How To Intimidate Your Olympic Competition, Shaun-Style
October 15, 2009, 3:17 PM
By: Colin Whyte
Project X
Project X reveals, yet again, how focused White is for another Olympic gold.
Over the summer and into the fall, a few photos emerged documenting Shaun White's private halfpipe being put to very good use. This was Project X. Built deep in Colorado's stunning San Juan range, on the backside of the very high (13,487 ft.) and very misty Silverton un-resort to keep Shaun's "work under wraps," this Red Bull-fueled Superpipe was—and remains—White's ace in the hole for Vancouver 2010: a 550-ft long Superpipe complete with perfect trannies and a first-ever on-hill foam pit at the bottom to get weird with. It was here that White dialed his double-corks and associated combos, putting the fear of God into all but his most worthy (cough, Kevin Pearce, cough) competitors in an Olympic year.
[For a breakdown of double-corkery and who's holding, check ESPN's Alyssa Roenigk on the subject here.]
Just released, the new Project Xwebsite from Red Bull, hosted on White's personal site, goes behind the scenes on the private training ground and shows riders what it really takes to take pipe progression this seriously. Interviews with SPT heads who built the beast, US team coach Bud Keene, Burton's Adam Moran, Red Bull's Joe Prebich, White himself and others make it clear that this was no whim.
Hells no.
The site itself is very slick, complete with a Jack Bauer-ish countdown clock peeling off the hours until November 3rd, when full footy of the new tricks gets unleashed. Some of the main pages can feel a little too video-gamey, yet the intro HD video, photos, capsule interviews, easter egg-style info-nuggets and overall action do not disappoint. It's Shaun White and Red Bull, right? Come on! It's like the dude lives in a video game.
Check this front 7/Cab double-cork/FS double-cork/Cab 10 combo for a taste.
Just seeing that perfect, empty pipe at the bottom of Silverton's legendary dog-leg chutes, couloirs, and cliffs—AK-heavy terrain that had to be heli-bombed with 25 lb. charges every morning "before work"—makes you wonder how a hopeful Olympian from some lesser, non-USA shred power has to feel heading into 2010. Our guess is they're runnin' a little scared...
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Tracy Anderson
Drinks coffee. Writes about snowboarding. Enjoys a strong snus. Appreciates a good back lip.
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