Scoops

LEAVE YOUR HAT ON: Thank those painfully understated snowboarders for the biggest fashion trend at the Olympics. The dudes were the first to leave their lids on indoors, but the chicks quickly followed suit. With the worlds of snowboarding and skiing continuing to collide, the woolen-hat look is one of the few telltale signs of a serious rider. The style is rampant at Burton’s nightly parties at Mountain Logic. The other night Kelly Clark accented her Roots Olympic jacket with a two-tone blue hat with ear flaps, and even company founder Jake Burton went with the woolly cap. Male medalists wore them on Wednesday’s “Today” show. Others have taken the trend a step further, by adding goggles to their apres-ski ensembles.

SHE’LL BE BACK: Skater Sasha Cohen returns to Salt Lake Friday for her showdown with Michelle Kwan. For now, she’s busy practicing and yes, putting the finishing touches on the skating dresses she designed. Cohen was “amazed” with the bags of apparel given to her, but most need some tailoring, said her coach, John Nick. “At 5 feet 4 inches and 94 pounds, she’s below petite,” he joked.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: A handful of guards and police officer in and around the Olympic village described recent days as “quiet.” Where security was tightest near the entrance, one guard advised a reporter out for an early morning run Wednesday looking for a glimpse inside the village “to just keep running until they stop you.” They didn’t.

At the main entrance, four military guards said “not much has been going on.” But that doesn’t mean they’re relaxed. Two sheets with color photographs of what looked like suspects of some kind rested on their table.