U.S. Snowboarding’s Watanabe Ships Off To Afghanistan

Press Release

• June 24 2009
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U.S. Snowboarding’s Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) may be have spent the last week on a glacier in Oregon, but the X Games silver medalist trades the snow for sand on Saturday as he makes his way to Afghanistan for a goodwill tour to visit U.S. troops.

Photo by Mountain Express 

“I feel like this is a big opportunity for me, but at the same time I feel like hopefully it will be a reciprocal thing,” Watanabe said of visiting the troops.

Watanabe is a 2006 Olympian who, in his young career, has amassed three World Cup wins. Watanabe also threw down against the top international competitors in the field last season to take silver in the winter X Games SBX competition. He was also named the 2009 U.S. SBX Champion.  He will spend one week in Afghanistan and, according to Watanabe, he hopes to be able to provide the troops with a connection to the U.S. while they are abroad.

“I feel like I am getting more out of this visit than they are because they are making a bigger sacrifice than I. But, I hope that it’s a big deal for them. I hope it’s something where I’m giving back rather than just gaining from it,” Watanabe said. “Ultimately I hope I just provide some kind of connection for them to home or any kind of uplift that they need.”

Last summer Watanabe’s teammate Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), who will be going to Iraq this year, had the opportunity to visit troops in Afghanistan on the same tour Watanabe will be on this year. But, while he has an insider’s perspective through Holland, Watanabe said he still has no idea what to expect.

“I’ve heard some of the activities that he did. But I am still going in relatively blind in that I don’t know what to expect,” Watanabe said.” I’m hoping that we’re able to make a personal connection and really let the troupes do the guiding and show us what they think is important.”

Watanabe said that he’s had relatively no experience with military personnel and hopes to be able to learn more about what the troops do day to day.

“Whether it’s war or just the military in general, it’s all a very surreal idea to me. For me personally it’s a good opportunity to see what it’s all about,” Watanabe said. “This is an opportunity to get some education as to who the people are over there and their reason for being there. While I have an appreciation already for the people who do go over there.

“I appreciate without knowing really what kind of sacrifices they are making as individuals.”

As for being concerned about entering a country like Afghanistan, Watanabe said he’s not certain how he should feel.

“It’s very surreal to me. I honestly don’t know if there is anything I should be concerned about, so I’m not concerned. If there is, though, I’m in the best possible company I can be in,” Watanabe said.

Watanabe leaves Saturday for Afghanistan and will return June 28. For Watanabe’s thoughts on his trip visit www.grahamwatanabe.com and www.ussnowboarding.com.