I really don't give a shit if you act and look like a thug on the hill.  Acting like a G'd out moron who sells rocks for a living does hurt skiing as a sport though.  One reason that snowboarding has been able to reach the masses and ultimately become an olympic sport (pipe) is because they have athletes that have a "clean" image and can be easily marketed.  Shawn White, Danny Kass and that other dude who won the medals at Salt Lake are all for the most part normal looking, well spoken individuals.  You can sell that image and more importantly sell TV ad time with those images.  The more TV time, the more events brodcast the more money flows into the sport.  If skiing's spokespeople are supposed to be 17 year old white kids who act like their black but have never actually seen the inner part of a city, then our sport is going to be stuck for a while.  Forget increased TV spots, more money, and especially forget any chance of getting pipe into the olympics.  Just keep in mind that when you open your mouth people are judging you.  If you talk like you're from the projects with poor grammar and ebonics people will treat you like an uneducated thug.  You will get no respect, no serious sponsors, and no exposure.  Most of all you will be a laughing stock in the eyes of everyone because chances are, you're white.