Kirsten Clark returns to snow for mini-camp in Timberline, Oregon

Kirsten Clark returns to snow for mini-camp in Timberline, Oregon{mosimage}Three-time Olympian Kirsten Clark was back on snow at Mt. Hood this week, completing her first on-snow session since tearing ligaments in both knees and breaking a wrist last season. She’s pleased with her progress after just two days of skiing. Head Coach Patrick Riml agrees, calling it “outstanding.”

“It’s been good all the way. I skied with her Monday and she had 13 runs, and it went well…really, outstanding,” Riml reported Wednesday night. “She took Tuesday off and was back on snow today. I’m very pleased. Kirsten’s such a hard worker, such a leader, and she was careful but she got right at it.”

Clark, heading into her tenth season on the ski team, echoed that sentiment. “My knees felt good,” the Raymond, Maine native said. “It was good to be back on snow…At the top of the [first] run, it was ‘Okay, let’s get this run out of the way.’ I wanted to get that first run under my belt and I just went down however I felt comfortable. But I started right off, laying it over…and it felt good. Obviously, my balance is a little off and I’m not ready to jump into a World Cup now, but it’s fun to be back on snow.”

The Europa Cup women’s team is training at Timberline Ski Area, with coaches Jim Tracy – who was Clark’s longtime World Cup speed coach before stepping down a year ago – and Stever Bartlett. “It’s great because I can just free-ski in their lane,” said Clark. “It’s salted, so the snow holds up a little longer than the public skiing lane,” she said. “I was arcing some big GS turns.”

Clark, 27, who had been married in September 2003, injured both knees and her wrist in a crash January 30, when she crashed into safety netting at the top of a World Cup downhill at Haus, Austria (near Schladming). It was the first major injury of her stellar career, which has included capturing the silver medal in super G at the 2003 world championships, winning a downhill in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, in 2001 and producing a top-3 finish in three different disciplines – DH, super G and giant slalom – on the World Cup. She’s also the only skier to win four consecutive U.S. downhill titles.

“The break [from racing] was good for me. It put the hunger back in me. I’m smiling again on the hill,” she said. She leaves Thursday afternoon from Mount Hood and will have a week at home before leaving to join the women’s speed group in Portillo, Chile.

Clark’s return to skiing is the latest comeback by ski team veterans who were injured last season. Erik Schlopy (Park City, UT), another medalist from the 2003 championships (bronze in giant slalom), crashed in the second GS of the winter and lost his 2004 season; he returned in May during a camp at Mammoth Mountain, California. “Everyone on the hill was cheering for him,” said one factory representative in attendance.

Schlopy has switched from Dynastar skis to Nordica, and will be one of the company’s marquee athletes on the World Cup next year. His serviceman previously worked for Norwegian slalom ace Thomas Stiansen.

Two other injured athletes, Marco Sullivan of California and Scott Macartney of Washington state, put in several days on snow at Timberline in June.

Schlopy leaves Aug. 12 for a training camp at Mount Hutt, N.Z., and then, along with Sullivan and Macartney, will join the men’s downhill squad in Portillo in early September.