Mount Snow's Kelly Clark takes second at 2008 US Open Halfpipe Competition!
Kelly Clark & Shaun White Dominate 2007 US Open Halfpipe Competition 3/17/07
2002 Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark and 2006 Olympic gold medalist Shaun White won today’s US Open halfpipe competition, the culminating event in the international Burton Global Open Series, Presented by Motorola.Following the halfpipeawards, Jake Burton, Founder and Chairman of Burton Snowboards, presented the first ever Burton Global Open Series Championship awards to Torah Bright and Shaun White, handing them each a $100,000 check – the largest single payout in snowboarding history.
It was a tight race between halfpipe superstars Kelly Clark, Torah Bright and Gretchen Bleiler and showcased some of the most progressive riding in women’s halfpipe history. Kelly took the lead after her first run with a frontside air, backside air, frontside 540 indy grab, frontside 720, Cab 360, earning $20,000 and a Motorola cell phone. Torah’s air to fakie tailgrab in her first run earned her the $5,000 Best Trick award presented by Nintendo and a new Nintendo Wii system. Gretchen took second place in the women’s halfpipe finals followed by Torah in third place.
“It’s pretty amazing to win the US Open halfpipe event again,” said Olympic gold medalist and Vermont native Kelly Clark. “I’m the only girl who has won the US Open halfpipe three times, so it’s a huge honor for me.”
What were YOU doing at age 2? Kelly Clark was already on a pair of skis at Mount Snow. She met her first snowboard here as a third-grader, learned on the East's best parks and pipes—and the rest is Olympic history.
The Olympic Gold Medalist in snowboarding hasn't slowed down since the 2002 WinterGames in Salt Lake, dominating halfpipe events wherever she goes. As she gears up for the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy, Kelly is as focused as ever. "I'm always trying to push my riding to progress the sport," she says. In addition to the halfpipe, she's also showing off her quarterpipe and slopestyle skills with award-winning results, and plans to film action videos with Misschief Films and Burton. Even when she's not training, she's training—spending much of her R&R time on a surfboard. "The main difference from snowboarding is that your feet aren't attached, and of course there's the ocean, so huge it demands respect. But once you're up on the board, the balance required is the same." Susie Floros of Snowboarder Magazine calls Kelly's snowboarding style aggressive, and says that her impact on snowboarding has been huge. "She raises the bar for all girls," says Floros. "She goes bigger than most, and she pays attention to the details—holding her grab, making sure it looks clean. She can do the big spins, but she brings much more than that."
In a sport filled with people who burn out fast or fail to live up to their potential, Kelly stands apart. Floros thinks it's because "she has a good, strong head on her shoulders. Kelly doesn't get distracted, and she plans her season correctly." As Kelly says herself, "If you always remember that you're blessed to do what you love for a living, you'll do just fine." Kelly Clark is living proof.
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$20,000 and a Motorola cell phone. Torah’s air to fakie tailgrab in her first run earned her the $5,000 Best Trick award presented by Nintendo and a new Nintendo Wii system. Gretchen took second place in the women’s halfpipe finals followed by Torah in third place.
The Olympic Gold Medalist in snowboarding hasn't slowed down since the 2002 WinterGames in Salt Lake, dominating halfpipe events wherever she goes. As she gears up for the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy, Kelly is as focused as ever. "I'm always trying to push my riding to progress the sport," she says. In addition to the halfpipe, she's also showing off her quarterpipe and slopestyle skills with award-winning results, and plans to film action videos with Misschief Films and Burton. Even when she's not training, she's training—spending much of her R&R time on a surfboard. "The main difference from snowboarding is that your feet aren't attached, and of course there's the ocean, so huge it demands respect. But once you're up on the board, the balance required is the same." Susie Floros of Snowboarder Magazine calls Kelly's snowboarding style aggressive, and says that her impact on snowboarding has been huge. "She raises the bar for all girls," says Floros. "She goes bigger than most, and she pays attention to the details—holding her grab, making sure it looks clean. She can do the big spins, but she brings much more than that."