by Moe Zilla

Created on: March 06, 2010

Shaun White earned the highest score ever awarded for the Half Pipe Final competition, in the January 2010 Winter Olympics. His score was 48.4 out of 50, performing a spectacular three-and-a-half body twists while simultaneously flipping his body head over heels -  twice - a trick no snowboarder had ever successfully performed before. But there's one more reason why he's undoubtedly the best snowboarder of all-time. His performance beat the previous record for the competition which was set in 2006 by... Shaun White.

Both snowboarders and skateboarders have been attempting twists for more than 26 years ago, when Mike McGill first invented the move for a skateboarding competition in Sweden in 1984. And it was more than 15 years later before skateboarder Tony Hawk finally landed just two and a half twists - a 900 - in 1999.  But despite nearly three decades of professional competition, neither snowboarders nor skateboarders had ever successfully completed what's known as a 1260 - three and a half twists. That milestone remained unchallenged until February 18, 2010, when Shaun White performed it in the Winter Olympics.

The trick earned him his second Gold Medal, which is more proof that he's the best snowboarder of all time. But the details of both victories are even more impressive. Each competitor makes two runs through the half-pipe, and they're awarded a medal based on whichever run earned them the highest score. But in 2006, Shaun White had already locked up a gold medal after only performing the first of his two runs. And then in 2010 - he accomplished the exact same thing.

That's what makes White's 2010 performance even more amazing. With the gold medal already locked up - again - White nonetheless attempted one of the most dangerous tricks any snowboarder can do. It proves that he's got a world-class spirit, since his performance now wasn't just about winning a medal. It was about performing the sport he loved, a a sport he's been perfect for his entire life, since the age of six.

That's the final reason why I think Shaun White is the best snowboarder of all time. Some might argue that the greatest board-rider was Tony Hawk, who completed the first 900 in 1999. But when Shaun White was just 9 years old, Tony Hawk spotted him at a local skate park, and the two became friends. Tony Hawk mentored Shaun White over the next eight years, according to Wikipedia, because he recognized that White had great potential.  And White ultimately proved his faith was correct, shattering ever record - including Tony Hawk's!

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