VANCOUVER — So you probably think these newfangled events at the Winter Olympics are populated by an army of Jeff Spicolis who would just as soon compete in a Hacky Sack tournament, eh?
Well, in some cases you’re right.
In Seth Wescott’s case, he has a powerful sense of what it means to win a gold medal for the United States.
Four years ago, after capturing gold during the first-ever snowboardcross held at the Winter Olympics, he had his father, Jim, bring a service flag that had covered the coffin of his grandfather, a World War II veteran, in case he won.
When he did, Jim had a problem: He was in the upper deck of the facility in Turin, and had to make like Jim Brown, running between and over security people to get the flag to his son.
No such worries yesterday.
Though the 33-year-old Wescott believed he was a distinct underdog, he packed the flag with him on his trip in from Sugarloaf, Maine, and asked a PR representative to keep it at the ready in case he needed it. Which he did.
After spotting Canadian Mike Robertson a huge lead in the finals, Wescott executed five straight high-risk jumps effortlessly and won a stunning gold, the second for the U.S. at these Games.
And there, at the finish, was Wescott, draped in his grandfather’s flag. Again.
“It reminds me what it means to stand on an Olympic podium,” Wescott said. “It was part of the preparations of coming here, so much of this is the mental process — you have to know exactly what you want to do.
“I had a pretty powerful moment packing that thing in my backpack.”
That Wescott was in position to repeat his patriotic salute was an upset in itself, since he sat 17th out of 32 after qualifying.
But he slipped through to the finals, then took advantage of a slender opening provided by Robertson, who was being urged on by a fanatical home crowd.
“I thought I was in control, for sure,” Robertson said, “and then there was one slip-up and . . . well, he passed me.”
Soon enough, Wescott was draped in stars and stripes — a fine complement to his denim-dominated uniform.
