Shaun White’s Unrivaled Sports Acquires Stake in Snöbahn

Shaun White is building a platform for the next generation of snowboarders and skiers, with help from one of the giants in private equity.

White’s Unrivaled Sports has acquired a minority stake in indoor action sports facility chain Snöbahn. His new youth and recreation sports company has also received investment into its action sports division from Ares Management. The private equity firm is the latest investor in the group that includes not only White, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, but Unrivaled Sports co-founders Josh Harris, David Blitzer and The Chernin Group.

“Growing up in San Diego, I had easy access to the ocean and skateparks on a daily basis to surf and skate whenever I wanted,” White said via email. “And it was only a three-hour drive to the mountain. So, I’m really a product of my environment. But with Snöbahn, it changes the equation. The next great snowboarder or skier could come from a market you’d least expect.”

The terms of the deal were not disclosed but the minority stake is under 50% with an option to increase, according to Kevin English, the chief executive of Unrivaled Sports’ action sports division. This marks the first major investment since Unrivaled Sports was formed earlier this year, adding to a portfolio that includes We Are Camp, flag football league Under the Lights and youth baseball facility Cooperstown All-Star Village.

Founded in 2016, Snöbahn is Colorado’s first international-style concept of indoor ski and snowboard centers, offering skiing and snowboard classes and camps for all ages where they can shred and polish technique all year-round. The equity purchase into the company is the latest effort for Unrivaled Sports to create a true action sports hospitality vertical that provides unique skill-based experiences in surfing, mountain biking and other sports.

After the acquisition, Snöbahn CEO and founder Sadler Merrill will remain in his role while gold medalist alpine skier Bode Miller continues to be a partner. With help from its new investors, the Centennial, Colorado-based company plans to expand to new cities and markets that lack different skiing and snowboarding opportunities like Texas and California. The latest capital injection will be deployed in the near future to refine the recently built Snöbahn 38,000 square-foot facility in Thornton, one of two locations in the Denver area.

“How do you bring the mountains down to where the people are? It’s about giving them that first experience,” English said in an interview. “It’s quite a financial and logistical investment to go from the city up to the mountains just see if you like the sport… Snöbahn is reducing all those barriers.”

This news comes one week after White announced the launch of The Snow League, the first pro skiing and snowboarding league. Ares Management and Blitzer are also invested in the new league, though their investment is separate from Unrivaled Sports. However, both investments speak to the growing interest from institutional firms and private equity players in the action sports space. This includes X Games parent company MSP Sports Capital, which recently announced the launch of its own global snowboarding league.

English, who has been an operator in action sports for more than two decades, says the Unrivaled Sports’ action division remains in acquisition mode and that it’s in better position to make strategic long-term moves due to its notable yet patient stakeholders.

“It’s our special sauce right now,” English added. “So often in action sports you get this outside investment that doesn’t understand the nuance. They don’t quite get that these are experienced people businesses, and you must get the training and the people in facilities right before you go expand. All these partners understand that. It’s literally one customer at a time.”