USA TODAY Sports
MALIBU — Shaun White planned a low-key birthday celebration for this week, just dinner with friends and family.
By Sunday, when he turns 31, the two-time Olympic gold medalist will be in New Zealand chasing snow and a World Cup win to start a season that he hopes will get him back atop the podium in Pyeongchang.
“If I show up, I’m going to try and win,” White told USA TODAY Sports, speaking of the Olympics specifically while acknowledging an ethos that has made him one of the most accomplished competition riders in the sport.