Free Skiing Pioneer Sarah Burke Was Way Ahead Of Her Time

Matt Lorelli
·1 min read
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Iconic ski movie production studio Matchstick Productions has been dropping memorable throwback clips from movies of yesteryear throughout the summer.

Today's clip shows free skiing pioneer Sarah Burke tricking and styling her way around Whistler Blackcomb for 2006's film 'PUSH'. Check out the segment below:

Matchstick Productions: "Sarah Burke will forever be among the greatest to ever do it. This early segment rom 2006's "PUSH" is all the evidence you'll need. A true pioneer to the sport 🙌 Check out this weeks #SegmentSaturday for the full segment!!!"

How many skiers were throwing huge 720s, slashing powder, and sending backcountry booters switch in 2006?!?! I'm not even talking just about female skiers here. I don't think many skiers, male or female, were skiing at Burke's level.

In addition to her chops as a featured skier in movies, she was an absolute force in free skiing competitions.

She won five Winter X Games Gold Medals in Superpipe throughout her career.

Burke was successful in lobbying the IOC to adopt Superpipe for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Unfortunately, she passed away in tragic accident while training on the pipe at Park City Mountain Resort, Utah in 2012.

It was the same pipe that snowboarder Kevin Pearce was seriously injured on in 2009.

What a shot! Burke goes for the grab with 'The Black Tusk' near Whistler Blackcomb in the background.
What a shot! Burke goes for the grab with 'The Black Tusk' near Whistler Blackcomb in the background.

Burke left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. She was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012, and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

She was way ahead of her time and inspired a generation of young free skiers to continue evolving the sport.

You can learn more about the Sarah Burke Foundation here.

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