Through getting sponsored and becoming a part of the Bones Brigade and Powell Peralta, doors were being opened. The entire culture was shifting from ramps to street, and I sort of became a poster child for that.
Louis Zamperini
Someone who doesn't make the (Olympic) team might weep and collapse. In my day no one fell on the track and cried like a baby. We lost gracefully. And when someone won, he didn't act like he'd just become king of the world, either. Athletes in my day were simply humble in our victory. I believe we were more mature then. . . Maybe it's because the media puts so much pressure on athletes; maybe it's also the money. In my day we competed for the love of the sport. . . In my day we patted the guy who beat us on the back, wished him well, and that was it.
