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It seems the natural thing to do: longtime pros are sponsored by brands for years – see John John Florence, Dane Reynolds, and Julian Wilson – and then leave said brands to start their own companies. Count Olympic snowboarder Shaun White among them.
White recently announced the launch of his new snowboard brand, WHITESPACE, with a post on social media (above). “We decided the way the product would roll out, we’d do a soft launch,” he said. “I went ahead and made 50 boards. I signed them, numbered them..and the products will roll out next season.”
According to the WHITESPACE website, those 50 boards are sold out. White says he’s partnered with his brother on the project, who he adds has been an inspiration in every part of his life.
Reportedly, White hasn’t had a primary gear sponsor in some time. The last blatant imagery of him on a Burton Snowboard, his longtime sponsor, on his social channels was in July of 2020. There’s imagery of him using custom boards and even a Kemper in February and March of last year. He addressed his sponsorship status in a story with the Associated Press last season.
“I’m a snowboarder,” he said. “And I hate to say ‘entrepreneur,’ but it’s just investing in brands and keeping the rest of the slate clean right now. Instead of looking at the short term, it’s looking at the next 10 years and seeing things I might want to be part of in the long run.”
According to the AP, White had been tinkering with designs for his new brand for the last year in preparation for the launch. He recently announced that he’d made the 2022 winter Olympic team. The Games start in Beijing February 4.
