Shannon Bahrke
Early life and family
Bahrke was born in Reno, Nevada to Dick and Trilla Bahrke, and raised in Tahoe City, California. The Bahrke family name originates in Norway; her paternal grandparents are from a town near Oslo. She began skiing at the age of three, and skied different resorts around Lake Tahoe while growing up. When she was 13, her talent was recognized by the coach of the freestyle team at Squaw Valley Ski Resort who convinced her to join the team. Besides skiing, Bahrke also participated in soccer, softball and track, and played trumpet in her high school bands.
After high school, she moved to Salt Lake City and attended the University of Utah. In December of 1998, she earned a spot on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team.
Her younger brother, Scotty Bahrke, also competes with the US Freestyle Team as an aerialist. He joined the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver on short notice, replacing teammate Dylan Ferguson who was recovering from an emergency appendectomy shortly before the Games began.
Bahrke is engaged to longtime boyfriend, Matt Happe, with whom she co-founded Silver Bean Coffee Company in 2008. She announced that following the 2010 Olympics, she would retire from competition, wed Happe on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10), and concentrate on their business.
Skiing career
After being selected to the US team in December 1998, Bahrke’s first World Cup appearance was at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec in January 1999; six weeks later she reached her first podium with a second place finish in dual moguls at Madarao in Japan. She went on to place fifth in dual moguls at the 1999 World Ski Championships. From 1999 through the 20012002 season, Bahrke reached the podium at seven World Cup events, including two victories.
In 2002, Bahrke was selected to the US Olympic Team for the Salt Lake Olympic Games. She won the silver medal, and was the first of 34 American medalists at the 2002 Games. After the 2002 Olympics, Bahrke went on to win the 2003 World Cup Championship. At the 2003 Deer Valley World Ski Championships, she won the bronze medal in dual moguls, and finished fourth in moguls, missing the podium by 34 hundredths of a point.
Bahrke’s career was interrupted by injuries beginning in February 2004 when she suffered a broken jaw during a World Cup event in Japan, ending her season. Then, while training for the second event of the 20042005 season, she sustained a serious injury to her right knee, with a torn ACL, a partially torn MCL and damage to the meniscus.
Returning to the slopes in December of 2005, she qualified for a spot on the US Team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino where she finished in tenth place, the top US result. Bahrke then returned to form during the 2007 season, winning dual moguls silver at the Madonna di Campiglio World Championships, and placing second in World Cup standings for the season. Prior to the beginning of the 20072008 season, she suffered another season-ending knee injury.
She came back from injury once again, and in March 2009 won the dual moguls title at the US National Freestyle Championships, her sixth US title. Bahrke dedicated the win to her longtime coach Clay Beck, who died in a 2008 plane accident. After a third place finish at the December 2009 Olympic trials, her status for the 2010 Winter Olympics would be determined at the end of January 2010 following the World Cup events. She was one of four women selected to the US Moguls Team for the Vancouver Games, along with Hannah Kearney, Heather McPhie, and Michelle Roark. Bahrke was the only past Olympic medalist on the 18-strong US Freestyle Team.
Bahrke won the bronze medal in the women’s moguls freestyle skiing event at the Vancouver Olympics. She was in first place after her run with a score of 24.27, with 5 skiers left. Fellow teammate Heather McPhie fell on her run, as did Canadian skier Kristi Richards. Jennifer Heil, the penultimate skier, scored a 25.69, pushing Bahrke to second place, and second time Olympian Hannah Kearney’s gold medal winning run dropped Bahrke to bronze.
Bahrke in front of Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, Chicago
Silver Bean Coffee
While recovering from her 2007 knee injury, Bahrke and her fiance Matt Happe founded a coffee roasting company in Salt Lake City called Silver Bean Coffee. In addition to ski-themed coffee blends such as Last Chair Decaf, Powder Blend, and the Experts Only Blend, the company also sells coffees to support US ski team members and their charities. Over 20 US skiers including 2006 Olympic giant slalom gold medalist Julia Mancuso and 2009 Nordic combined world champion Bill Demong have their own coffees, and a portion of the proceeds goes to the athlete and their charity of choice. Silver Bean also sells Best Friend Blends; for every bag of these coffees, five dollars go to Bahrke’s charity of choice, the Best Friends Animal Society.
See also
List of Olympic medalists in freestyle skiing
References
^ a b Peterson, Nate (February 14, 2010). “Tahoe City’s Bahrke saves bronze for last”. Sierra Sun. http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20100214/OLYMPICS/100219951/1066&ParentProfile=1051. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
^ a b c “Biography”. International Ski Federation. http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?type=biog&competitorid=2524§or=FS. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ a b c Christie Succop (July 3, 2009). “Going for the Gold: Shannon Bahrke”. United States Olympic Committee. http://www.teamusa.org/news/2009/07/03/going-for-the-gold-shannon-bahrke/13970. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ a b c d e “Shannon Bahrke Biography”. NBC Sports. http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=2424/bio/index.html. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ Aimee Berg (March 3, 2009). “Bahrke Siblings: He Jumps, She Bumps”. United States Olympic Committee. http://skiing.teamusa.org/news/2009/03/03/bahrke-siblings-he-jumps-she-bumps/10224. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ a b “Biography”. shannonbahrke.com. http://www.shannonbahrke.com/bios.asp. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ Garrity, Patrick (February 23, 2010). “Men’s aerials: Scotty Bahrke thrilled with Olympic experience”. Reno Gazette-Journal/Gannett. http://www.rgj.com/article/20100223/SPORTS07/2230335/1018/SPORTS. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
^ “Torino 2006 Official Report Freestyle Skiing”. Torino Organizing Committee. LA84 Foundation. March 2009. p. 35. http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2006/Results/FreestyleSkiing.pdf. Retrieved January 10,2010.
^ Lindsey Sine (March 29, 2009). “Bahrke, Kashima Take Dual Moguls Titles”. United States Olympic Committee. http://skiing.teamusa.org/news/2009/03/29/bahrke-kashima-take-dual-moguls-titles/10841. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ “Deneen, Kearney wrap up Olympic moguls spots”. Associated Press. December 23, 2009. http://www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=383243.html#deneen+kearney+wrap+olympic+moguls+spots. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ “World Champs Highlight Olympic Freestyle Team”. US Ski and Snowboard Association. January 26, 2010. http://skiing.teamusa.org/news/2010/01/26/world-champs-highlight-olympic-freestyle-team/31094. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
External links
Shannon Bahrke at the International Ski Federation
Shannon Bahrke Official Website
Silver Bean Coffee Co.
Categories: 1980 births | American freestyle skiers | Freestyle skiers at the 2002 Winter Olympics | Freestyle skiers at the 2006 Winter Olympics | Freestyle skiers at the 2010 Winter Olympics | Living people | Norwegian Americans | Olympic freestyle skiers of the United States | Olympic silver medalists for the United States | Olympic bronze medalists for the United States
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