The Snowboarding Cabinet Official

I’m always on the lookout for reports of interesting and prominent people who are also snowboarders, so I caught an item about the man who will be the next secretary of the treasury.

The Economist says that Tim Geithner, age 47, is a snowboarder, in addition to being president (for now) of the New York Federal Reserve.

Conor Dougherty, who writes at a Wall Street Journal blog called “Real Time Economics” is disappointed that Geithner isn’t also a skateboarder, as first reported in some press accounts.

Dougherty offers some reasons why snowboarding is preferred to skateboarding:

There are some theories as to why surfers and snowboarders have outdone skaters in seeking political office. Surfing and snowboarding tend to cost more, and this may act as a social filter.

Also, a lot of people start surfing and snowboarding in middle age. It’s certainly possible to pick-up skateboarding later in life, but few adults can stomach the time and pain commitment that learning skateboarding requires. (Emphasis added)

So if you think snowboarding is hard to learn, consider this: At least it isn’t as punishing as skateboarding. (Falling on soft snow is one thing; falling onto concrete is another.)

The Secretary of the Treasury, by the way, is fifth in line for the presidency.