Shaun White is a mentor, inspiration to young snowboarder Toby Miller
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – As Shaun White answered questions from a group of reporters following his Olympic halfpipe win, Toby Miller lay on the snow at his mentor and friend’s feet to get a better shot.
The young snowboarder didn’t compete in these Olympics, but he’s come along for the ride as a de facto part of White’s support team.
Usually they ride together, but Miller has been filming and taking photos of White’s journey back to the top of the Olympic podium.
“Being here right now, it’s amazing,” Miller said before White won a third Olympic gold on Feb. 14. “You kind of get a mental preparation. … It’s really motivating and inspiring to see all these athletes out there at the Olympics just living the dream and getting it done. If anything I’m looking at it as a motivation and I’m excited to hopefully make it here in four years.”
Miller, who turned 18 on the day of men’s halfpipe competition here, tried to make the U.S. team for Pyeongchang but didn’t qualify.
He’s been riding and traveling with White for more than a year after first meeting him in 2013. They connected through Bud Keene, White’s former coach, at Northstar, the resort where White used to ride in California.
After Sochi, White hired JJ Thomas as his coach, and Miller knew them both well.
“I ended up going on a trip with them, and then there was never really an official, hey, let’s travel together,” Miller said. “It was kind of just like one trip after another and then it kind of just never stopped. It just worked out so well. It’s our little team.”
Miller traveled throughout Canada and the United States with White and his team, as well as joining them on trips to New Zealand, Australia, Austria and now Korea.
“Through our travels I’ve noticed that Toby was always bringing this very upbeat and fun energy with him on and off of the mountain that keeps things interesting,” White said in response to written questions from Paste BN Sports, “and on top of that he was super tech savvy. Constantly taking pictures and capturing footage that we started posting to my social channels like Instagram.”
That became Miller’s job here as he shadowed White and captured the mania that comes after winning a gold medal. Like legions of other young snowboarders, Miller grew up looking up to White.
“He’s basically every little snowboarder’s superhero if that makes sense. I still look up to him,” Miller said. “He’s still such a great, he’s the GOAT, he’s the greatest of all time in the halfpipe. He’s my best friend. I look up to him like an older brother.”
White, 31, has mentored Miller, who is a strong snowboarder in his own right. Though he missed the U.S. team, he finished fifth in his first X Games last month.
Miller is focused on making the U.S. team for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. For his part, White notes that Miller can already land a frontside double cork 1440, one of the most difficult tricks in the halfpipe.
“If he continues on this path of progression, I’m sure he’ll do great in years to come,” White said.
For now, Miller is enjoying his travels with White. The two play video games like Call of Duty and Super Mario Brothers, which Miller calls “old school,” together, erasing the 13-year age gap between them.
“We’re just two friends hanging out and it’s a good time,” Miller said.