Ross Powers won a bronze medal in 1998 in halfpipe, which was somewhat of an upset. But over the next few years he established himself as one of the best sliders on the circuit. Later in 1998 he won two gold medals at the Winter X Games, and in 2000 he established himself as the best halfpipe rider on the pro circuit, winning at the Winter Goodwill Games, winning the superpipe at the Gravity Games, and winning the World Championship. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, Powers became the first slider to win two snowboarding medals with his easy victory in the halfpipe. He continued to compete after Salt Lake, winning the 2005 Grand Prix at Mount Bachelor, but he just missed making the 2006 US Winter Olympic Team. Powers lives in Vermont, where he is the Snowboard Ambassador at Okemo Mountain Resort, and has established the Ross Powers Foundation, which supports young snowboarders.
United States