Wednesday, January 30, 2002
'Boarder access up in smoke
Rebagliati unsure if customs will let him into U.S.
By ERIC FRANCIS -- Calgary Sun
Four years after becoming a national hero of sorts, Ross Rebagliati is heading back to the Olympics.
However, whether he'll actually get to Salt Lake City will depend on the mood of U.S. customs officials who have targeted the Whistler native ever since the snowboarder's name became synonymous with marijuana.
"Ever since (the Olympics), I've always had an issue at the border," said Rebagliati, who had to hire an immigration lawyer to help him enter the States.
"It's the association of what transpired at the Olympics and the fact I admitted I stopped using marijuana to join the national team. It doesn't show up on their screens (as to why he's being red-flagged), so I end up having to jump through hoops and go into the back room where not too many people get to go."
Or want to go.
"The guy in there has the information, we talk about it and nine times out of 10, it's, 'Sorry for delaying your trip, congratulations and enjoy your stay in the U.S,' " added Rebagliati, who was recently turned away at the border despite the fact he does not have a criminal record.
"It's been getting stickier and stickier as they implement new programs following Sept. 11. I'm planning to drive down to Salt Lake to watch the races but who knows what they'll do."
Thrust into the international spotlight in Nagano four years ago when his snowboarding gold was taken away following a positive drug test, Rebagliati successfully appealed based on the fact the IOC did not have an agreement with the international ski federation governing marijuana. Besides, he claimed he was a victim of second-hand smoke.
The IOC has since adopted a blanket policy banning marijuana use but not before Rebagliati joked he'd have to wear a gas mask to future parties.
American immigration officials aren't the only ones turning a cold shoulder on the 30-year-old Whistler icon these days. With an eye on defending his Olympic title, he had a request to rejoin the Canadian team rejected by national snowboarding officials last year.
Trying to cope with an avalanche of issues stemming from the Olympic uproar and the celebrity status that followed, Rebagliati took the 2000 season off and was denied a spot on the team in 2001 due to his lack of World Cup points.
In an effort to accumulate such points, he participated on the Europa Cup circuit alone and at his own expense last season without success.
He hasn't raced since.
Although still revered by most recreational snowboarders for what his controversial win did to put the sport on the map, he's shunned by top racers and the sport's administrators for exactly the same reason.
While public opinion on Rebagliati's triumphant appeal was split following the games, it didn't stop sponsors like Roots from cashing in on his notoriety by taking the tousle-haired blond on a national tour that left screaming teenagers in its wake. Sinking his endorsement dollars into his first of five successful real estate deals, Rebagliati is now focusing on a real-estate licence.
Although endorsement opportunities have dwindled, two sponsors remain, as does his passion for the sport that thrust him onto the world stage, albeit briefly.
Having spent the last four years "in turmoil" dealing with his notoriety, worrying about his real estate investments, having an engagement called off and having his snowboarding career end, he insists he has slowly become a happy person.
"My whole philosophy in snowboarding wasn't so much, 'How can you make a perfect run to beat everyone.' It was, `How can I recover quicker than everybody else?' because there's no such thing as a perfect run," said Rebagliati, who still hits the slopes regularly and won't count out a return for the 2006 games.
"That's kind of my philosophy in life, too -- the better you can recover from what life throws at you, the easier it is to turn negatives into positives. It wasn't my first choice in life to be pegged like I am but I know who I am as a person and I've never done anything I've ever regretted."
2002 Games Columnists
