Lindsey JacobellisThe End Of Snowboarding Innocence
by: Terry McDermott
Lindsey Jacobellis flew into the frigid Italian atmosphere as a celebrated
and admired snowboarding superstar but, after an adrenalin-fueled grab at
her board in mid-flight, she returned to earth in a meteoric flameout
destined to make her a lock for membership in the sports Bonehead Hall of
Fame. But her gaffe also represents a watershed moment for a sport once
typified by such actions.
Snowboarding is a serious sport populated by serious athletes.
Participants in competitions throughout the world work and train and
sacrifice to race and win and be recognized as the best in their sport.
But the ascension of snowboarding from a wild, rebellious and carefree
winter activity to a corporately-sponsored, mainstream, Olympic-level
competition has resulted in attitudes and expectations that are radically
divergent from the once-radical personality that dominated the sport.
Lindsey Jacobellis began snowboarding in rural Roxbury, CT when she was
10-years old. Coached by her older brother, Ben, Lindsey was forced to
compete against boys since there was no girls’ division for the sport.
This co-ed racing helped her develop a highly competitive spirit. Leading
up to the Olympics she trained with the American men since she is the only
U.S. woman competing in snowboard cross. She is, quite simply, the best
women’s snowboard cross racer in the world. But, as a result of her fall
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in the Italian Alps, she will not be an Olympic champion in 2006.
What Lindsey Jacobellis will be, to many, is a showboating hot dog. She
will be derided for being cocky, over-confidant and foolish. One
television reporter stated that Lindsey had left a "blemish on the sport
of snowboarding." Another said that the "nation’s hope for a gold medal"
in this event rested "solely on her shoulders." Her agent is probably on
suicide watch after seeing his dreams of gold medal endorsement deals get
swept away in an avalanche of shattered dreams.
And how does Lindsey feel about all of this? "I went for the jump because
I was having fun," she said. "Snowboarding is fun, and I wanted to share
that with the crowd. ... I was caught up in the moment and forgot that I
had to race."
Poor Lindsey. Doesn’t she realize that competing at this level is not
supposed to be fun? That getting "caught up in the moment" was a reckless,
selfish and careless demonstration of naïve exuberance? How could Lindsey
have been so irresponsible that she would have allowed the thrill of
flying down a frosty hill, free, fast and in first-place by a snowboarding
mile, to be manifested in a flamboyant maneuver for which snowboarders
used to be hailed?
"Used to be…" That is the operative phrase at the moment. Snowboarding has
come of age. Millions are watching world-class athletes compete for gold,
silver and bronze. Fame and fortune await the winners. Only memories of a
Building a Half Pipe For Snowboardingby: Jakob Jelling Perhaps one of the most exhilarating things to snowboard on is a half pipe. A half pipe is a combination of gracefully arcs and glorious straight stretches that allow you to perfor..
temporary place on the world stage await the rest. But Lindsey Jacobellis
will forever straddle the chasm between Olympic winners and Olympic
losers. She now carries the weight of Olympic silver around her neck and
the stigma of Olympic failure on her competitive resume.
By her self-inflicted disaster, Lindsey Jacobellis has elevated
snowboarding to a premier winter sport. No longer will the freewheeling,
high-flying, "hey dude, watch this," X Game-style mentality apply to
competitive snowboarding. It’s about winning and money and national honor
and endorsements. Getting ramped up and having fun are no longer
permissible attitudes for the sport.
Dude, this is serious!
J. Terrence (Terry) McDermott does not ski nor can he snowboard. He
does, however, manage a website that offers tons of ski and
snowboard equipment at SnowboardsandSkis.com. If he did snowboard,
he hopes that he would share the same healthy perspective that
Lindsey Jacobellis has so far demonstrated.
termcder@gmail.com
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