Shaun White







Park City is home to the world's largest superpipe, which is great for a lot of reasons. Aside from the obvious benefits like attempting to survive a 22 foot drop in one piece (successful so far!), it also means we get to host events like the World Superpipe Championships. Today the best snowboarders from around the world were on hand. I've seen a million halfpipe competitions on TV, but it doesn't come close to capturing the experience. Standing 5 feet from the lip of the pipe as snowboarders uncork huge spins 10 feet above your head is pretty awesome.

Of course, pictures don't can't do the experience justice either. I took a bunch, though. Shaun White (who may be the world's best snowboarder) ended up winning, and deservedly so. He jumped way higher than anyone else, spun more times than I could count, and just looked plain smooth. You can see most riders make small adjustments (especially after they land), getting themselves ready for the next jump. But Shaun lands his tricks so cleanly that he's in perfect position for the next move. I never though a halfpipe rider would be graceful, but he definitely is.