The Interview: Ross Rebagliati

Q: You’ve mentioned Ignatieff. Are there other politicians you admire?

A: Sure, Trudeau. He was in power before I could understand what politics was all about, but he had a cool car and all the girls liked him. And when you’re a teenager, that’s kind of what you are looking forward to—a driver’s license and a girlfriend. That’s a way he kind of related to young people at the time. And of course, prime minister Chrétien was someone who reached out to me when I was at the Olympics, going through a hard time. He phoned to let me know that he supported me, and that Canadians supported me, at a time when I was feeling quite ashamed of what had happened. For that, he’s at the top of my list. And now, President Obama has set a new standard, also reaching out to the youth and to minority groups who have felt, or been treated as, less than 100 per cent American.

Q: You’ve got a tough hill to climb in Okanagan-Coquihalla. Stockwell Day and the Conservatives won the riding by 20,000 votes in 2008. How are you going to take him on?

A: I’m going to take him on the way I’ve taken on all the things in my life—full speed ahead, pedal to the metal. I wouldn’t expect somebody less than Stockwell Day to be my opponent. What kind of victory would it be if all the best guys weren’t there?

Q: Any chance we’re going to see you in a wetsuit on a Jet Ski?

A: Not unless I’m getting towed into a 100-foot wave surfing off the coast of California.

Q: You’ve made reference to what you are best known for—winning gold in Nagano. How do you see your Olympic experience translating to politics?

A: Well, it was a very political situation. I was on the international stage dealing with a borderline-criminal happening. I was put in a Japanese jail for several hours and interrogated, there were potential charges that could have been imposed on me if I had been unsuccessful in my fight to get my medal back again. When I did get my medal back, that famous picture of me holding it up was actually taken on the steps of the Japanese police station—I don’t think people realize that. For me, the Olympics was a heavily politicized event. I felt like I went from being a 26-year-old snowboard racer to a politician in a matter of hours, having to hold my own ground without any media training at all. It wasn’t exactly a confidence-building experience at the time, but looking back at it now, I did gain a lot of insight.

Q: Do you think your fame will help or hinder you in your campaign?

A: I absolutely think that it’s going to help me—name recognition is something that money can’t buy. The youth have been following me ever since Nagano, and not only the youth. I do have quite a following with all age groups—from the kids who are 10 today, not even conceived when I was at the Olympics, to seniors of 100 years. I’ve been recognized by seniors when I’m walking my dog in the park and stopped to talk to them, being completely dumbfounded by the fact that people not only know my name but can visually recognize me after having not really been in the media over a period of time. So, absolutely it’s going to help me.

Q: There’s been a downside to that recognition as well. You ended up in a legal battle with CTV over what you felt was a misappropriation of your image for the TV drama Whistler. Do you think Canadians have an accurate idea of who you are?

A: I think they’re beginning to. If they didn’t already have an accurate idea from my performance after winning the medal—how I showed my integrity in my fight to regain the gold. And since I’ve stepped up to the plate here for the Liberal nomination, that will speak volumes about who I am as a person, and my character as well. I have a lot of work to do, but I will do my best to prove to my constituents that I am their best bet.

Q: In one interview, you described your job since the Olympics as basically “being Ross.” What does that entail?

A: At a certain point, everybody has to face who they are as a person. And I’ve always maintained that one of the biggest lessons I learned during my hard time in Nagano was to try and stay true to my character. The last thing you want to do is put yourself out as something you are not. With me, what you see is what you get.

Q: How are you making your living these days?

A: [Laughs.] Good question! This summer I spent time framing houses. This afternoon, I’m going to be driving a pilot truck for a friend who delivers houseboats. I spent time over the winter writing a book on the history of snowboarding which will be launched Nov. 15. I do what I can, when I can, however I can. We’re one of those struggling families, just like a lot of people in this riding. I know what they are feeling, I understand how a lack of money affects a family and young kids. That’s been a major motivation for me to step up and try to make life a little bit better.

Q: What will you be doing during the Olympics this February?

A: I’ll be in both Whistler and Vancouver, not only supporting the Canadian athletes, but promoting my book, doing some signings. I’m going to try to get into as many events as I can, but I don’t have a single ticket. But as far as I’m concerned I’m just going to flash my gold medal.