Shaun White is a snowboarder first, a skateboarder second and a rock musician third.
That sounds about right because White is the world's most dominate halfpipe rider in snowboarding (two Olympic gold medals and counting), a multiple X Games gold medalist as a skateboarder, and for years has been inspired by classic rock--Led Zeppelin, in particular---as he learned to play guitar.
But now White has a band, Bad Things, which recently signed with Warner Bros. and will embark next month on a tour that kicks off in New York City. Bad Things will release a full-length album later this year.
So it seems that White, 26, is now a snowboarder first, a musician second and a skateboarder third--because skateboarding clearly has taken a back seat to rocking.
Check out Bad Things' debut track, "Caught Inside," a term surfers use when they're overcome by large waves as they try to paddle out.
The four-minute track, which is very indie-rock, lacks only in that there are no standout riffs from White, the lead guitarist.
But knowing White, that will come.
He is joined by lead vocalist Davis LeDuke, guitarist Anthony Sanudo, bass player Jared Palomar, and drummer Lena Zawaideh.
The producer is Rob Schnapf, who has worked with several name bands, including Beck and The Vines.
The big question regarding White is how much of a distraction this will be, if any, for his preparation for the 2013 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. In the past, he has spent much of the summer training in the Southern Hemisphere.
So maybe, for the time being at least, White is a musician first, a snowboarder second and a skateboarder third.
At what point, though, does rock music--and the lifestyle--become the most important aspect of White's life?
Or has that already happened?
Probably not. But after he wins a third consecutive Olympic gold medal during the Sochi Games, what else will he have to prove as a snowboarder? (Answer: nothing.)
Meanwhile, he has plenty to prove as a rocker, where there's no place to go but up.
--Pete Thomas
Photo of Shaun White before he cut his hair is courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
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