Upward and onward! Seeing the sport that you love reach new heights is a joy that can seldom be explained to people who don’t belong to your brethren. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold special importance to you. Similarly, to Shaun White, making mountains move to make snowboarding bigger than ever before is a constant thought on his mind, despite having hung his skiing boots after his last halfpipe race at the 2022 Beijing Games.

The 3x Olympic gold medalist Winter Games specialist currently has a lot to forward to. Proposing to his long-time girlfriend Nina Dobrev just days ago, the snowboarding icon is excited to take on life with renewed vigor. But that’s not all that’s keeping White busy. Instead, it’s his ambitious project, The Snow League, that’s making him work extra hours.

In a post by NBC Olympics & Paralympics on X from November 19, Shaun White can be heard talking about why he wants to see his beloved sport achieve more recognition worldwide. During the interview, the host asks the Winter X Games juggernaut what he envisions as the future of snowboarding. Replying to that, White said, “I have big aspirations for the sport of snowboarding and freeskiing.” While the minuscule mic in his hands might be a comical scene to watch, his conviction on the matter was infallible, and his subsequent words proved it again.

Talking about why he wants skiing and snowboarding to be professional just as much as enjoying more popularity, the 38-year-old former Team USA member said, “You know, we have deemed “action sports” for the longest time, and I think it’s about time that we are called just “sports”, you know?” He then went on to reiterate what makes him assert the claim.

“We train just as hard as any athlete. We put in the hours, put in the time, deal with the injuries, the ups and downs of it all,” said the 13x Winter Games gold medalist further. The halfpipe master noted that bringing a “new era” to the sport is the ultimate goal that has prompted him to go all in for the Snow League, and from the looks of things, White’s grand ambitions are taking shape quite nicely.

Shaun White has a lot of support to carry him forward

Right now, White is in what many would say is a satisfactory stage in life. Last month, the former Olympian got engaged to his long-time actress partner Dobrev, who rose to fame thanks to her on-screen role as Elena in the popular drama series The Vampire Diaries. He later recalled how the moment was even more special as he got to surprise his bae, who he claimed isn’t an easy person to catch off-guard. “I’m beside myself to be with this amazing woman and to be joining her beautiful family!! Our quarantine romance turned into this beautiful relationship and now a forever love,” wrote Shaun on social media last week. With his fiance by his side, the snowboarding legend is now set to embark on newer adventures with gusto.

Moreover, it was just announced that The Snow League, scheduled to begin its inaugural run next year, will air on Peacokc and NBC networks. With 36 competing athletes, White has already noted that a prize pool of $1.6 million has been racked in to ensure that the participants receive their share of the pie. “In the end, we really want to be that premier thing, where it’s amazing to go to the Olympics and win a medal, but this is like winning Wimbledon or the NBA finals,” White told earlier this year about his goal.

Are you as excited about what the snowboarding sensation has hidden up his sleeve? Tell us your expectations in a comment!