Babes on Boards
The highly athletic, ever-so- humble Clark, a member of Burton Snowboards’ Global World Tour Team, is passionate, kind, funny, ambitious, practical, and loyal to Mom and Dad. And, oh so very, very good at snowboarding, a sport that just recently attained the rank of Olympic status and is now being tailored to the female athlete.
Clark, 20, a Rhode Island native who grew up on the slopes of southern Vermont’s Mount Snow from the age of six, arrives for an interview at Burton Snowboards’ Burlington office munching on a chocolate ice cream cone. She doesn’t miss a beat as she fires off rapid responses to questions about her favorite sport and livelihood. The black tee shirt and jeans-clad Clark, seemingly dressed for comfort and not to invite the looks of twenty-something males, is refreshingly down-to-earth in appearance and attitude. Three bites into the cone and Clark tosses it in the trash, her heart-warming smile spreading across her face as she realizes here’s yet another chance to talk about her passion, and to espouse the belief that people can, and should, follow their dreams. If the 1980s were known as the decade of self-realization, and the ‘90s the decade to have fun while achieving that ultimate sense of self, then this young woman is the quintessential "Go Girl." "I’m doing this because it’s fun," said Clark. "I really love it. The minute it stops being fun, I stop. I always want to love what I’m doing." The only pressure Clark ever feels in snowboarding is the pressure she puts on herself. "I hate it when people put expectations on me," said the dynamic young woman who is known for freeriding, which has placed her in the ranks of the best female snowboarding jumpers and jibbers in the world. "I stopped ski racing because of the pressure to do well, and started snowboarding because it looked like fun." Clark’s list of snowboarding conquests is impressive. Her career highlight thus far is her halfpipe gold medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. She also placed second in the halfpipe at the 2003 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo., and has a long list of first-place wins at the 2002 U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Grand Prix races in Colorado and Oregon. She credits her success, in part, to the uniqueness of snowboarding and how well it fits her personality. "You tailor the sport to yourself," said Clark, who is a down-to-earth contrast to Vermont-born Suzy Chaffee, captain of the 1968 Olympic Women’s Freestyle Ski Team. Her dazzling smile and figure sold ChapStick lip balm in the 1970s. Clearly board sports have space for all types. "You can do whatever you want with snowboarding," Clark says, "and that’s pretty neat."
Neat it is, especially when it wins you a berth in the Olympics and, most recently, a chance to travel for two months to different countries to meet with snowboarding fans as one of 17 members of the Burton Global Team. The team visited 23 cities in Europe and North America in September and October. Clark’s future duties will include help with research, development, and product design of Burton clothing and equipment. Clark is a well-rounded athlete who came of age on Mount Snow, skiing from two years old on, as her family spent weekends and holidays at their West Dover vacation home. In the summers, she stayed in shape with ocean surfing.
When Clark was six, her parents Terri and Cathy moved the family to Vermont. A year later Kelly emptied her piggy bank and bought a K-Mart Mogul Monster and started snowboarding. Her love for snowboarding was evident; her skis gathered dust in their locker, which frustrated the ski team coaches at Mount Snow. "They used to call my Dad and say they couldn’t find me." So her parents succumbed to Kelly’s passion for the fledgling sport of snowboarding and bought her a board. She attended Mount Snow Academy for high school, competing in snowboarding in order to attend the school. "At first I didn’t want to compete; I just wanted to have fun with snowboarding." In high school in the 1990s, Kelly said, she learned to push herself. "To be good, you have to try to learn new stuff every day. You have to love to push yourself." In a sport then dominated by boys, Kelly learned to try new techniques. "The guys definitely pushed me," says Kelly. "I ride with girls now, and we go through a little bit more of a thought process when we try new tricks. We want to know what we’re getting into. The guys just went ahead and did the tricks."
She prefers to snowboard with women, especially boarders who are better than she is so she will push herself harder. Having moved to Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where she can experience year round boarding, Kelly is pushing herself with freeriding, and learning to take risks while keeping herself safe. Women are more vulnerable to injuries in snowboarding simply because their hips are placed at different angles than men’s, and their bodies experience a monthly cycle. Gear is now designed for women, making boarding a more pleasurable experience. It’s "no longer a struggle over the equipment issue," says Clark. She has hopes for competing in the 2006 Winter Olympics, and becoming a member of the Federation of International Snowboarders, which accepts only three snowboarders from the United States. For now, says Clark, she is where she wants to be, and only hopes snowboarding can retain its free spirit and unique style. "It’s very important to keep this sport fun. If I’m feeling pressure, I don’t do well." While she’s competing, she’s listening to her favorite song, Blink 182’s, "This is Growing Up." As long as "I’m progressing and going places with snowboarding" college is deferred, says Clark. It’s a deal she’s struck with her parents, who continue to support their daughter’s ambitions. Traditional college might not be in the future, says Clark, but perhaps design school where she could pursue her passion for sculpture and ceramics. "I just want to be very, very happy at what I’m doing. I always want to be very passionate and involved." What a great way to "grow up." Emily Guziak lives in Essex with her husband and three children. She is a regular contributor to Vermont Woman and U.S. News and World Report. For more information on snowboarding and the evolution of the sport, visit the Vermont Ski Museum in Stowe, Vermont, and the Burton Factory in Burlington, Vermont. Most Vermont ski resorts rent boards and offer lessons in riding. |
