Hailey's Graham Watanabe earned one of the most prestigious honors given by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association during the USSA's Chairman's Awards Dinner Friday, May 14 at Park City, Utah.
Two-time Olympic snowboarder Watanabe, 28, was the 2010 recipient of the silver-level Buddy Werner award given to the outstanding USSA competitor who has demonstrated leadership and good sportsmanship in national or international competition.
The USSA description of the honor said, "Watanabe is the quintessential competitor and exemplifies what it means to be a great sportsman. After transitioning from alpine snowboarding into snowboardcross, Watanabe knew he was going to need to work extra hard to catch up with the top athletes.
"Watanabe made the move to Park City and dedicated his spring, summer and fall to training as hard as possible. Once he made the team in 2004, Watanabe's positive energy and work ethic changed the dynamic of the snowboardcross team—bringing together very different personalities to work together and create a solid team. No matter what the situation, Watanabe can find the positive and motivate the group."
Watanabe, a 2000 Wood River High School graduate, was a colorful character at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
When asked by a reporter what it feels like to be in the Olympics, the Sun Valley native responded, "Try to imagine Pegasus mating with a unicorn and the creature that they birth. I somehow tame it and ride it into the sky in the clouds and sunshine and rainbows. That's what it feels like."
His honor is presented in memory of Werner, an outstanding U.S. Alpine racer killed in an avalanche after the 1964 Olympics at the height of his ski career. Werner himself was a three-time recipient (from 1956-58) of the USSA's highest athletic award, the Beck International Gold Award, won by Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn in 2010.
Starting in 1966, the Werner award has been given 44 times.
Past winners include Nordic Combined Olympian Bill Demong in 2009, Lindsey Vonn 2006, Sondra Van Ert 1997, Sun Valley's Pete Patterson in 1978-79 and Jimmie Heuga in 1967.
