Shaun White expresses amazement after witnessing a natural phenomenon while snowboarding with friends

Shaun White was in awe of the Sun Dog while snowboarding with his friends. The snowboarder retired in 2022 but stays connected with the sporting domain through business ventures and other roles.

White, the first man to participate in both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports, holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals for a snowboarder. The founder of the lifestyle brand, Whitespace, often snowboards with his team in his leisure time or for ad campaigns.

Recently, he was out on the snow in his gear but stopped to witness a natural phenomenon. Expressing amazement, he referred to the Sun Dog and wrote on Instagram:

"I can't believe we saw this. "

In the post caption, he urged his social media followers to explain the science behind the sight he beheld.

"Someone please explain the science behind this…"

In a recent post, White compiled some throwback pictures of him snowboarding as a little boy, posing with chopsticks and a life-sized Doraemon, and sharing frames with school kids and friends in Japan.

Reflecting on his connection with the East Asian nation during winters, the 38-year-old wrote:

"Been going to Japan since I was 12. Seeing their historic winter from afar has me thinking it might be time to go back soon. "

White competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics, his last Games appearance, finishing fourth in the halfpipe.

Shaun White makes his feelings known about his brainchild - The Snow League

Shaun White at the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championships - (Source: Getty)

Shaun White's brainchild, the Snow League, will debut in March 2025. The first-ever professional league focused on freeskiing and snowboarding will take off before the 2026 Milan Olympics, airing live on NBC and Peacock.

Talking about his new venture on NBC Olympics and Paralympics, White shared that his goal is to take freeskiing and snowboarding to new professional heights.

"I have big aspirations for the sport of snowboarding and freeskiing," White said. "Obviously, I'm here to announce that I've started this league, but I want to bring skiing and snowboarding to a place of professionalism that's never been seen before. You know we have been deemed "action sports" for the longest time, and I think it's about time that we are called just 'sports,' you know. We train just as hard as any athlete."

He further said:

"We put in the hours, we put in the time, deal with the injuries, the ups and downs of it all and I want to usher in a new era for the sport. So, I'm so excited. Stay tuned for the Snow League."

The Olympian got engaged to his long-time girlfriend and The Vampire Diaries-famed actress Nina Dobrev in 2024.