Shaun White gets industry impact award

Christian Pondella/ESPN ImagesWhite earning his fourth WX gold in a row in January.

On May 5, snowboarder Shaun White will receive the National Ski Areas Association's Industry Impact Award, which acknowledges a person, business or organization that makes standout contributions to the ski and snowboard industry. The last award was given to the Winter X Games in 2009.

"For both his legendary athletic achievements and the tremendous exposure he has brought to the sport of snowboarding, Shaun's impact on our industry can not be overstated, and we are truly honored to present him with this very fitting award," said NSAA president Michael Berry.

NSAA will present the award during its national convention in early May in Carlsbad, Calif.

White has earned two Winter Olympic gold medals in halfpipe and in January, he became the first athlete to four-peat in snowboarding Superpipe at the Winter X Games.

In late January, White beat out the likes of LeBron James, Lance Armstrong, Tom Brady, Roger Federer and Kobe Bryant in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's rankings of the 100 most marketable athletes in sports.