Most people view retirement as an opportunity to slow down. Shaun White—the most decorated snowboarder in history—is not most people.

The sport’s original crossover superstar may have officially stopped competing after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but he hasn’t left his competitive spirit behind. Now, the 39-year-old is trying to take snowboarding and its cousin, freeskiing, to another level. In founding the Snow League, the world’s first professional association for these sports, White and luxury partners like Hublot and Tiffany & Co. are attempting to bring winter action events to a wider audience—and to increase exposure (and purse sizes) for its current athletes, including Maddie Mastro and Yuto Totsuka.

It’s an ambitious goal, but one that comes naturally for someone who grew up idolizing Andre Agassi, Mike Tyson, and Muhammad Ali—legends who White says “did their sport in a fashion that had never been done before.” By providing a platform for other talented athletes to do the same, the three-time Olympic gold medalist might just leave behind a legacy larger than his decades of cultural clout. Here, the Flying Tomato shares what inspires him when he’s off the slopes.

First thing you do in the morning? I try to get up early and watch the sun come up because it feels like it sets the tone for the day. It’s not easy to do when traveling and jet-lagged and whatnot, but if I can do it, it’s great.

Which apps do you use the most? I use that app Yuka. It’s a food app where you go through the grocery store and see what’s in your food. I like that I can scan an item I’ve been buying for years and go, “Whoa, there’s all these crazy additives and things in here.”

What do you do that’s still analog? I do love writing notes. I love writing my thoughts out. There’s tons of notes floating around, and it’s annoying because I’m doing double the work, because then I’ll put them on the to-do list. But something about writing it down and crossing it out, it feels like I’m getting stuff done.

Do you have any personal rituals? I used to have a steak dinner every night before a major competition. It started when I was a kid. Some skateboarder was like, “You gotta have a steak before your competition.” And so my mom started doing that with me, and I started winning. And it just became this thing I had to do.

How do you find calm? Taking a bath or steam or sauna. Getting in water or something like that is my go-to reset.

What do you most crave at the end of the day? Usually, it’s more time. It’s nice, but it’s also sad. Sometimes you’re like, the day got away. There’s so much you want to do and so little time when you really get to it.

What in your wardrobe do you wear most often? The white T-shirt. You can wear it under a suit. You can wear it under a jacket. You can wear it alone. Talk to any woman, they’re like, “God, it’s so easy being a guy,” and sometimes it is.

What’s your favorite cocktail, and how do you make it? A spicy margarita. Most of the time I use Patrón, a jalapeño-type spice, and fresh lime juice or a margarita mix.

What’s the most recent thing you’ve added to your collection? I just bought a midcentury Baldwin acoustic piano. I don’t want to be like Lebowski, but it really ties [the room together].

The most recent thing you regret not buying? There was an apartment in New York that I wanted to buy. I put an offer on it. And then, of course, over the weekend, somebody just showed up and paid all cash.

What’s the most impressive dish you cook? I make a pretty mean vodka penne pasta. I make the sauce from scratch.

What is your exercise routine, and how often do you do it? It’s a mix of things. I’ll go to the gym where it’s just kind of full body—just like arms, a bit of biking, a little bit of Swiss-ball work, bands, things like that. It’s never really, like, heavy lifting. I’ve never really done that. I did it once with a trainer and kind of hurt my back.

Who is your dealer, and what do they source for you? I have to say it’s just my assistant. This poor guy. At one point I was entertaining getting peacocks, because I saw one episode of Narcos where they were running around. And I’m like, “Where do I get them?” We had to get into like, how far they roam. Because I don’t want to lose them. Are they going to come back? How much land do I need? Do I need a cage?

How do you get to sleep? There’s this magnesium powder called Calm that helps me wind down. I’ll listen to podcasts. Eckhart Tolle, he’s got this monotone, sort of drone-y voice.

If you could learn a new skill, what would it be? Golf. Everybody wants me to do it. And I don’t really find myself enjoying it when I’m doing it. It’s because I only enjoy things that I’m really good at.

Are you wearing a watch? How many do you own? I have a few Rolexes, a few JLCs, two Omegas. Most recently, I really dove deep into Hublot. I love it because it’s the first watch I have that’s kind of all dark or black. I like it because I can wear it dressed up or dressed down.

Who do you admire most, and why? My older brother, Jesse. He’s just such an inspiration to me. He’s always been that guy in my corner ever since we were kids.

What’s your favorite hotel? The St. Regis in Aspen is probably closest. They have this insane spa. I love their gym. I love the vibes. There’s like these giant dogs walking around, and the lobby is just so inviting with this big fireplace.

When was the last time you completely unplugged? I went to the Hoffman Institute. It’s seven days out in the woods in Napa. I remember leaving, and I got in the car to go to the hotel, and everything just seemed so fast.

What advice do you wish you’d followed? Just listening to people older than me. I didn’t really care for their opinion, or I was convinced they were outdated in their way of thinking, and I was the new way of doing things.

Last piece of advice you gave? It was a bit of a pep talk [at the Olympics]: “Hold your head up high, don’t feel like this thing defines you.” We’re boiling down someone’s entire career to a couple of minutes and whether they were the best version of themselves in that couple minutes.

What is your email etiquette? It’s horrible. I talk text. I’m just talking, and I’ll just hit send without proofreading it. So, my friends really have to decipher what I’m saying.

What’s always in your hand luggage? One extra set of clothes, an overnight bag, chargers, a passport, the super universal converter, and an eye mask.

How much do you trust your gut instinct? I’d say at least 80, 90 percent. I’ve always had a really strong gut feeling about certain things in life, and it served me very well so far.

What is the car you are most attached to? My favorite is the Bentley Continental GT. In L.A., it’s not too over the top. It’s a great daily car. It’s super comfortable.

What’s worth paying for? Quality food. And then I’d say experiences. Spending a little more and a big house for everybody to stay in, because it’s creating those memories and those moments.

Last film you paid to see? My nieces and nephews were all at Snow League. We had to get them some entertainment, so I put on Zootopia 2, but then I ended up watching the whole thing.

Last streaming binge? Paradise. Friends of mine were already on season two. I had to catch up.

Do you still write letters? It’s more like thank-you cards now. I find that if you send somebody a thank-you note, a handwritten note, it goes a long way.

What kind of music makes you happy? Oldies. I love James Brown, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson. I like new music, but if I’m going to entertain and I want to feel something, I usually put that kind of music on.