(Thumbnail image: The Los Angeles Times)

"Sean has one trick that no one else on the planet is doing.  It's the Double McTwist 1260.  It's a move that encompasses three-and-a-half rotations and two flips.  Look for it on the last hit of his run. ... All eyes on this hit, and there it is!" (NBC)

Shaun White became the second American to win back-to-back gold medals in the snowboarding halfpipe. But his near perfect execution of the Double McTwist 1260 is what really thrilled fans.

We're taking a look at what's behind White's tricks with perspectives from Sports Illustrated, NBC, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and Straight.com.

White attempted the Double McTwist 1260 in his second run -- but he didn't have to.  He was already guaranteed the gold medal after his first run.  

An analyst tells Sports Illustrated White was bold to try it anyway.

"The safe play would've been to take zero chances, to get down the hill doing S-curves and waving to the crowd. Instead, he launched on the scariest trick ever invented, and pulled it off."

White has proven his flair for tricks with countless medals in snowboarding competitions.

But on NBC's The Today Show, White explains how he created his most complex and wild maneuver yet -- the Double McTwist 1260.

"Basically this season for me was completely different. I've always been a guy that takes a trick that's already been out there and kind of did it a little better, a little bigger.  This time I was actually able to create about five brand new tricks for the sport."

Forbes explains White's other motivations for showmanship.

"Last year he pocketed $8 million from the likes of snowboard-maker Burton, Target, goggle-maker Oakley and Red Bull, which built White's own half-million dollar halfpipe. (FLASH) There aren't many athletes that are going to get that kind of money, and clearly Shaun White is the face of a generation and the face of a sport that has just bloomed and blossomed in the last 10 years."

That financial backing also translates into perks.  White's competitors tell The Wall Street Journal and CNN that isn't fair.

Gary Zebrowski of France: "We try to do the same tricks, but every year he advances more compared to us.  Especially to the French guys because we don't have special halfpipes to try the tricks. That's why we are less better."

Steve Fisher: "He's just had opportunities that not everyone gets, let alone no one gets.  A lot of people can be rockstars, as long as there's the capital behind it."

But Straight.com brings the focus back to White's athleticism, saying he's just got the edge.

"But White’s superiority, even to untrained eyes like mine, is obvious…an unmatched ability to recover quickly from any slight misjudgment in his landings, which allows him more room to be daring."

So do you think Shaun White's endorsements give him an unfair advantage in competitions?

Writer: Courtney Cebula

Producer: Newsy Staff