Well, I guess having that private halfpipe in Silverton last winter paid off. Shaun White won gold Wednesday night in the Men’s Halfpipe competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics. I’m sure his parents are beaming with pride and breathing a big sign of relief.

Several weeks ago, 60 Minutes did a feature on White that traced his career back to its beginnings, when his working-class parents would travel hours to take him to competitions in their old van that also served as sleeping accommodations. Even though they knew he was good, I can’t imagine they had any idea how far this edgy sport would take their son. I’m sure there are many parents in Durango who know what it is to support their child’s athletic aspirations despite the hardships.

The hardest point for the White family was after they saw young Shaun seriously injured in a skateboarding demo. The 60 Minutes video includes a clip of the accident and it’s enough to make any parent’s heart skip. After a collision with a much larger boy, he lay limp in the bowl and people rushed to his aid. He was carried away by paramedics and taken to the hospital, where it was discovered he had a cracked skull.

Obviously, he recovered. But the danger that he continues to take as he pushes his sport to new limits is very real. At the beginning of the week, a 21-year-old competitor died on the luge course, proving that even athletes at the top of their sports can make fatal mistakes.

I feel that the potential benefits of participation in sports, even dangerous ones, generally outweigh the risks because of the discipline and fitness they encourage. (We introduced our 3-1/2 year old to skiing this season so I’d be a hypocrite to say otherwise). But I think it’s important to mitigate the danger with proper equipment (obviously) and (less obviously) listen very closely when they may be giving subtle signs that they are in over their heads.