Wednesday January 11, 2006

Remember Ross Rebagliati!

As we speak, the career of a cocky and talented young loudmouth is at a crossroads. No, I’m not talking about James Frey. That was this afternoon. I’m talking about champion skier Bode Miller, who is expected to make a statement tomorrow regarding his recent comment to 60 Minutes about skiing “wasted.” The forces of clean-living—his coach, Nike, even rehabilitated rebel Picabo Street—are poised to welcome Miller back into the mainstream of Good Clean American Fun, if only he will admit the error of his ways. Will he cave? Of course he will. (UPDATE: He did.)

All of this reminds me of Ross Rebagliati, the Canadian snowboarder who tested positive for marijuana in Nagano in 1998, but held onto his Gold Medal by claiming to be a victim of secondhand smoke. That was probably a lie, but one Rebagliati had to tell—not just to hold onto his medal, but to stay in the endorsement game.

Back then, my friend Pat Michels wrote an astute essay for a website we ran called ADAD, explaining exactly “Why Ross Reblagiati Had to Play Lame to Stay Hip.” While written in a pre-Paris Hilton, pre-Kate Moss world, Pat’s piece is still a brilliant dissection of the rules and limits of rebel marketing—and it’s hilarious to boot. As Bode’s career hangs in the balance, I thought I’d post Pat’s essay in full. You really should read it.