Chris Klug

According to a report in the Patriot-News, the debut of Olympic snowboarding generated more than a tidbit of controversy sparked by antagonistic snowboarders who view their sport as (e)Xtreme, and above all, nonconformist. The potential confinement of these athletes, within the regulated agenda of Olympic competition, rankled many who sensed a threat to their own individuality. Others were outright compromised, and for some the notion of wearing Olympic uniforms incited ire.

Not all snowboarders were opposed, however. The inaugural event attracted teams from fifteen countries, totaling more than fifty athletes. "There's a fine line between selling out and buying in," the Patriot-News quoted half-pipe contender and Olympic proponent Todd Richards. Likewise Klug told J. Lieber in USA Today, "This is an exciting time for snowboarding. The Olympics … [will] put us all on the map." Klug, in fact, advertises "professional snowboarder" on his business card and totes a portable office in his backpack. He carries quantities of his resume, stat sheet, and press biography, all ready for distribution to media personnel and to agents at snowboard meets.

Klug arrived in Nagano as a frontrunner in the giant slalom competition. On the day of the event, a thick shroud of fog cloaked the venue at Mount Yakebitai. It was in fact, the debilitating fog that caused a ten-minute delay in the race and ultimately spelled disaster for Klug. At the outset of the second round mere seconds separated him from first place, and he tied for second with a time of 59.38. In the second round, with visibility impaired he narrowly missed taking a fall. After leading through the first half of the course, he let his arm catch a banner as he sped toward a 290-meter vertical drop that comprised the remainder of the run. The interference hampered his time, and he ended with a final combined time of 2:5:05 for a sixth-place finish, less than three seconds behind the gold medallist.