Nagano 1998: The Master Blasts The Board

Terje Haakonsen, 23, is the master blaster of half-pipe snowboarding. But is he an Olympian? Snowboarding, the cultural twin of skateboarding, is growing up fast and this year will be part of the Winter Games for the first time. But count Haakonsen out of Nagano. The iconoclastic world champion has likened the International Olympic Committee to the Mafia. And last week, as he announced his refusal to participate, he told the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, "There is a lot about these Games that is not my cup of tea." He added, "The thought of an Olympic gold medal has never tempted me."...

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