[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OLYMPIAN ERIC BERGOUST

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I stand today to recognize an 
Olympian from the great state of Montana. Eric Bergoust, a Western 
Montana native from Missoula, will represent our nation next week in 
the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
  Eric, 28, is a freestyle aerialist skier--a sport that requires 
athletes to launch themselves off a snow ski ramp, twist and turn their 
body in mid-air and land on the slope below. You certainly cannot 
appreciate the physical requirements of this sport until you are able 
to see it. And the landings don't always end up feet down. Watch the 
sport long enough and you are bound to see an unplanned landing.
  But Eric is not new to the challenges of freestyle aerial skiing. 
Eric was profiled on network television earlier this week during a look 
at the 1998 Winter Olympics. The profile included photos of Eric diving 
off the roof of his parents' Missoula home into mattresses on the 
ground below. Mr. President, I am happy to see that Eric's adventurous 
spirit is now compensated and insured.
  When I was a kid, we also had to be creative to fill our time, but my 
feet stayed on the ground and rarely reached a height higher than the 
stirrups of a tall horse.
  Although he has claimed his share of injuries from the physically 
demanding sport, I am proud to claim Eric as a native Montanan. He has 
represented our state well in world class events.
  Eric is participating in his second Olympic games and has matured 
into one of the sport's premiere athletes. Last month, Eric won a World 
Cup event in British Columbia and is at the top of the World Cup 
standing entering the Olympics.
  I've sent Eric a telegram wishing him well next week in the freestyle 
aerial events. I wanted to make sure my colleagues and the American 
people are aware of Eric's roots and the Montana spirit that drives him 
to be the world's best in his sport.

                          ____________________