“He Burst Into Tears”: Shaun White Detailed The Story of Burger Guy Who Inspired Him Before Third Olympic Gold Medal Run

For a fairly niche sport like snowboarding, Shaun White gained a massive fan following through his medal-winning runs, and unfettered charisma. Right from the start, he bagged championship titles left and right and became a phenomenon in the snowboarding circuit.

His flowing fiery red hair earned him the nickname of the “Flying Tomato” as he took the Olympics by storm, winning three gold medals across five different Games. Naturally, he scored himself some die-hard fans like the man who added a Shaun-White-only burger to his menu.

Shaun White narrates a touching story about burgers

In 2020, as Shaun White prepared for what would be his final Olympic run in Beijing, he took some time to participate in an AMA with Bleacher Report. Here, he narrated his favorite behind-the-scenes episode from the Pyeongchang Olympics: eating a burger dedicated to him.

A former snowboarder and hardcore Shaun White fan, Cha Gwen Sol added a $920 (1 million won) burger named “The Flying Tomato” to the menu of his fast-food joint. And, of course, as White ventured out to Pyeongchang during the 2018 Games, he had to get a taste.

“I went in there to get the burger, cause obviously, you gotta try your own burger,” White said. “On the menu, it said only available for Shaun White, and people were messaging me this photo.” Not expecting his little gimmick to work, the creator of the burger couldn’t believe it when the original owner of the moniker waltzed into his shop.

“I go in there, the guy loses it. He’s so excited. I have the burger, and it was pretty good,” White claimed. His coach, J.J. Thomas, even posted a video trying the burger on his Instagram story, along with a shot of the menu. Right below the name and price, the menu said, “The best special thing. This is only for Shaun White. My wish for your gold medal.”

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White made the fast food chef’s day a memorable one

Shaun White revealed that the burger held some references to his Olympic snowboarding journey. Cha Gwen Sol had put two patties in the middle for White’s two Olympic golds so far. “It came with two chicken wings, oddly enough, because I fly a lot through the air. It was very involved.” Of course, White, being the person he was, saw the experience through to the end.

The snowboarding icon won his third Olympic gold in the halfpipe and later returned to the shop. It was time for the double stack burger to add another patty. “I win the medal, I come back to the restaurant, and he burst into tears,” he shared. “I put the medal on him, and he made me a triple stack burger.”

Reuters reported that Cha earnestly wished for White’s victory in Pyeongchang. He said, “I really wish he gets a gold medal again. I think every day: return of the king, return of the king.” And lo-and-behold, his wish came true.

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