Shaun White has purchased a share in the mountain where he learned to ride. The Olympic and X Games medalist has invested in Mammoth Resorts, with a focus on Big Bear Mountain Resorts, it was announced on Thursday.
"It's amazing that I'm now an owner of the mountain where I grew up riding," White told Transworld Business. "As an owner I'll be able to make changes and shape the future of the mountain and how people enjoy it - whether they're beginners or professionals."
Thirty-eight million dollars bought White Snow Mountain and Bear Mountain, both located in Southern California.
"I got my start at this mountain," White said in a statement. "It's my home resort. I learned my first trick, I entered my first competitions, and I went from amateur to professional. I did all of these things here."
White has increasingly turned toward brand building in snowboarding over the years. His current event series, Air + Style, combines music, art,and culture with winter sports. Upcoming events will occur in Beijing; Los Angeles; Innsbruck, Austria; and Mammoth in California. Mammoth Resorts is also a partner in the event series.
"Shaun's drive to push the envelope athletically is mirrored by his business savvy as an entrepreneur, demonstrated by the success of his apparel line and Air + Style," said Mammoth Resorts Chief Marketing Officer Erik Forsell, according to Transworld, "Over the last year we acquired two mountains, introduced the Cai4nia Pass, and brought Shaun into the fold. Every one of these moves means more benefits for our skiers and riders."
"We think he is the exact right guy to sit at the table with us and move culture in southern California," said Rusty Gregory, chairman and chief executive of Mammoth Resorts, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"There are so many situations where people don't get introduced to snowboarding in the right way and they never come back to it," Gregory said.
