WE’LL TALK WITH HIM IN A MOMENT. FIRST, MORE ABOUT SHAUN AND ONE
OF THE NEWEST OLYMPIC SPORTS.
>> Reporter: YOU CAN FIND THEM
GRINDING ON CURBS, TAKING RISKS
DOWN STEEL RAILS, AND PERFORMING
DARING TRICKS MIDAIR.
NOW, SKATEBORDERS HAVE MORE
STREET CRED THAN EVER, BECAUSE
THAUR COME
THAUR COME THEY’RE COMING TO THE 2020 TOKYO
OLYMPIC GAMES.
OLYMPIC GAMES. THE DEBUT WILL HAVE FOUR MEDAL
EVENTS.
EVENTS. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S PARK, WHERE
ATHLETES PERFORM IN A
DOME-SHAPED BOWL, AND MEN’S AND
WOMEN’S STREET ON STAIRS, CURBS,
AND RAILS.
AND RAILS. SCORING IS BASED ON FACTORS LIKE
HEIGHT, ORIGINALITY, AND
CREATIVE TRICKS.
CREATIVE TRICKS. AND THERE’S ONE OLYMPIC STAR WHO
HAS BEEN PERFECTING TRICKS OF
HIS OWN.
HIS OWN. OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND
SNOWBOARDING ICON SHAUN WHITE.
>> IT’D MEAN THE WORLD TO ME,
YOU KNOW, TO COMPETE IN SKATEING
>> Reporter: LAST YEAR, THE
32-YEAR-OLD SAID IT’D BE A DREAM
COME TRUE.
COME TRUE. >> I ASSUMED AT SOME POINT IN MY
LIFETIME, YOU KNOW,
SKATEBOARDING WOULD GET INTO THE
OLYMPICS.
OLYMPICS. I’M HAPPY IT’S COME AT A TIME
WHERE I FEEL PHYSICALLY AND
MENTALLY CAPABLE OF ACTUALLY
COMPETING AND PURSUING THAT GOAL
AND DREAM.
AND DREAM. >> SHAUN WHITE, ONE MORE HIT.
>> Reporter: WHITE KNOWS A THING
OR TWO ABOUT ACCOMPLISHING LOFTY
GOALS.
GOALS. HE WON THE HALFPIPE GOLD AT THE
OLYMPICS IN 2006, 2010, AND
2018.
2018. BUT THE DOUBLE THREAT IS ALSO A
FIVE-TIME X-GAMES MEDALIST IN
VERTICAL SKATEBOARDING.
VERTICAL SKATEBOARDING. WHITE STARTED BOARDING WHEN HE
WAS JUST 6 YEARS OLD.
SO PROLIFIC, THAT FAMED SKATE
SKATEBORDER TONY HAWK DISCOVERED
HIM A YEAR LATER.
NOW, THE QUESTION IS, WILL WHITE
DOMINATE THE DOME LIKE HE HAS
THE SLOPES?
THE SLOPES? >> WE’RE HERE WITH THREE-TIME
OLYMPIC GOLD MED DISALIST SHAUN
WHITE.
WHITE. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> WE’RE NOT IN THE SNOW
CLOTHES.
CLOTHES. >> AND IT STOPPED RAINING.
>> WE’VE BEEN TEASING THIS ALL
MORNING, A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO TELL US?
>> I’M REALLY EXCITED, THE FACT
THAT SKATEBOARDING IS IN THE
OLYMPICS NOW.
OLYMPICS NOW. I SAW WHAT HAPPENED WITH
SNOWBOARDING, AND IT IS AMAZING.
I’VE BEEN WATCHING THE
COMPETITIONS LATELY AND I GOT
INSPIRED.
INSPIRED. I’VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF SKATING
MYSELF THIS SUMMER.
I THOUGHT IT’D BE AMAZING TO
COMPETE AT THE WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BRAZIL IN
SEPTEMBER.
SEPTEMBER. THAT’S A BIG ONE.
>> SHAUN WHITE WILL BE AT THE
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF
SKATEBOARDING.
SKATEBOARDING. >> I WILL.
>> WHAT’S THE PLAN?
YOU’LL SEE HOW IT GOES AND MAYBE
MAKE A DECISION ABOUT TOKYO?
>> IT IS SUCH A BIG DECISION.
I’VE BEEN HAVING SO MUCH FUN
SKATING AROUND.
SKATING AROUND. I WAS SO INSPIRED.
WHY DON’T I TEST THE WATERS,
COMPETE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS?
AFTER THAT, I’LL PROBABLY MAKE
THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, WHAT I’LL
DO.
DO. >> THAT’D BE A HUGE FEAT, TO
STATE THE OBVIOUS, HAVING BEEN
SO SUCCESSFUL AT THE WINTER
OLYMPICS, THEN TRY TO GO TO THE
SUMMER OLYMPICS.
SUMMER OLYMPICS. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU HAVE
DREAMED ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME?
YOU’VE BEEN SKATING FOR A LONG
TIME.
TIME. >> I HAVE, YES.
IT IS FUNNY, I MEAN, THERE’S SO
MUCH EXPOSURE FROM THE WINTER
OLYMPICS FOR MYSELF AND MY LIFE,
FOR MY CAREER, BUT I’VE BEEN
JUST AS MUCH OF A SKATEBORDER IN
MY OTHER SIDE OF MY LIFE.
IT’S SO AMAZING THAT THIS HAS
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. I KNEW IT’D HAPPEN EVENTUALLY,
BUT NOW THAT THE DAY HAS COME,
IT IS INSANE TO ME.
IT IS SO EXCITING.
I’D LOVE TO TAKE PART IF I
COULD.
