Shaun White hopes to get back on top at X Games

LOS ANGELES — Shaun White has concocted an elaborate skateboarding trick he's hoping to debut at the X Games this weekend. Only problem is, he's never actually landed it yet.

The two-time Olympic snowboarding gold medalist is hardly concerned. His short lifetime as a unique multisport athlete has taught him that the rush of competition will push him to heights he can't reach on his own.

"I would prefer to not be in this scenario, but it's kind of how it works for me," White said. "You need the fire under you. Two days after I lost an Olympic qualifier, I learned the McTwist 1260. Now I want this trick. It takes pressure sometimes."

More than a decade after he turned pro in snowboarding, White is thriving in a remarkable career spanning sports and entertainment. He's trying out acting and racing cars, and he's fascinated by the creative applications of social media.

But White also realizes he faces 2½ years of hard work to compete at the 2014 Games in both halfpipe and slopestyle, which was added to the Olympic program last month. During a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, White confirmed his plans to participate in both disciplines in Sochi.

"To go to the Olympics and have two shots at a gold medal would be unreal," White said, stroking the tentative beginnings of an orange mustache. "Maybe only two or three other guys can do that. I was really excited, and then it hit me where I just took a minute and (thought), 'OK, I've got a lot of work to do.' It was really cool, yet it's like when you go on a hike and you're standing at the bottom of the mountain. All right, here we go!

"I've got to eat this whole elephant? All right, one piece at a time."

The 24-year-old White is uniquely suited for the challenge. Not many athletes have ever been better multitaskers than the erstwhile Flying Tomato, who has outgrown his teenage nickname while rounding into a dominant two-sport athlete with a bulging list of off-the-board commitments.

For now, White's focus is on his vert showdown with Pierre-Luc Gagnon at the X Games on Saturday. White's Canadian rival beat him last year for an unprecedented vert threepeat at the X Games, and their latest meeting is likely to be a highlight of the 17th edition of ESPN's action-sports showcase, which opened Thursday in downtown Los Angeles.