ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Ever the innovator of tricks, Shaun White has fallen behind the times.
His routines are rusty, his maneuvers in need of polishing.
That’s what a year off from slopestyle competition will do.
For once, the two-time Olympic halfpipe gold medalist won’t be favored when he takes part in the slopestyle event at the Winter X Games this week. For once, he has to learn new tricks to catch up with the rest of the field.
This was going to be fun.
A pioneer in the halfpipe, White took a hiatus from slopestyle competitions in the wake of the Vancouver Games, where he easily captured gold.
Now, he’s returning to slopestyle, an event that tests riders’ ability to handle a variety of terrain as they go over rails and jumps.
