Shaun Palmer is a legend on a snowboard, but like a lot of legends, he's been around a while. His Winter X 13 was a forgettable one. In his second time trial run Friday afternoon, Palmer fell hard, and in his quarterfinal run Saturday was rubbed out early after Pat Holland.
Palmer admits it's tough to stay motivated, especially when conditions get bad and the physical issues pile up. Still, he's aiming to compete at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. "It's the main thing I'm boarding for," he says. I'm just trying to concentrate on what keeps me motivated, just trying to get results."
They haven't been good of late, but Palmer remains confident. "I know I have the speed to beat every one of these guys, for sure," he told me after the SnowboarderX comp Saturday afternoon. "I just have to get my training and my head together and I'll be right back in there. I'm just going through a *&^#$ drought."
He's certainly getting support from his teammates. Earlier in the week, Seth Wescott said Palmer was a threat to win at Buttermilk, and Nate Holland is a believer as well. "He made the team in '06, he's fast in our training camps. He took a hard fall Friday, and I think that's why he didn't do well (Saturday)," Holland says. "I'm definitely going to back Palmer going to the Olympics. I think he can do it for sure."
The winter of 2010 isn't all that far away. Unless you're a 40-year-old dude with a lot of mileage in the bindings. A stage like the Olympics is a hell of a carrot to dangle in front of anyone, but we'll all have to see if in the end Palmer gets the stick.
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Contributors
Brian Kamenetzky
Brian Kamenetzky is covering Skier X and Boarder X this year. He's a frequent contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Action Sports, and he's logged many an X Games with us. You can call him B-Kam.
