“Bittersweet” farewell to a snowboard legend: Shaun White after his last run.
Image: AP
Snowboard legend Shaun White resigns at the Olympics. The next generation has long since arrived – and how: Ayumu Hirano lands the jump he could never land three times, and makes history.
Er fell on hard ice. Again and again. The jump took him to the hospital. 62 stitches, the needle pierced his skin. Try, try harder. failure Try it again. And fail. Shaun White, snowboarding’s greatest legend, never landed it. Three twisted turns, triple cork. In China, another one lands him on Friday: Ayumu Hirano, the man who becomes one with the board. Who can make himself so small that it is difficult to see where his body ends and the board begins.
Shaun White comes down on the edge of the board. Shaun White falls. He’s in the halfpipe, on cold snow. He stands up, gives his board a little kick. He drives down the pipe in gentle curves. Left, right, left, right. He leaves an icy trail behind him. snow dust.