Whoa, dude, I'm in the Olympics!

II mean, they're really hot, of course, almost by definition.

But that's not why I love the snowboarder girls. Here's the thing (and it goes for the men, too; I just happened to be watching the women last night):

Every Olympics, every major competition, the boarders push the limits, try to do something they might not be able to pull off, and half of them fall, crash and burn, wipe out -- and when they take off their helmet and goggles, they're smiling.

It's as if they love what they're doing so much that it hardly matters if they just lost a shot at an Olympic gold medal.

It's like, "dude -- fuck the hardware. Did you see that sick move I almost landed? Whoa, I was like 20 feet above the pipe, man."

For the snowboarders, it's about the sport, not the winning. Sure, they're intense competitors, but they also cheer each other on, and never play it cautious and just go out there and have a blast.

Compare that to the figure skaters, who are, of course, astonishing athletes and beautiful to watch -- but they do their pre-scripted routines and seek perfection in planning and execution ... and if they miss a jump or fall, it's  as if the world has ended. They try to smile through the obvious pain and you almost don't want to watch.

The boarders, though, they're into the real Olympic spirit. Swifter, higher, stronger, dude! Party on.