COULD. FIRST STEPS FIRST.
WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> EVERYBODY WATCHING SHOULD
KNOW, IF ISN’T A FLUKEY THING
YOU WOKE UP ONE DAY AND WANTED
TO DO.
TO DO. YOU’VE WON MAJOR EVENTS AT THE
X-GAMES.
X-GAMES. >> IT WAS A GOAL IN MY LIFE, TO
PURSUE SKATEBOARDING AND
SNOWBOARDING AND BE THE BEST IN
BOTH.
BOTH. I DEFINITELY TOOK A BACKSEAT TO
SKATEBOARDING AS MY CAREER IN
SNOWBOARDING TOOK OFF.
I’VE BEEN SKATING SINCE I WAS A
LITTLE KID.
LITTLE KID. THE LOCAL PARK I’D GO TO, TONY
HAWK WOULD BE THERE.
I GOT TO LEARN FROM HIM.
>> TONY HAWK SAW YOUR TALENT.
>> NOT A BAD COACH.
>> I KNOW.
YOU WERE DISCOVERED BY TONY
HAWK.
HAWK. >> AT THE LOCAL PARK, YEAH.
>> SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, IT
TAKES A LOT TO GO DOWN THE
OLYMPIC PATH, WHAT PEOPLE GIVE
TO BECOME ELITE ATHLETES AT THIS
LEVEL.
LEVEL. WHEN YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT TO -- OBVIOUSLY,
IT’S ABOUT WHETHER YOU CAN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> CAN YOU COMPETE AT THE LEVEL
YOU WANT TO.
>> OF COURSE.
>> WHAT ELSE GOES INTO IT?
>> SO MUCH.
NOT JUST PHYSICALLY BUT
MENTALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
FOR ME, IT WAS AN INTERESTING
TIME BECAUSE I’D JUST COME OUT
OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS.
IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING OLYMPICS.
I JUST WANTED TO ENJOY THAT
MOMENT, YOU KNOW.
THE GOLD FROM THE WINTER.
JUST TAKE A BEAT, RELAX, AND
THEN CONSIDER THIS.
I THINK IT’S DEFINITELY
SOMETHING THAT HAS GIVEN ME A
LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO THINK
ABOUT WHAT I WANT TO DO NEXT.
NOW THAT I’VE HAD A MINUTE, I’M
LIKE, OH, THIS IS GREAT.
I’LL TEST THE WATERS WITH THIS
EVENT.
EVENT. >> SO YOU, MORE THAN ANYONE
ELSE, REVOLUTIONIZED THE WINTER
OLYMPICS.
OLYMPICS. CHANGED THE SNOWBOARDING AND
EVERYTHING ELSE YOU’VE BEEN ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH, RAISE THE PROFILE
OF THE SPORTS TO THE
INTERNATIONAL STAGE.
INTERNATIONAL STAGE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE
SKATEBOARDING IN THE SUMMER
OLYMPICS?
OLYMPICS? >> IT IS AMAZING.
IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING,
AND THERE’S SO MANY AMAZING
ATHLETES DO SS THAT I DON’T THIN
THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE.
THEY’RE OUT EVERY DAY, WORKING
AND TRAINING.
AND TRAINING. WHEN I WAS COMPETING IN
SNOWBOARDING AS A KID, I HAD
TROUBLE FINISHING MY SCHOOLING
BECAUSE THE SCHOOL I ATTENDED,
THEY’RE LIKE, WELL, THIS LIST OF
SPORTS, SNOWBOARDING ISN’T ON
IT.
IT. WE DON’T CONSIDER SNOWBOARDING A
LEGITIMATE SPORT.
LEGITIMATE SPORT. I HAD TO GO THROUGH LENGTHS TO
GET THINK SCHOOLWORK DONE.
NOW, I THINK IT’LL CARRY WEIGHT
IN THE MAINSTREAM AND SHOW THERE
IS A CAREER FOR THE YOUNG
GENERATION IN THE SPORT.
>> I’D GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE
YOUNG GENERATION.
YOUNG GENERATION. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THE STARS
RIGHT HERE, WHO HAVE BEEN
INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL.
INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL. >> HI, GUYS.
>> YOU MUST BE SO EXCITED THAT
THE OLYMPICS IS GOING TO HAVE
SKATEBOARDING NOW.
SKATEBOARDING NOW. DO YOU HAVE YOUR EYES SET ON
TOKYO?
TOKYO? >> YES.
>> YES. I’M DEFINITELY EXCITED.
I THINK IT IS GREAT FOR
SKATEBOARDING.
SKATEBOARDING. A NEW AUDIENCE.
I’M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF IT.
>> TOM, HOW ARE YOU FEELING
ABOUT TOKYO, A YEAR FROM TODAY?
>> I AM VERY EXCITED.
VERY EXCITED.
VERY EXCITED. CRAZY BEING HERE.
YOU KNOW, JUST THINKING THAT
SKATING IS GOING TO BE IN THE
OLYMPICS.
OLYMPICS. WE HAVE A CHANCE TO COMPETE.
IT’S AWESOME.
IT’S AWESOME. >> YOU KNOW, YOU’LL SEE SHAUN AT
WORLDS.
WORLDS. >> I’LL SEE TOMMENT HE’S.
HE’S THE MAN.
HE’S INSPIRING TO ME.
>> WHAT SKATER IS SHAUN?
YOU’VE WATCHED HIM SKATE.
>> HE’S NOT A SKATER, HE’S THE
BEST SKATER.
BEST SKATER. >> WE’RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU.
THRILLED TO SEE SKATEBOARDING
HAVE ITS MOMENT IN THE SUN.