Road To Gold: Korath Wright

mike lewis

• September 24 2009
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In an Olympic year, the eyes of the media are increasingly on are sport and it’s pipe stars. Shaun White and Kelly Clark are everywhere and Vito is even popping up on Dancing With The Stars and tabloids across the country. But one unlikely rider who is getting his day in the limelight is Korath Wright. Wright is from the Bahamas and will be the first person from that nation to compete not just in Olympic snowboarding, but in any Winter Olympic discipline, and all Cool Runnings jokes aside, Wright is directing this media spotlight on some good causes and endeavors.

We caught up with Wright recently after he returned from training in New Zealand and competing in the New Zealand Open to get his take on the games.

Coming from the Bahamas, how did you get into snowboarding?
I was born in the Bahamas to a Canadian mom & Bahamian father. I moved to Halifax with my sister & my mom while she finished university. When I was  six we moved to Calgary and that’s where the local shred hill, C.O.P. (Canada Olympic Park) caught my attention.

What do you think the Olympics mean to snowboarding? What do they mean to you?
The Olympics means a lot of things to a lot of people. For me it’s a clear focus and a unique way to show the Bahamas to the world.

After seeing the riding at the New Zealand Open, it looks like everybody has stepped up their game for the Games?
The NZ Open was crazy. Everyone has gone turbo.

You’ve been training with several Olympic teams correct?
I’ve been riding mostly with the Canadians. The Dutch & English guys have great crews that are a blast to ride with.

Has training for the Games changed what snowboarding feels like for you? Has it become more structured?
No. Structure to me is ‘I’m going to work on my 720 next week…’ i have better days when I take a look at what’s around before deciding which way to point it.

How much pressure do your sponsors put on you around the Games? Are there different incentive clauses built in to them than other contests and exposure?
Everyone has an incentive clause built in. This is my first games so time will tell the kind of pressure comes up. So far so good…

How often do you hear Cool Runnings jokes?
I am a Cool Runnings joke.

You have received a lot of press lately as the first Bahamian selected to compete in the Winter Games. How are you capitalizing on that press to help your career, your sponsors and the causes you work to support?
I got into this crazy Sports Press Ball in Germany. Red carpet, fireworks, and everything. They got me up on stage with the host asking me questions, then translating the answers back into German. It was an awkward way to communicate.

That and getting to judge the swimsuit part of the Miss Bahama’s World Pageant have been capital. The press is good news…

What kind of response/support are you receiving from the Bahamian community? Are many people interested in snowboarding there?
The Bahamian community is pumped that I’m pumping the Bahamas to the world. People have called me everything from a bob sleigher to a show boater. The amount of support has been huge. Getting the support commitment is the easy part, getting the follow through’s somewhat trickier.

Tell me a little bit more about Snow Kids.
The first Bahama Snow-Kids Camp went down at Mt. Hood this summer. Ten lucky Bahamian kids were sponsored to go to High Cascade Snowboard Camp by Wendy’s, Environmental Projects ltd, ABC Construction ltd, POP Headwear, VeriCon Construction, Michael Lerch, and other anonymous donors. It was a chance for the kids to see snow for the first time and board with their first boarder. The kids shredded hard. I watched them progress seasons in days through High Cascade & Burton’s Soft Start program. They were doing 1s & 3s by the end! www.BahamaSnowKids.com

What are your plans for after the Olympics?
After the Olympics I will shred on.
Time will tell if I’ve got another Olympics in me.