k.moore blog

Lindsey Jacobellis stands behind as Switzerland’s Tanja Frieden celebrates her Gold Medal Victory.

There are two sides to every story, and this one is no different. Perhaps, two opinions to every story would be a better statement. The background:

Twenty-year-old Lindsey Jacobellis is a snowboardcross champ. To name a few accomplishments, she got to ride in her first X Games at age 15, she is one of very few snowboarders who is well-rounded and skilled enough to compete in slopestyle, half-pipe and boardercross. Also, Lindsey has won gold at the X-Games three years in a row and was twice named World Champion.

Oh yeah, and she’s  cute. She was called “The blonde-haired beauty with the girl-next-door personality ” by Chiff.com and is a VISA spokeswoman.  Also, Jacobellis comes from a gene pool of snoboard talent as her brother, Ben Jacobellis has had a successful snowboarding career of his own. Enough said, she’s sittin’ pretty.

On February 17, Jacobellis competed in the Snowboardcross event at the XX Winter Olympics. Snowboardcross is basically a speed event in snowboarding, unlike half-pipe, it has little to do with technical tricks. It is an aggressive speed event and while intentional pushing is forbidden, it is common for competitiors to “rub” against one another and cut one another off.

Jacobellis had the gold medal going into the second to last jump of the track, she was leads against Switzerland’s Tanja Frieden, who was following her in second. Jacobellis decided to do a “backside method grab” off the second to last jump. She landed wrong, fell, and placed second in an event that she should have easily taken Gold.

So why the controversey? Jacobellis claims her grab and consequent fall was a standard move to “create stability” . Some experts claim it was an incident of blatant showboating, boasting her lead, which should have led to an easy victory.

This is frustrating.  Snowboarding is a sport that is already misundersstood, a sport that cries out to the youth, a sport only lin its third Winter Olympics ever.  There is no doubt a huge element of style and attitude associated with the sport.  Without this style, wouldn’t be so cutting edge, riders woudn’t force themselves to learn extreme tricks.  During half-pipe competitions, riders get to choose the music that they ride to and riders are encouraged, when sponsored, to create their own unique line of clothing.

However, SBX is an even not about tricks, its about speed, accuracy and direct competition.  Riders are supposed to complete the 1000 meter curvy trail, scattered with huge ramps, as quickly as possible. 

Jacobellis screwed up.  She got caught up in the moment and busted her butt, literally.  Some die-hard snowboarders would argue with me.  Some would say to understand that she got caught up in an amazing moment is the whole point of snowboarding, and if you don’t understand that, then you don;t understand the sport. 

I liked how Canadian SBX Bronze Medalist Dominique Maltais said it:

“You’re not supposed to grab your board…It’s not a half-pipe race, it’s just boardercross.”

 

 

 

 

  

   

    

      

         

             

      

   

 

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