EVENT OVERVIEWS: Getting to Nagano by Derek Heidt Well here we are. I'm sitting on a plane heading to Vancouver from Whistler, then on to Osaka. We just finished a month of watching snowboarding transform into something totally different than what we know. I've watched some of my best friends that get bummed at me and everything in snowboarding because they weren't going. There's also been unbelievable amounts of general media coverage, in fact more than daily since the team was announced. This is pre-Olympian Derek Heidt at Whistler I never expected to be getting calls from the same media who just a year ago were publishing stereotyped crap of snowboarders since the sport started. It's amazing how peoples views can change almost instantaneously about the sport just because the Olympic organization considers it an Olympic discipline now. Since the announcement the team we have been through many cheezy speeches. We've also been dealing with various wise cracks threatening the sport and its participants. The Olympic community is now kissing our ass, however, we still receive no funding from the government. The heads of the Olympic deal are also very scared that we are going to do something crazy. Trevor Andrew has to walk out in opening ceremonies with two old guys on either side of him to keep him in check. Let's just say young Trevor has been the smartest of anyone, having fun everywhere, dressing casually when he is supposed to dress up, stuff like that. But the media eats it up. It's very evident that the snowboarders are the most laid back of all of the athletes. I think it's because this isn't the highlight of our careers. Any other sport would die to have the fun life that comes with being a pro snowboarder, but the masses just don't understand this. This contest is really just like any other for us. Same people we always compete against, just this time we are doing it officially for our country. After staying in Osaka for one night we went on to Matsamoto and then took a bus to Shigakogen, where it's all going to happen. Trevor already forgot his accreditation at the hotel. We are treating this like any other trip to a contest, forget the hype. In Nagano we stayed in the Olympic village for one day. There's free arcades and restaurants like McDonald's where you grab what you whatever you want when you want it. The security is ridiculous and the threat of a bomb or terrorist strike is believed to be high. I'm glad we are staying in the mountains in Shigakogen for the contest an hour outside Nagano and away from the Olympic Village. When we arrived at the five star prince hotel where all the athletes are staying it was sunny and nice. The mountains were no bigger then the East coast and tree line goes to the top. There was a lot of fresh pow. We passed the down hill event on the way to our hotel. The area resembles europe with tunnels running through the winding mountain rode and chair lifts everywhere. We're finally here! OTHER OVERVIEWS Olympics-Snowboarding-Austrian ace comes up trumps Fri. (Feb. 06 @ 2:43:PM est) Nagano Olympics Combine Old and New Thu. (Feb. 05 @ 8:39:PM est) The FIS/USSA Borg: We Have Been Assimilated Wed. (Feb. 04 @ 1:17:PM est) Words to the Man: Sweet Home Nagano Wed. (Feb. 04 @ 1:15:PM est) Mayor Defends Cost of Nagano Games Mon. (Feb. 02 @ 11:45:AM est) Nagano Gets Ready for the World Fri. (Jan. 30 @ 12:26:PM est) Fletcher, Klug, Taggart Clinch First Olympic Spots Wed. (Jan. 28 @ 12:56:AM est) Michele Taggart Guaranteed Spot With Oregon Grand Prix Victory Tue. (Jan. 27 @ 5:35:PM est) Mark Fawcett Heads for Nagano Mon. (Jan. 26 @ 4:20:PM est) Olympic Halfpipe Judging Criteria Fri. (Jan. 23 @ 1:35:PM est) Kanbayashi Snowboard Park - Olympic Halfpipe Venue Fri. (Jan. 23 @ 1:33:PM est) Mt. Yakebitai - Olympic Snowboard GS Venue Fri. (Jan. 23 @ 1:32:PM est) Snowboarding's First Olympic Venue Fri. (Jan. 23 @ 1:30:PM est) The Twisting Road to Nagano Fri. (Jan. 23 @ 1:29:PM est) First Animal, Now Bugs Bunny What Cartoon Animal Will Team USA Torture Us With Next? Wed. (Jan. 21 @ 1:09:PM est) Muppet Debuts as Olympic Mascot Wed. (Jan. 21 @ 1:03:PM est) SOLYMPICS NAVIGATION: SOLympics Message Boards | Event Overviews | Schedule | Event Coverage | Results | Audio Clips | Photos | U.S. Grand Prix | Snowboarding TV Listings SOL NAVIGATION: SOL | Scoop | Hardware | Industry | Circleplus | Push | Travel | Interact | School | Weather | Terrain | Compete | Mediator

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