ESPNMAG.com - 90. Boarders Rule

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It was perfect. "Born in the U.S.A." blared in the background as the three American snowboarders stood side by side on the Olympic podium -- the first U.S. sweep at a Winter Olympics since 1956. Hollywood couldn't have cast a more fitting trio of co-stars: leading man Ross Powers, role model; antagonist Danny Kass, wild child; upstart Jarrett "J.J." Thomas, underdog.

As for a script, none was required: "We let our riding speak for us," says Powers. The plot? Young turks force-feed a fringe sport to the masses. Turks beat opponents. Turks also beat establishment.

The show was the smash hit of the season. Yet, surprisingly, our leading men failed to become household names and will instead forever be billed as an amorphous trio: The Snowboarders. Thanks to Nestea, the three are the only Winter Olympians to land a national TV ad campaign. But why aren't these guys stars? A closer look suggests that maybe they should be:

POWERS (gold): Native of South Londonderry, Vt., and sole member of the trio with Olympic history -- he won bronze in 1998 in the inaugural halfpipe comp. At 23, he's the oldest of the 2002 medalists. Spends his free time working with underprivileged kids.

KASS (silver): His 'tude may not be role-model material, but his moves are textbook. The Mammoth Lakes, Calif., transplant (raised in Jersey) swept the 2001 Grand Prix, X Games and U.S. Open, and his patented "Kasserole" (inverted 720) is the highlight of his repertoire of tricks. Just 19, he spends his free time rocking (to speed metal) and roistering.

THOMAS (bronze): Lives in Golden, Colo., but grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where he first rode on an inch of fresh -- over pavement. The 21-year-old hit stardom in 2002, winning the X Games to clinch the final spot on the Olympic team.


	Team USA left the hometown crowd smiling.

The rise in snowboarding's popularity has been astounding. Just four years ago, the sport was the punch line of a joke at the Nagano Games. Following the 2002 Olympics, the three cracked jokes with George W at the White House. One explanation for the 180: The sweep by this fun-bunch of U.S. riders was a red-white-and-blue salve for a nation reeling from September 11. A second opinion: The American hunger for sports, fueled by the X Games generation, has developed a taste for the exotic. Snowboarding is served with plenty of spice.

But can snowboarding and its fresh attitude help revive the stumbling 21st Century Olympics? Can't hurt. Snowboarding helped boost NBC's Olympic ratings among 18-to-34-year-olds by 31% from 1998 to 2002. Will even more action sports events be added to the Games? "After this, the IOC is keeping a very open mind," says USOC spokesman Mike Moran.

Not that fans of traditional comps such as figure skating and downhill skiing should worry. Those sports will still have their own plots, casts and dramas. But be warned: It may not be long before snowboarding is the biggest box office draw of all.

Says Kass: "Isn't it already?"

This article appears in the August 5 issue of ESPN The Magazine.