When snowboarder, Shaun White, went to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics there was little known about the tattoo bet he had with his coach Bud Keene; a bet that may eventually lead to tattoo removal or tattoo regret.

The 23 year-old was known for his unique flips, spins and turns that landed him in first place at numerous competitions throughout the world. Vying for gold in Vancouver, Shaun was determined to make an impression on his first run; and that he did. Scoring almost 4 points higher than the second place contender, Shaun was feet, literally, above the competition. With a second run still to come rumors started flying about Shaun’s potential new tattoo, and the fact that he could very well take gold without even completing his second run. Within a few short minutes, Shaun White was a guaranteed gold winner. His second run on the pipe was for fun and not needed for him to win the gold. With his coach, and tattoo twin, routing him on at the top of the pipe Shaun nailed another run, even throwing in his unique McTwist 1260.

Shaun celebrated almost still in disbelief at the bottom of the hill. But what was he really thinking? Besides the fact that he’d won gold by a landslide with his even higher scoring second run, was he pondering that now famous soon-to-be tattoo? On Today Shaun expressed the thought of getting a tattoo, “I’m not sure, I’m sort of getting peer-pressured into it by the US Team Coach” he said.

Well, Shaun White is not alone in his feelings; many people often feel pressured to get tattoos. However, those tattoos are often the ones they regret getting down the road. Whether you’re an Olympic contender or just hanging with some friends, getting a tattoo needs to be considered well beyond the heat of the moment. Tattoo removal takes months even years to remove completely so your commitment lasts longer than the brief 60 seconds takes to get down the Half Pipe in Vancouver. When the time comes to be pressured into your next tattoo, think about this Shaun White moment.

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