Over just four days in February 1998, Ross Rebagliati truly experienced the agony and the defeat of the Olympic Games. No matter the credentials that propelled him to gold at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games, it was what happened after that has been his onus.

"I didn't really want it to happen that way, but you roll with the punches and hopefully you can come out on top..."

On Feb. 8, Ross became the first gold medal winning snowboarder in history. On Feb. 11, the International Olympic Committee voted to strip Ross of his gold when trace levels of THC, the chief intoxicant in marijuana, were found following a drug test.

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But a day later, an international arbitration board, in a stunning vote, reversed the IOC decision and Ross again won his gold. If he hadn't been famous on the 8th, he certainly was by the 11th. A fame that precluded even buying vegetables anonymously. [click to hear or read it]

Now, it's a year later and Ross is not only over it, he's looking forward to the 2002 Games. However affected at the time, he's not concerned now with his image. "I feel like I'm a pretty good guy and don't have to worry too much about what other people are thinking, luckily for me," he said, and this coat of armor may have suited him well under the barrage of media attention.

Ross may have even benefitted from the international tar and feather show. "It would be hard to deny the fact that I probably got 300% more exposure from it than without it...I didn't really want it to happen that way, but you roll with the punches and hopefully you can come out on top," Ross told The Mountain Zone this month. [click to hear or read it]

Not to say there were no repercussions, the gold winning GSer did not train for eight months following the Olympics. "From February to October was kind of a long time for me to not ride or train," Ross said, but he's back and just wants to do what he does best — ride.[click to hear or read it]

Ross still has the spirit that brought him to the sport. His advice for the up-and comers? Get out there. "For all you guys who want to win medals out there. You have to really want it, you have to fight for it, you know. Especially when it starts sucking, you really have to push harder and try harder, and not worry about it too much," he said.[click to hear and read it]

And that's just what he's doing. He's racing on tour and looking to podium a "few" times before the end of the season. On the road now for 17 weeks, Ross heads off the Europe for the end of the season. After that, well, he has his image to market. As a Roots clothing sponsored athlete, Ross will be pulling profile for the Montreal-based manufacturer's TV spots. [click to hear and read it]

Clearly, Ross Rebagliati has risen from the ashes and maybe even a bit higher than he had been before. He just starting to realize how he has been affected by the events that unfolded in Nagano, and it's not all bad — in a rock star sort of way. "I used to say that it hadn't [affected me], but I'm starting to realize that it has. Basically just all the things that you have to deal with as far as being recognized. There's a lot of other things, too, but we won't go into it," he said. [Laughter]

See ya on the podium.

— Sarah Love and Brent Brookler, Mountain Zone Staff
Photos by Peter Mitchell