FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oakley, Inc. today congratulated Shaun White for his five-peat Gold in the X Games SuperPipe competition. After suffering a practice session ankle injury that forced him to sit out the Snowboard SlopeStyle competition, White went on to score a perfect 100 on his final “victory lap” in the SuperPipe to earn his place at the top of the winter 2012 podium.
“Words cannot describe how proud we are to see Shaun earn his fifth Gold in a row with such an incredible performance in the X Games SuperPipe,” said Scott Bowers, Oakley’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Brand Development. “Shaun personifies dedication with a relentless and uncompromising drive to be the best. He demands the best from his equipment, and as a longtime member of the Oakley family, he has inspired us to deliver performance beyond limits. We salute his amazing achievement at the 2012 Winter X Games and we continue to be honored every time he relies on Oakley innovation to reach the pinnacle of sports,” Bowers concluded.
On his first run in the competition, White scored a 94.00 with crowd-awing tricks. With his ankle injury remaining a factor, he ran into trouble on his next go. A wipeout ended the second run but no other competitor could catch up, and when the time came for his third and final run, he had already earned the Gold. A perfect 100 score was icing on the cake and something he has worked hard to achieve. “I’ve been wanting that 100 forever... it’s unreal!” said White, who is now the third Winter X Games five-peat athlete in the history books. “I came here on a mission and accomplished what I set out to do.”
White’s perfect run included an 18-foot backside air, a frontside double cork 1080, a Cab double cork 1080, a frontside stalefish 540, a double McTwist 1260, and a frontside double cork 1260 – the newest trick for the seasoned pro. He is now the only athlete ever to land it in competition.
As he has for the lion’s share of his storied career, White put his trust and faith in Oakley performance snow goggles during the 2012 competition. Other athletes in the Oakley family did the same as they tallied a total of 12 medals in this year’s Winter X Games. The company’s Airbrake®, A Frame®, and Crowbar® goggles were the three favorite designs.
Airbrake is the world’s first snow goggle to take advantage of Switchlock™ Technology, a revolutionary innovation that makes the process of lens changing hassle-free and fast while maintaining optimal impact protection. Like Airbrake, Oakley A Frame and Crowbar snow goggles offer unrivaled levels of comfort, clarity and protection, and winter athletes rely on them for the performances of their lives.
White is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 12-time Winter X Games Gold Medalist. Born in San Diego, California in 1986, he won his first amateur snowboard competition at age seven. Since then, he has filled his trophy case with medals earned in SlopeStyle and SuperPipe. With two X Games Gold Medals in Vert, his prowess in skateboarding is equally impressive, and today he is one of the most recognizable action sports figures of his time.
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About Oakley, Inc.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading sports brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is continually seeking problems, solving them with inventions and wrapping those inventions in art. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with innovations that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is famed for its insuperable lens technologies such as High Definition Optics® (HDO®) which is incorporated into all Oakley sun and prescription eyewear, and all premium Oakley goggles. Oakley has extended its leadership position as the world’s leading sports eyewear brand into apparel, footwear and accessories collections. Laser focused on the consumer, Oakley has both men’s and women’s product lines that target Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.
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