Shaun White's crazy final Olympic ride focus of new docuseries 'The Last Run'

Shaun White once breezily reported that at 19 he crashed a Lamborghini and then went out and bought a new one.

More recently, he said he’s been looking for new sources of self-worth and identity since retiring after the 2022 Winter Olympics. The action-sports icon won three Olympic gold medals in snowboarding and a trunkful of gold medals from the X-Games for snowboarding and skateboarding.

“There’s so many people out there that deliver and they don’t get an award for it,’’ White, 36, told USA TODAY Sports. “They’re just content with who they are and what they do, and so to find that meaning in life has been a fun thing.’’

The journey from young and reckless to grounded and reflective is part of “Shaun White: The Last Run,’’ a compelling docuseries that premieres Thursday on Max. Just as profoundly, it sheds light on the controversy that once surrounded him and his family.

They said they still remember the scorn they felt from their community, troubled by the serious injuries White suffered and that he missed so much class while snowboarding he got kicked out of school.

The filming for the documentary began in the summer of 2021, when White began preparation for his final run – the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. That’s also when he had a box packed with home movies and other archival footage sent to the filmmakers.

“Our nickname for it was ‘the fridge’ because it was so heavy,’’ Shaul Schwarz, one of the filmmakers, told USA TODAY Sports. “It was quite the treasure box.’’

At one point, White was brought in to review the video footage in what they hoped would be 10-hour sessions. But some days, Schwartz recalled, White left after only an hour.

It was too emotional for him to bear.

'Shaun's really risking his life'

Cameras were rolling when White was 10 and skateboarding on a ramp with Bob Burnquist, then a seasoned pro. They were riding doubles.

“You know, Shaun’s really risking his life,’’ a TV announcer can be heard saying. “I mean, Bob’s got like 10 times the body mass Shaun does.’’

Moments later, White and Burnquist collided brutally.

White, who lost consciousness, had fractured his skull.

“It was the scariest moment of my life,’’ White’s mother, Cathy, said in the documentary. “I thought we lost him.’’

He showed up at school with two black eyes and two casts for what turned out to be picture day. His teacher was in tears, he recalled.

During a “60 Minutes’’ interview at that time, White’s mother says Shaun lost his desire to skateboard – but she pushed back to keep him from giving into fear.

White watched the footage again during the editing stage of the documentary.

“I was just like, ‘Oh, yeah, I guess that isn’t what the normal reaction of a parent like if your kid’s in a car accident,' ’’ he told USA TODAY Sports. “Like, ‘Go drive again, really fast down the freeway.’

“… It kind of really shows the family dynamic that helped me kind of navigate those waters at the time.’’

A family business

His mother was a waitress. His father dug ditches.

They called in sick when Shaun’s competitive schedule required it.

His brother and sister knew Shaun’s career came first, and the whole family was usually together, in a van heading to the mountains or on a plane traveling to one of Shaun’s events.

Until the editing stage of the documentary, White had never seen footage of his family’s reaction at the 2006 Winter Games when he won his first Olympic gold medal.

“It’s like we’re in a dream,’’ his father says during the bedlam of the celebration. “We’re dreaming.’’

In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, White said it’s a scene that “just guts me every time.’’

“I love it so much because we were the family that succeeded,’’ he said. “Everybody thought that we were the crazy family that was going after this thing that was never going to turn into something and that (the Olympic medal) was the proof we made it.’’

Was the 2022 Winter Olympics really the last run?

There were more tears. Lots of them after the last run, when White clipped his board on the halfpipe and fell short of the medal stand.

But only the filmmakers caught what happened upon his return to the United States when he was greeted at the airport.

“The first day of my comeback,’’ he said with what appeared to be humor.

Just a joke?

More than 16 months after the last run, White isn’t talking comeback.

“I’m thrilled to say that I’m very content with my decision and I’m very kind of thrilled for what’s next,’’ he said.

White said he spoke to Michael Phelps and Michael Strahan about the transition from star athlete to retirement.

“Don’t try to fill the void immediately with something else,’’ White said of the advice. “Like, live in that moment of nothingness and be content and like enjoy it, because you will find something.’’

Much of his time, White said, is spent working on Whitespace, a company that he runs with his brother and makes snowboards and outerwear. Eventually, he suggests, he expects to be raising a family.

But he said nothing is imminent for him and his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev, the Canadian actress he’s been dating since 2020.

“We’re on a great trajectory,’’ he said. “I think what’s been nice is like I told her, I was like, ‘Look, I need to get through this Olympics. I need to take a break. I need a few years to just enjoy everything.' ’’

For now, that’s a wrap. So let the credits roll.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olympian Shaun White sees crazy last run captured in new docuseries