It isn't unusual for the best U.S. women's halfpipe snowboarder to be bruised and bloodied.

"I'm an aggressive rider and I really want to progress the sport. I don't want people to label girls snowboarding as riding like a girl. I want to ride like a guy," says Kelly Clark.

Clark soars higher above the lip of the halfpipe than most women in the world. Sometimes that means a hard landing in the flat bottom or on the deck. Just this week in practice Clark hurt her tailbone.

But the former high school tennis player always bounces back and never backs down.

U.S. Snowboard head coach Peter Foley said though Clark smacked her rear end hard, she will be ready for the Olympic halfpipe contest today.

Medal contender Nici Pederzolli of Austria, who found her way to the Olympics despite her country not initially being given a spot in the limited field, expects a tight contest.

"Everyone is riding really good. I was watching the other girls and it's going to be tough to do good here because every girl is riding really well. It depends on the day. But I have a good feeling. I'm feeling it," she said.

Canada's Natasza Zurek, Norwegian Stine Brun Kjeldaas and Yoko Miyake of Japan are also among the favorites.

Just 18, Clark goes into the meet as the U.S. medal favorite, even with veterans Tricia Byrnes and 1998 bronze medalist Shannon Dunn on the team. Clark numbers both among her role models.

"All their success pushes me to want to be better," she said.

Dunn has some advice for first-time Olympians Byrnes and Clark:

"I think just have fun and experience the Olympics for what it is. It's a pretty cool thing that we're all here and just to get here, it has been a pretty hard road for everyone. Just have fun with it," she said.

Dunn said she is not putting any pressure on herself, either, to improve on her finish in Nagano four years ago.

View Comments

One of the most consistent halfpipe riders the past decade, Byrnes barely made the Olympic team, edging out her close friend Gretchen Bleiler in an emotional qualification finale last month.

"For me, it's something that I've grown up watching ? the Olympics ? and I've always been very moved by the athletes and the whole event. It's not just like any other contest ? it's going to be the entire country and the world and the media looking at us. It's going to be a lot bigger than any other contest," she said.

Byrnes has been trying to get her McTwist (a 540-degree inverted aerial that judges will be looking for) dialed in. "It's coming," she said.

E-mail: romboy@desnews.com

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.