chance. So I usually lay low on it. See what else fills my time. I have other plans.

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White’s decision to stay away from skateboarding means 2013 should be a pretty good year for snowboarding.

According to Roenigk, White may have landed a triple cork in slopestyle practice last week—a trick few riders have successfully landed on the slopes. White has not confirmed that he was the rider in the video that has been circulating around, but if he is in fact working on the triple cork, fans can expect to see him pull it off on camera at some point this year.

White has been the most recognizable face in snowboarding for several years, and he continues to innovate and perform at the highest level. Last year at the X Games White posted the first ever perfect score in superpipe, and he returns to the event in Aspen, Colorado, this year with only snowboarding on his mind.

White is one of the most talented riders on the planet, but that’s not the only thing that keeps him moving forward. As quoted by Roenigk, White’s desire to continue pushing the limits keeps him motivated:

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Each year brings something new. When you reach the cap on what's possible, there's a new event to win and tricks to learn. That keeps me motivated.

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That motivation to innovate and push the limits is what keeps snowboarding moving forward. There is always another feat that has not been accomplished, and riders like White are continually searching for the “cap on what’s possible.”

White is an extremely talented athlete who has succeeded in multiple extreme sports, but his rededication to snowboarding in 2013 is very good for the sport.

The X Games begin on January 24, and White will no doubt be ready to push the limits of what he has already accomplished. With the sport’s most recognizable face once again strapping on a board for its biggest events, snowboarding is in for a treat in 2013.