Snowboarder Shaun White catches air (time)

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OK, it’s time to start thinking Winter Olympics. Here’s a little word association.

White? Winter. White? Olympics. White? 2010. White? Gold medal. White? Snow. White? Shaun.

Dan Patrick had Olympic gold medalist Shaun White on his radio show this morning and it wasn’t all snowboarding. But Patrick asked to go through snowboarding jargon -- shreds, rodeo, catch air.

‘My dad ... he shreds,’ said White, meaning he snowboards. He also reminds Patrick that snowboarding is ‘just math’ -- a 180, a 360 (full circle), 1080, 1260.

Patrick then asked what it’s like to ‘catch air.’ Said White: ‘There’s a point where I’m not going up anymore but I’m not going down, this awesome kind of floating feeling.’

But White also talked about learning how to drive and getting his driver’s license. And asked whether he ever crashed a car, he admitted he did -- a black Lamborghini, adding, ‘they’re tree magnets, man.’

All this from a guy born a sunny, snow-less Carlsbad.

-- Debbie Goffa