Bode carves his own path

0 Comments | USA TODAY, February, 2006 | by David Leon Moore

TORINO -- Four years ago in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, a talented, brash, opinionated, 24-year-old son of mountain hippies, Bode Miller, won two silver medals and replaced Picabo Street as the star of the U.S. ski team.

During a day off for him at those Games, Miller sat in a lodge in Deer Valley, pondered his future and predicted that, given his sport's general lack of understanding and popularity by most American sports fans, being the best U.S. skier wouldn't make him particularly rich or famous.

He was wrong. Today, Miller, 28, of Bretton Woods, N.H., is fabulously wealthy, with income from prize money, sponsorships and endorsements bringing in perhaps $4million-$5million a year.

Being the face of skiing in America -- more like the mouth of...