Shaun White, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team launch Olympic-caliber landing airbag at Mount Hood

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — This week, the Wy’East Academy unveiled a brand-new, one-of-a-kind Olympic-caliber landing airbag at their training facility near Mount Hood with the help of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team and Olympic medalist Shaun White.

The new equipment is currently the only one in North America and is a key tool for the progression of freestyle skiing and snowboarding, especially in the warmer months of the year.

It’s located at Wy’East Academy which is a year-round, nonprofit boarding school that nearly every Olympic athlete in pursuit of the Winter Olympics likely traveled to at some point.

To promote the new addition and give it a try himself was the three-time Olympic gold medalist and founder of The Snow League, Shaun White. He said he was thrilled to be a part of the project and got the opportunity to watch all the campers taking their first trips down the bag.

“I’m just out here having fun; this airbag is game-changing for the next generation of athlete,” the San Diego native said, adding. “This is such a cool place, I used to come here every summer. I remember camping out in a van in the parking lot of Timberline and brushing my teeth in the lodge.”

He continued, “I’m positive there will be some incredible talent that comes out of this facility and goes to the Olympics.”

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team’s Project Gold initiative partnered up with High Cascade Snowboard Camp, Windells Freeski Camp to make this all possible. The Pacific Northwest has been one of the best places for young talent to train in the summers on the flanks of Mount Hood but will now attract even more young stars with the state-of-the-art landing bag.