Canada's emo pants are too tight for snowboard cross

American snowboarder Nate Holland chastises Canada for giving in to the man.

Not the US Snowboard Cross team

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Canadian silver medallist Mike Robertsons pants are too emo for the Americans.

Canadian silver medallist Mike Robertson's pants are too emo for the Americans.

There is a reason why athletes are athletes and not Toast Masters or fashion designers. US snowboard cross team member Nate Holland objects loudly to tight pants, and he will "usually offer a gentle reprimand" at the starting gate.

But it's not a competitive advantage that Holland has a problem with (though tighter pants do help), it's that it goes against the anti-establishment origins of the sport.

Not the US Snowboard Cross team

"I think the problem we have now is the emo look and people trying to use that as an excuse for wearing tight clothing," says Holland in the NY Times. Trust me sir, no self-respecting emo will get dressed up in this outfit of fake distressed denim anyway:

I asked our resident snowboarding expert (yes, we do have one in the office) and he called bullshit on this too. And as this Yahoo writer points out, "Team USA Snowboarding sponsors include Nike, Microsoft, and Visa. That's about as 'establishment' as you can get. So relax about 'the integrity of the sport.'"