Snowboarder 720Jimmy tells it all
Mille Lacs County Times editor Gary Larson was able to spend a couple of days at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
One of the first people he encountered was renowned snowboarder 720Jimmy. Following is Larson’s exclusive interview with 720Jimmy.
•Larson: Yesterday, star snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis of the U.S. was disqualified on the snowboardcross course when she clipped a gate. Pretty disappointing for her and the snowboard community?
•720Jimmy: First of all, man, there are no stars in snowboarding, except maybe for me. Snowboarders don’t get into this star thing…we’re all about what we do, dude.
And, we don’t really get into this medal thing, except maybe me. What’s a medal compared to doin’ something really sick or rad?
•Larson: Huh?
•Larson: In the 2006 Winter Olympics Jacobellis lost her bid for a gold medal when she attempted a hot-dog move and fell. Is there too much hot-dogging in snowboarding?
•720Jimmy: There is no such thing as hot-dogging in snowboarding…and if there is well, there can never be too much. And, don’t bring up that medal thing and winning stuff again. We’re all about ‘boarding, man, except maybe for 720 Jimmy.
Dude, you don’t know much about snowboarding. Are you some kind of fancy pants or gapper?
•Larson (looking down at his jeans): Huh?
•Larson: How did you get interested in snowboarding?
•720Jimmy: My mom and pop got me a skateboard for Christmas when I was five. Me and pop went out to the driveway to try it out but there weren’t any wheels on it. It was pretty stationary, man. Not much of a rush on that first ride. We went back inside to see if there was a package in the box with the wheels. There wasn’t so we went back to the driveway and tried it again. Wasn’t any movement the second time, either. My pop’s a smart guy, though, and he looked around and figured maybe we should try it on the snow. He nailed it. I was a botwoker at first but pretty soon I was doin’ hits off the garage, off pop’s car, off the neighbors’ cars. I still have that old plank.
•Larson: Snowboarders get pretty high up in the air. I read where the record is over 24 feet.
•720Jimmy: That high, huh? Man, we don’t carry tape-measures with us….hmm, maybe I’ll try that sometime.
•Larson: What are you thinking about when you’re up there sailing on the halfpipe?
•720Jimmy: Snowboarders don’t ever think, dude. Thinking about stuff isn’t about what we’re doing. If anything, we unthink. I do know you can see a lot from up there, a lot of people making tree runs, that’s for sure.
•Larson: You didn’t make the U.S. team because of an injury. What happened?
•720Jimmy: You saw me limpin’ right? The doctors say my left leg is broke in two places. Alls I know is there’s a lot of bone showin’ and it hurts when I step on it.
I don’t remember much about what happened. I was doin’ my specialty, the Jimmy Crack Corn. That’s where I exchange boards with a Betty who’s on the ground. I toss mine off to the side and she throws one up to me. Timing and placement are big on that one, dude. Well, she put a little too much on her throw and the board sailed over my head. I knew I was screwed man. I was in for a wack and bonked real hard. I ate that one. It was a real punch.
•Larson: Huh?
•Larson: Hope the leg gets better. What other events will you be watching here?
•720Jimmy: What other events?
•Larson: What advice can you give to kids just starting out who some day may want to win an Olympic medal?
•720 Jimmy: There you go with that medal thing, again, dude. My advice is just go out and do your thing. And, stay away from the Jimmy Crack Corn.
•Larson: Thanks for your time 720Jimmy.
•720Jimmy: I think your interview stuck it, man, and brought out the real 720Jimmy. Hey, maybe I can get you to shred the gnar sometime.
•Larson: Huh?
