FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oakley, Inc. today congratulated Shaun White for earning the gold medal in the Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe finals at the Winter X Games. Reaching the top of the podium at this year’s competition in Aspen, Colorado, White has now tallied 13 Winter X Games gold medals.
“Everyone in the Oakley family is ecstatic for Shaun and proud to see him achieve greatness once again,” said Scott Bowers, Oakley’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Brand Development. “This is Shaun’s sixth consecutive SuperPipe gold at Winter X. He is one of the most decorated champions in the X Games, and we are honored to have such a talented and dedicated athlete depend on our performance technologies,” Bowers concluded.
“It’s a great feeling being here with so many talented riders and such amazing fans,” said Shaun White. “It makes the competitions fun. Winning this event six times means a lot to me.”
When asked about his Oakley goggles with Switchlock™ interchangeable lens technology, White commented, “Each year, progression gets pushed harder and farther, so it’s a good thing technology is keeping up. The light and weather were all over the place this week. Having the right lenses for changing conditions made all the difference.”
White’s first run in the SuperPipe Final included a Backside Method, a Frontside Double Cork 1080, a Cab Double Cork 1080, a Frontside 540, a Backside Double McTwist 1260, and an Ally-Oop Backside Rodeo. The run scored 95.00 to earn him the lead. For his second run, he began with a Backside Method that reached an incredible 24'1". He followed it with the same tricks as his first run but finished with a Frontside Double Cork 1260, achieving a score of 98.00. After the 3rd-run efforts by the other riders, White’s 98.00 remained the highest score, and he earned his sixth consecutive SuperPipe gold at the Winter X Games.
A global icon of snowboarding, White relied on the Oakley Airbrake™ Snow goggle during competition at the Winter X Games. 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 quick while maintaining optimal impact protection. Two lenses are included with each Airbrake goggle, and additional optional lenses are available in a wide array of performance colors to let athletes match their vision to the environment and keep up with changing light.
For the 2013 Winter X Games, the snowboarding superstar chose Airbrake in two frame finishes: Red Future Primitive (which comes with a Fire Iridium® lens and a Dark Grey lens), and Grey Future Primitive (which comes with an H.I. Persimmon lens and a Dark Grey lens). These new frame renditions will be released later this year.
Oakley has extended its longtime partnership with White, adding another four years to solidify the alliance through 2016.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, White is now a 15-time X Games gold medalist with 13 in snowboarding and two in skateboarding. He was born in San Diego, California in 1986 and won his first amateur snowboard competition at age seven. Since then, he has filled his trophy case with medals earned in SlopeStyle and SuperPipe. His prowess in skate is equally impressive, and he is one of the most recognizable sports figures of his time.
Visit Oakley.com to learn more about the company’s premium snow goggles including Airbrake Snow.
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.