Kelly CLARK |
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A few years later the 1983 born was enrolled in a mountain school for her high school years studying the law of freestyle snowboarding. The rest is history as Clark marks herself as one of the world's best female snowboarders.
After the Burlington resident made it in the Burton team in 1999 things get started for the self proclaimed book nerd. After winning titles around the globe, Clark set the bar high for her career by winning 2002 Olympic Gold in the halfpipe. But, as a natural innovator and dominant force in the sport, Clark always manages to push the envelope and top herself from one season to the next.
Earning a pair of X Games gold medals, and a total of nine World Cup podiums in eleven starts until 2010 Kelly kept on blurring the lines between men's and women's halfpipe competitions. Being a rider who pushes the boundaries she goes bigger than the most other girls dropping in the pipe, holding her grabs longer always taking care of a clean landing.
"I'm always trying to push my riding to progress the sport", Kelly once explained.
Except of her big airtime, she keeps both feet on the ground. "If you always remember that you're blessed to do what you love for a living, you'll do just fine."
But although Clark has been one of the most dominant ladies in the halfpipe circuit, it's not all roses. In 2006, the biggest bet for Gold, which would have been back-to-back Olympic glory, had to settle for the fourth rank.
Ever since she took it slowly, concentrating on her style and execution of tricks which brought her back stronger than ever after rejoining the US national team rooster in 2009. Clark led a total US World Cup podium sweep at Bardonecchia, the place of her "biggest defeat" adding another consecutive win at the 2010 Olympic venue's test World Cup in 2009 at Cypress.
This could have been a good omen for the next Olympic Winter Games where she once again is the top bet.