The 2002 Winter Olympics Snowboarding - Powers Wins Olympic Gold

Associated Press
Feb. 11, 2002

Related Photos:

HALFPIPE FINAL
Gold - Ross Powers USA
Silver - Danny Kass USA
Bronze - J.J. Thomas USA

PARK CITY, Utah -- Americans Ross Powers, Danny Kass and J.J. Thomas made history on the halfpipe Monday, giving the United States its first medals sweep in the Winter Olympics in 46 years.

Soaring 10 and 15 feet above the hollowed-out snow chute on a gorgeous sun-kissed day, the three youngsters put together the first U.S. winter sweep since the 1956 men's figure skating team in Cortina, Italy.

Tired metaphors aside, Ross IS the Boss.

The chants of "U.S.A., U.S.A, U.S.A" were deafening.

An estimated 30,000 fans -- many of them who came when the women's downhill event was postponed because of weather -- waved their flags, clanged their cowbells and soaked in the hippest Olympic sport.

Powers set the winning mark of 46.1 early. He was the fourth rider to hit the snow, and his very first push above the rim of the pipe was stunning -- his body flying 15 feet in the air, parallel to the ground, with the sun overhead making for a picturesque silhouette.

Kass, the 19-year-old future of the sport, had two chances to top the 1998 bronze medalist. He was incredible in his own way, but his corkscrew turn and his famed "Kasserole spin" -- two upside-down twists while grabbing the board -- weren't enough to win gold. He scored a 42.5.

Danny Kass -- lofty frontside.

Thomas won the bronze on his second ride with an equally impressive run, pulling a 2?-revolution spin and soaring almost as high as Powers.

Sixth-place finisher Tommy Czeschin was the only American left out of the party. His first run put him in third place, but after Thomas overtook him, Czeschin needed to go higher. He thought he did, but when his score was posted, he looked on in disbelief, and the crowd booed.

But really, it was hard to call any American a loser on this day.

J.J. Thomas owns this trick.

Snowboarding is a distinctly American sport, created on a lark by a man in Michigan, Sherman Poppen, who in 1965 braced a pair of skis together and tied them with a rope so he could give his daughters something to do during the winter.

He called the contraption a Snurfer, combining the words snow and surfer. A few years later, entrepreneur Jake Burton Carpenter improved the snowboard and started the wave that continues to this day.

When the International Olympic Committee added snowboarding in 1998, many questioned whether the so-called "lifestyle sport" really belonged in the Olympics -- too stodgy for the halfpipe, the critics said.

The Winners.

A lot of those doubts are bound to die down, and this American sweep will surely play a big role.

"This is completely different than anything I've ever seen or done," Thomas said before the finals. "It sets the standards for snowboarding. I'm having a blast."

Mens Final Results:

1 USA - Powers, Ross - 46.10 - 32.00
2 USA - Kass, Danny - 42.50 - 41.50
3 USA - Thomas, J.J. - 33.20 - 42.10
4 Italy - Kratter, Giacomo - 34.90 - 42.00
5 Japan - Nakai, Takaharu - 38.30 - 40.70
6 USA - Czeschin, Tommy - 40.60 - 40.50
7 Finland - Sorsa, Heikki - 36.80 - 40.40
8 Finland - Koski, Markku - 39.00 - 25.40
9 Canada - Andrew, Trevor - 30.30 - 38.60
10 Norway - Franck, Daniel - 29.20 - 37.40
11 Sweden - Sterner, Magnus - 36.60 - 17.90
12 Germany - Michaelis, Jan - 0.00 - 0.20

Related Photos:
Olympic Practice

Send to a friend | Submit your photo or video

Top Rated Photos | Top Rated Videos | Most Sent