Shaun White: Unplugged in Vancouver

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Forget the musical guests ready to rock Vancouver at night once the Winter Olympic Games open.

Snowboarder Shaun White apparently is filling the gap with his guitar in the Athletes’ Village

‘I haven’t heard him sing, but he definitely likes to rip his guitar -- he brought his amp out here,’ Olympic teammate Louie Vito said after the formal news conference at the Main Press Center on Thursday. ‘We’re working on some songs, blaring in the courtyard.

‘He’s gonna work on getting the whole national anthem tonight, so we can play it tomorrow to wake everybody up.’

Waking up the village is one thing.

But White has managed to stir and push the sport, almost by himself, with his array of tricks, most recently the Double McTwist 1260.

‘Well, you know I call him the Mike Jordan of boarding,’ said another Olympic snowboarding teammate, Scotty Lago. ‘He’s the best of the best. I’m proud to be on the team with him, for sure. We grew up riding together.

‘I just have a lot of respect for him. But I don’t worship him.’

White, obviously, is the heavy favorite for the men’s halfpipe event, which is on Wednesday at Cypress Mountain.

‘Shaun has off days, though,’ said defending women’s champion Hannah Teter.

She paused for effect, smiling: ‘Maybe once every 10 years he has an off day. It could be on the 17th, Probably not.’

-- Lisa Dillman, reporting from Vancouver, Canada