“He Was a Pretty Amazing Person…I’ll Miss Him”- Shaun White Will Honor Virgil Abloh at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

At 35 years of age, Shaun White is staring into the light of what will be his final Olympic performance, decades after debuting with those iconic curly red locks. The snowboarding legend has undoubtedly cemented himself as not just a winter Olympic great, but an all-time great when it comes to athletic conversations. 

Heading into Beijing, White has been very involved with the fashion aspect of his performance- one can easily spot his Polo Ralph Lauren-designed uniform that he will dawn on the snow. His recent collaborations include Louis Vuitton and none other than the late Virgil Abloh, who helped White make a dream come true before his tragic demise. 

Carrying a snowboard around can be hectic because it is not exactly the most compact object, which is why ‘The Flying Tomato’ wanted a special case for it. Casually bringing the idea up in a conversation with Virgil Abloh did the trick. “I mentioned to him (Abloh) how I collected vintage LV luggage and that it would be a dream of mine to have a Louis Vuitton snowboard case,” White told Vanity Fair. “And his response was ‘No effing way. This is perfect for what we’re doing right now!’” 

Abloh was a fan of snowboarding and worked with White on the case without thinking twice. The three-time Olympic gold medallist revealed Abloh’s team at Louis Vuitton still worked with him after the latter’s passing. “[The sketches] just arrived last week and I didn’t even put them away when I got home; I just set them out right in the living room,” he said. “They’re just on display. I think they’re so perfect.”

Virgil Abloh’s wife sent Shaun White a heartwarming message

At what would be his fifth Olympic Games, Shaun White is using a snowboard from his own brand known as ‘Whitespace’ which he recently debuted. The name won the approval of Abloh himself, which White admits “meant so much” to him. 

In what he defines as his ‘Rocky’ moment, Shaun White received the support of fans, including Abloh’s wife who sent him a message before heading to Beijing. “Virgil’s wife also commented on my post on Instagram saying that the Abloh house will be cheering me on at the Olympics and that Virgil would be so stoked. That meant so much to me when I saw that. I’ll definitely be bringing a piece of him with me to Beijing.”

He did carry the LV case with him and will be looking to give it his all in what would be THE final run. Despite being an expert in Winter sports, Shaun White is a warm spirit and cherishes those around him. Virgil Abloh has a special place in his heart. “I’m so honored to be able to bring them with me to my last Olympics,” White said. “He was a pretty amazing person, and I’ll miss him.”

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