Gold-Medal Snowboarder Shaun White Appears on ‘The Colbert Report’

Gold medalist Shaun White thrilled Olympic viewers last Wednesday by performing the “Double McTwist 1260,” a challenging trick for snowboarders that White invented himself. On Monday, White appeared on Stephen Colbert‘s The Colbert Report and discussed his victory.

“I’ve been working on [the Double McTwist 1260] for two years,” White revealed.

A standard McTwist involves a rider doing a front twist while at the same time executing a backside 540. The Double McTwist 1260 includes two flips and 3 1/2 spins.

At the Vancouver Olympics, the 23-year-old’s score of 46.8 on his first run with the Double McTwist 1260 assured him victory, but he went ahead and did another one on his second run, finishing with a 48.4 on the run. (50 is the highest possible score.)

White and Colbert engaged in witty banter throughout. Colbert inquired as to whether White’s red hair was actually Red Bull (one of White’s sponsors is the energy drink company). “I’m contractually obligated to say 100 percent,” White quipped.

White’s interview with Colbert appears at the 15-minute, 10-second mark below.