STRATTON- The professional snowboarding circuit is winding down and 2010 has been a memorable year for the US snowboarding team. The team put on a dominating performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning four out of six medals in the men’s and women’s halfpipe competitions. The world’s best riders return to the Northeast this weekend as they compete in one of the final major competitions of the year, the Burton US Open at Stratton Mountain.

West Dover’s Kelly Clark will be competing and some familiar faces from Vancouver will also be there. As of Thursday, Torah Bright, of Australia, Hannah Teiter, of Bristol, Gretchen Bleiler, of Aspen, CO, and Elana Hight, of Lake Tahoe, CA, will ride in the women’s competition, while gold medal winner Shaun White, of Mammoth, CA, and bronze medal winner Scotty Lago, of Seabrook, NH, will ride in the men’s competition. As for Clark, she is happy to be back in the area. On Sunday, Clark will do a special autograph signing at Carinthia Snowpark. Details for the event have yet to be determined.

Clark said the 2010 Winter Olympics were a success. In her first run in the women’s halfpipe final, she landed the first few moves, but then hit the deck while trying to complete a 1080. Her second run was strong from start to finish and included a 900 Indy Grab at the end of her routine. She landed a bit awkwardly but the judges thought it was good enough to award her with a 42.2 and a bronze medal. Bright won the gold medal, while Teiter won the silver.

Clark said it wasn’t so much about winning the bronze medal, but making it back to the podium after her fourth-place finish at the 2006 Olympics. “It was a great event for me. It is never in the plan to fall on the first run, but for me to get up and land a run after that under all the pressure was a big deal.”

Clark said practice for the final was limited until the day of the event. On top of that, she learned the run that she planned was not possible in the pipe they competed in. Clark changed her run on the day of the competition and, given all the pressures she faced, she said she was glad to accomplish what she did. “(Just) to be adaptable and land a completely new, very technical run was a huge victory for me. Medals are a funny thing. Although they’re prestigious in appearance, they always mean more to the person who earned it and knowing all the hard work I did to get this bronze medal makes me appreciate it more,” said Clark.

Clark said the Olympics in Vancouver was another great experience. She enjoyed the city of Vancouver and many of her friends and family attended the women’s halfpipe final. After Clark competed in the final, she heard that friends and staff at TC’s Restaurant in Dover took off their shirts to reveal “Go Kelly!” painted across their chests. Clark said it was “pretty funny.”

Since the Olympics Clark has been having fun and learning new things. She is not planning on retiring any time soon and would like to try for a fourth Winter Olympic Games, scheduled for 2014 in Sochi, Russia. As for now, Clark continues with her training and is working on a new project. The Kelly Clark Foundation has just been launched, which gives financial aid to families to send their kids to snowboarding academies. Clark said she is thankful for the support she has received to pursue her dreams and she would like to return the favor and help others do the same. “It is not based on potential, it is based on needs and dreams. We want to give the kids an opportunity to be great,” said Clark.

For more information on Clark’s special appearance at Carinthia Snowpark visit www.mountsnow/com/calendar.