Athletes

A true pioneer and innovator on the snow with more than 40 wins in her career, including five Winter X Games medals, Sarah Burke has also been a voice and a force for equality in women’s sports. The 2008 and 2009 Women’s Sports Foundation Athlete Advisory Panel member proved instrumental in helping add women’s freeskiing slopestyle to Winter X Games 13, along with securing equal prize pay for both men’s and women’s events. She celebrated her achievements with her third consecutive X Games gold medal in the women’s ski superpipe in 2009 and a gold medal at the first women’s ski superpipe Dew Tour at Breckenridge, Colo.

Burke also had a tremendously successful 2008, winning every single halfpipe competition she has entered. The 2007 ESPY Award winner for Best Female Action Sports Athlete, Burke is also involved in designing every major invitational ski competition in the world.

As the world’s most decorated female halfpipe athlete, she has won every major halfpipe competition. In 2007, at the World Skiing Invitational in Canada, Burke became the only woman to land a 1080-degree spin in competition. That same year, Burke took home her first Winter X Games gold medal, which she successfully defended at the 2008 Winter X Games.

During 2006, Burke won a gold medal in the ski halfpipe contest at the World Cup finals, a gold medal in the halfpipe and a silver in the slopestyle at the U.S. Open, and a silver medal in the ski superpipe at the Winter X Games. In 2005, she won the Federation Internationale de Ski freestyle, U.S. Freeskiing Open superpipe, and the World Superpipe Championships. The Powder Video Awards named Burke Female Skier of the Year in 2004, and she also won the Powder Magazine award for Best Female Film Segment in 2004.

During a phenomenal 2003 season, Burke won six competitions, including the Global X Games Superpipe, World Skiing Festival Superpipe, U.S. Open slopestyle, Ripcurl Challenge slopestyle and the Ripcurl Challenge big air. Burke won the 2001 and 2002 People’s Choice Award for Female Skier of the Year. She also took home the ESPN Female Skier of the Year Award in 2001. (4/09)

For more information on Sarah, visit www.sarahjburke.com.