Sarah Burke -

By: Kimberly Helk

At the age of 26, Sarah Burke has accomplished more than most. She has broken down the barriers for women skiers in competition and has placed 1st in more than a dozen events and has won the ESPY for Best Female Action Sports Athlete. She perseveres, not only in competition, but also tried her hand recently at the Nautica Triathlon, benefiting St. Jude where she took 2nd place, even though she is recovering from a broken back.

Sarah took some time out from the slopes to talk with TCC's Kimberly Helk about snow, skis, and life.

KH: So what first got you started on skiing?

SB: Well my family is all skiers, big background of skiers, my grandparents, and it was just something we all started doing. It started when I was about 5 and spent all that time with my family. I live pretty close to the ski resorts so when I was old enough to go alone, I started going after school with my friends and just eventually met a pack of kids that were doing moguls, and I got into that and then this new school or free ride started to happen and jumps were being built and stuff. It was always kind of my favorite part, mogul skiing, so it was a natural transition to get into what I am doing now.

KH: How many days out of the year do you think you spend on skis?

SB: Haha, a good question! Every year I'm like, okay this year I am going to count, but I never do,so I don't know. I spend a lot. This year was a little less because I've been injured, but I don't know because, as a skier, I went down to New Zealand and you just kind of follow the snow. This year I am up here where I live in Whistler till July, so I spend a lot of days on snow.

KH: You mentioned you were injured and I imagine you have got to have had some major bruises to go with all your wins, what are some of the more memorable injuries that you've had?

SB: Um, well I think the most memorable will be what I am going through now, and that would be I broke my back, and so I have been out of the scene for, I don't know, two and a half months now and it's just been so hard. Um, and just having a broken back is a bit of a pain and you can't do everything you want to do, but, uh, I've broken ribs so that's probably another one because it was all in the same area. Your core, that's what you use all the time, and they're attached, so you're reminded constantly everything you shouldn't be doing because you'll feel hurt. But other stuff, I've torn ligaments, it's just kind of endless, it's part of the job if you're going to throw yourself off an 80-foot jump, it's not always going to go perfectly, haha! You've got to expect some of the worst things to happen, for sure.

KH: I hope you feel better soon!

SB: Thanks, I'm feeling good, I got back on skis last weekend and did a little bit of jumping, so it's coming, it's just been slow.

KH: Also, congratulations on taking second place in the Nautica Triathlon! Did you expect to place as well as you did?

SB: Oh thank you! Yeah, well, I didn't really know what to expect, I'd never done a triathlon and I knew because of my back I hadn't been exercising as much as I would like. I had only started getting back in the gym, I don't know, a week or two before the event, so I definitely didn't have my endurance up to par. But it was fun, I had great girls on my team and they hauled ass, they were fast on their legs. And I had gone and done a small bike ride, about 20 miles with my boyfriend just to make sure I was going to be all good before the event. And when I got down there and did it, it just seemed we were doing double the length and haha, half way through I was kind of wondering like, oh what did I get myself into? Why am I doing this? But as soon as I was finished I was thinking that I wanted to do the whole thing again, so we'll see. It was really fun, I had a good time, and it was a good challenge for me to do, so yeah, for sure want to do some more.

KH: Now, when you're about to push off in a tournament, or even when you're going to try a new jump or flip, do you ever have that split-second “oh crap” moment?

SB: Oh yeah, haha, for sure! I think like every time! But I think it's good. Every new jump or first time you're trying it, you feel scared, and I like that. I like getting that fear and not knowing and then going for it and accomplishing it. Or maybe you take a crash and you get up and try it again, but eventually it's such a great feeling that when you do get it, it makes you just want to keep going until you do get it, so yeah. All the time get that feeling, for sure.

KH: So how do you get yourself psyched up for a competition?

SB: Um, I like being around my friends and laughing and just having a good time and playing around and not taking it too seriously. I always like listening to music, so music makes me want to dance, the stuff that I like best. And if I'm in the top at a contest, and having a good time and laughing with my friends and dancing at the same time, then that's when I know I'm going to do really well.

KH: What do you like to do in your free time?

SB: Um, I don't know, I like doing everything and like all kinds of sports, from surfing and skateboarding a bit and mountain biking. I just haven't quite gotten back into that yet, but summer's coming so it'll be good pretty soon to do that stuff. I like sewing and cooking and lately, because it's been nice, I've been into gardening, haha! Um, I love shopping of course, I'm a girl, so yeah.

KH: Okay, so you have grown up on skis, but have you ever tried snowboarding?

SB: Oh yeah! I love snowboarding! Because I ride for Roxy, I end up doing a lot of events with the snowboarders, and so we always swap, we always switch because they always want to ski and I always want to snowboard. I love it, any free time that I get I just want to go snowboarding because it's super hard for me. I've been on skis all my life, so it's a totally different concept and it's a challenge, I just love it, trying new things. I'm not worried about falling, I almost want to fall just trying things because, on skis, I don't want to crashing into things, so in snowboarding I do, haha!

KH: How does it feel to be considered not only one of the best female athletes, but also one of the hottest? Which flatters you more?

SB: Haha, for sure the skier, being considered on of the best skiers. I mean because that's what I love, that's what I do, it's my job, it's not kind of born. It's got me where I am today. It's still my passion, and that's what I want to always be getting better at and be recognized for. So definitely skiing, but it's so flattering to have it the other way, have people think I look nice and pretty and whatever, but it's definitely second. And I think it's good too, and I appreciate it and I like everything. I mean, family aside, I'm with guys all the time when I am skiing, and all covered up, and so I don't think there is anything wrong with showing that you're a woman and that it's okay to look nice too. So it's fun on both sides, but skiing is where I appreciate it more, for sure.

KH: Is there anything outside of skiing that you haven't done yet but you would like to do, like a secret passion?

SB: Um, yeah, for sure, I would love to become a rock star, haha! I'm a really great singer when I'm in my car alone and the music is really loud, so I think that would be pretty fun. But I don't see that happening, haha! I don't know, I just want to keep having fun at whatever I am doing and yeah there are a lot of dreams that I'd like to accomplish, but a lot of dreams that are far-fetched, and I don't know, we'll see where the road takes me.

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