Shaun White and Nick Goepper Get Candid on Athlete Finances

"Even if you're the best in the world at it, you might not continue to be able to do it because you can't sustain in financially," Goepper says. Athletes often have to pay for a chunk of their travel and don't always have a safety net if they get injured or don't place in a competition. This was in the forefront of White's mind when he created the Snow League and its $2.5M prize purse. However at the Snow League, even athletes who don't podium, will still walk away with money. "You could call it an appearance fee," says White.

Although there's no doubt that White's long and successful career has had a huge influence on the Snow Leagues' financial initiatives, there also seems to be a greater push in extreme sports for more transparency around and support for athlete financials. It's refreshing to see athletes be so transparent about how the financials of that career works so younger athletes and the general public can learn more.