The White Hot light in action sports: Shaun White. © ESPN Images

White Wash? Shaun White brings his all-or-nothing style to the X

Believe the hype: Shaun White is blowing up on the X Games vert ramp, and is a favorite to win it tonight. Last year's champ Pierre-Luc Gagnon is out with an injury, Bucky Lasek is skating with a wounded wrist, and Bob Burnquist has been laying low during practice sessions. From what we've seen so far, Shaun White is going bigger and using more of the ramp than anybody else, and he's breaking out huge tricks all over the place.

The X Games ramp is almost perfectly tailored to Shaun White's experience snowboarding in Superpipe and Park events, and there's a number on a lot people's minds: 1080. The Skate Vert and Best Trick contests definitely promise to be X Games Highlights.

So far his record this season is one and one, as in one Gold medal and one dead-last finish. That's an effect of White's candle-at-both-ends approach to everything he does. He won't be playing it safe, and it will either pay of spectacularly or implode just as brilliantly. Either way, it will be worth watching.

– Colin Bane