How Is Nina Dobrev as a Snowboarder? Shaun White Says... (2024)

Originally appeared on E! Online

While some may be intimidated to hit the slopes with Olympic snowboarder Shaun White, Nina Dobrev has proven she can shred with the best of them.

"She's really good on the board," Shaun told E! News in an exclusive interview. "She grew up in Canada. So, it was nice 'cause that's definitely sometimes a relationship make-or-break. Not if they can't ride, but I've had people come up with me and it didn't end well 'cause I'm not the best coach at times."

And if you're wondering how a three-time gold medalist could struggle to teach the sport, White explained it's because he describes "everything in feelings," which doesn't always translate to the student.

"So luckily," he continued, "she was already good."

Still, the Whitespace founder understands how some could freeze up in that scenario.

"When people come up with me—especially close friends of mine—I deck them out, all the new gear," he said. "And they're like, 'I look way too cool. I look way better than my actual skills. And now they see me with you, and they expect me to be hitting the jumps.' So I think there's a bit of a nervousness or a hurdle that a lot of my friends and Nina maybe in the beginning felt."

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But even if mistakes are made, he doesn't let it wipe out a good time. Like when Dobrev accidentally dropped her board, and they retrieved it by having White snowboard down the mountain with her in his arms (if you haven't seen the video yet, you gotta check it out here).

How Is Nina Dobrev as a Snowboarder? Shaun White Says... (1)

"We were way up in the mountains deep in the backcountry in Canada, and we were using helicopters to get around," the athlete recalled. "And it's just not safe to really walk around. There's avalanche danger, there's other things going on. They're like, 'Well, we can fire up the helicopter and fly over and try to get it?' And I'm like, 'That just seems so overkill. I'm like, 'Why don't I just carry her down?'"

So, that's exactly what he did.

"My buddy started filming it," White continued. "He's like, 'This is hilarious. This is very out of The Bodyguard scene.'"

And he applauds The Vampire Diaries star for being a good sport.

"It came out of necessity, but it turned out to be pretty funny," the 37-year-old added. "But it's nice to have a partner that loves the mountains and is adventurous and all that—even though she did lose her board down the hill, which we still get to laugh at her about it. But yeah, it was just fun that she was out there in the first place and made a funny video."

Ever since making their romance Instagram official in 2020, White and Dobrev have continued to give fans glimpses into their romance. Whether they're coming up with new snowboarding moves—like the "Nina 900"—documenting their travels or celebrating birthdays and holidays, the pair have been there for each other's big and small moments.

And one of the biggest had to be when White retired from professional snowboarding in 2022 after the Beijing Olympics—with Dobrev calling him not only the G.O.A.T. but also the "G.(B).O.A.T. = Greatest Boyfriend Of All Time."

However, their love isn't the only thing that keeps him fueled. White also recently partnered with CVS Pharmacy for the launch of their snack, beverage and groceries line Well Market.