Julia Marino has revealed information behind a dispute that led her toy pull out of the women’s Snowboard Big Air event on Tuesday.
Julia won silver in the first snowboard event of the Games, women’s Slopestyle and hit the air and podium with a very noticeable and out of place Prada branded snowboard. Lame.
The issue here is: Prada ain’t an official International Olympic Committee sponsor. One thing you don’t fuck with, is the Olympic Committee and it’s legal team.
Apparently during practice, Julia was told to tape over the Prada logo on her helmet but not her board. She didn’t do that. Landed on the podium and no surprise the Prada board sold out within hours to those puffy Moncler jacket wearing type. Champagne and green runs baby.
The IOC told Julia after the silver medal, her board was non-compliant and she had to either paint over it or use another one. Ever painted the base of your board? Not the best thing to do before going head first into the Big Air booter.
Then a letter was sent to the IOC, outlining that the Prada board was the same as other competitors using Burton, Roxy or that Salomon base that is printed in our minds for eternity.
The IOC then hit back, stating Prada is not a legitimate sports brand.
Julia powered ahead, with the a Sharpie in her pocket as she headed to Big Air practice.
She had two big falls before the big air event, one apparently due to distraction from all this Prada controversy where she hurt her tailbone and then another from covering the Prada logo on her board as instructed.
Julia went to socials saying “For everyone asking, the night before the big air, the IOC told me they no longer approved my board even (though) they approved it for slope … They told me I would be disqualified if I didn’t cover the logo and obligated me to literally draw on the base of my board with a sharpie,”.
“Anyway I dropped into the jump to see how the tailbone felt after taking a slam the other day in practice and after my base being altered. I had no speed for the jump and wasn’t able to clear it several times. Was just feeling pretty physically and mentally drained from this distraction and the slam I took. I was super-hyped with how I did in slope, my main event, and decided not to risk further injury even (though) that didn’t appear to be the top priority of the IOC.”
The IOC have not commented since this all went down.
Prada will be Prada and continue on.
Stay tuned as we dive into the IOC’s response.
What’s the iconic Salomon base?? I’m lost