Shaun Palmer

Shaun Palmer (born November 14, 1968) is an American professional snowboarder, skier, mountain biker, and motocross rider. Nicknamed "Napalm" and "Palm Daddy", he is known as one of the forefathers of extreme sports. He won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year in 2000.

Early life Palmer was born in South Lake Tahoe on November 14, 1968 and from a young age, he maintained a strong interest in all things fast. His mother told People Magazine in 1999, "Whether it was on wheels or on a board, it had to be superfast—he had no fear. I remember once when he was 13, I had grounded him. Well, he jumped out of his second-floor bedroom window, got on his bike and took off. He was like that—always pushing the limits."

While Palmer showed potential in both skiing and baseball, Shaun grew enamored with the still-infant sport of snowboarding. At the age of 12, he built his own snowboard.

Snowboarding career Palmer taught himself to snowboard, as he was never formally schooled in the sport. In an interview with People Magazine, Palmer stated: "I didn't watch tapes or study other guys—I just figured out what felt right." Just three years after building his own board, Palmer dropped out of high school to become a professional snowboarder. Also in 2000, Palmer was named as the inaugural Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year. In February 2001, Palmer was awarded the ESPY Awards' Action Sports Athlete of the Year.

In 2006, Palmer earned himself a spot on the 2006 U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team. Palmer was a long shot, qualifying for the team after an 11th-hour World Cup podium finish in Bad Gastein, Austria, just one month before the 2006 Winter Olympics. He tore his Achilles tendon just two weeks later, rendering him unable to represent the United States.

In 2010, Palmer was left off the 2010 U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team. Palmer had sought to fill the last spot on the 18-member squad, but was bumped in favor of Nick Baumgartner. Palmer would have been the oldest man to qualify for the Winter Olympics in history.

In the 1999 Mountain biking season, Palmer won the NORBA downhill championship in the dual slalom category.

Palmer teamed up with Activision, publishers of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, to create Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder for the PlayStation 2 in 2001.