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By Tim Warsinskey
February 16, 2010, 8:39PM
Louie Vito of Bellefontaine, Ohio, competes in the men's snowboard superpipe final round at the Winter X Games at Buttermilk Mountain outside Aspen, Colo., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. TIM WARSINSKEY, Plain Dealer Reporter
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Louie Vito is an Olympian for every kid who thinks growing up in Ohio is a bad idea.
"I'm living in Salt Lake now, and lovin' it, and it's cool," said Vito, a halfpipe snowboarder. "But I never will forget my roots and where I came from. So, it would be great for Ohio to have a snowboarding champion and show kids it doesn't matter where you live, in whatever sport you want to do, as long as you stay focused and push yourself, you can really excel."
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Vito grew up in Bellefontaine, near Columbus, and is one of the "other" halfpipe riders competing today in the massive shadow of Shaun White at the Vancouver Olympics.
Despite being 5-5, Vito is the biggest thing from Bellefontaine since the Shawnee chief Blue Jacket.
"It's pretty rare to hear about a snowboarder from Ohio," Vito said. "It's kinda cool, and it keeps you grounded."
Bellefontaine, like the rest of Ohio, is a place good skiers leave to become great. Vito is among them. At 13, he spent a winter at the renowned Stratton Mountain School in Vermont, a boarding school famous for training world-class skiers. The next year, he enrolled full time, and he graduated in 2006.
"My parents caught a lot of heat for sending a 13-year-old off to a boarding school and doing a lot of traveling when I was young," he said. "They waited until they thought I was mature enough and trusted me, and it worked out for the better, and I'm forever thankful for that."
Vito made the most of the opportunity, excelling in national and international competitions. Sponsors who recognized White's appeal also signed Vito to deals. By the time he graduated from Stratton Mountain, he had enough money to buy a house in Utah.
Even before the Olympics, he's a star. He and partner Chelsie Hightower lasted five weeks on "Dancing With the Stars" last fall, and he's writing a blog for People magazine. Today is his chance to move into White's galaxy. Vito and White are the only Olympic competitors who have landed back-to-back variations of the dangerous double-cork maneuver, which is two diagonal flips and three twists.
The chance to beat White on this stage is heady stuff. Vito said one thing that helps him stay focused is remembering his roots. Vito was in Bellefontaine last month for his annual charity rail jam.
"It's the people who knew you then and supported you when you didn't have anything, and still support you," he said. "You're always thankful for your hometown. I hope to keep making them proud."
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