VA2007 - Outdoor Recreation - Gold Star

Until recently I had only met one Olympic champion, an elderly gentleman who thrilled me with tales of gold in jai-alai at the 1940 Bangkok Olympics. Then I discovered there were no Games in 1940 — let alone in Bangkok.

But Whistler resident Ross Rebagliati is the genuine article. When I meet up with him in downtown Vancouver, he’s in jeans and a Roots shirt and cap, looking virtually the same as the stocky blond, blue-eyed snowboarder who exploded onto the national consciousness with giant slalom gold in Nagano in 1998.

As much as he’s known for taking the first gold ever awarded in his sport, traditional skiing’s cooler counterculture cousin, his name will forever be tied to what came after. Shortly after climbing the podium, Rebagliati was dragged into Olympic infamy with a positive test for marijuana. Yes, marijuana: the most devastating performance-enhancing drug since, like, nutmeg.

“The day after you win you’re in jail in Japan, wondering what happened,” Rebagliati recalls in typical laid-back fashion. Sensing a wintry sequel to Ben Johnson — the Canadian sprinter whose thrilling 100-metre gold finish was stripped once he tested positive for steroids — the media descended. Yet as quickly as Rebagliati had been dethroned, his championship was restored: a mere seven-hour interrogation by Japanese police and a successful appeal on the basis of second-hand smoke inhalation had cleared him.

Despite the crucible of Nagano, or maybe because of it, he returned to Whistler a hero — his legacy assured by the run at Blackcomb and the park in Whistler that will forever bear his name. Engaging and well-spoken, the current-day Rebagliati shows his humble side when asked if there’s anything else he might like named after him. “There are plenty of pets,” he laughs, avoiding the question in impressively understated fashion (I’d go for “mountain” in a heartbeat).

In 2003, just when Rebagliati had determined to leave competitive snowboarding, Vancouver/Whistler secured the 2010 Olympics. That got him thinking. By 2004, he’d married South Carolinian Alexandra Axsen, a realtor in Whistler, and with her emotional support, Rebagliati got back on his board: he would attempt a comeback in 2010.

Why? Perhaps it’s the thought of a second gold medal, one he acknowledges would be even sweeter than the first, especially by winning it at home. Regardless, his training is going well, his results at recent Canadian championships were good, and, in his words, “I know I can do it.”

Pro Picks: The great outdoors, gold-medal style.

Like any B.C. outdoors junkie, when Ross Rebagliati isn’t snowboarding he’s hiking, mountain biking, kiteboarding, surfing — anything athletic, outside and mildly dangerous. If they ever strap a board on the back of a great white shark (and someday, God willing, they will), he’ll hop on. It also means he knows the sweet spots, and he willingly shared his top picks in B.C. for his sporting passions.

Kiteboarding:
Try Nimpkish Lake on the north end of Vancouver Island or the Spit at the mouth of the Squamish River, both of which offer an abundance of the crucial element for great kiteboarding: constant high winds.

Hiking:
In the expanse of trails near Lytton, B.C. (three hours northeast of Vancouver), Rebagliati notes that “you can get up high in the alpine where the wildflowers grow — grizzly bear country. Usually you’ll see a few.” Apparently that’s a good thing.

Surfing:
On the west coast of Vancouver Island near Tofino, Cox Beach and, farther south, Sombrio Beach, afford forests, ocean wildlife and superb swells — anywhere from overhead to triple overhead (a cool way of saying six to 18 feet).

Sanctuary:
Rebagliati’s getaway is actually close to home. Nita Lake, nestled at the base of Whistler Mountain, is cool even on the hottest summer days and has plenty of cliffs for diving.

Golf:
Rapid fire, the first three courses that came to mind were Nicklaus North (Whistler), Harvest (Kelowna) and Squamish, the latter highly underrated in Rebagliati’s opinion, especially considering its PGA tournament length.

Snowboarding/Skiing:
In addition to the obvious choice — his namesake run at Whistler, Ross’s Gold — Rebagliati offered up Blackcomb’s CBC North. It’s off the beaten path and ideal whenever the powder gets waist deep. — B.V.