WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Vt. Olympians compete in Stratton

Vt. Olympians compete in Stratton

Stratton, Vermont - March 18, 2010

Two Vermont Olympic medalists were home Thursday. Kelly Clark of West Dover and Hannah Teter of Belmont returned to showcase their skills for their hometown supporters at the U.S. Open Snowboarding championships at Stratton Mountain. And the athletes said they couldn't be happier to be home.

"Oh it's so nice to be in Vermont again and stay at my parents' house and they've got pancakes... My dad was making maple syrup last night and I was like breathing in the fumes and I was just like ahhh, this is the good life," Teter said.

Vermonters were happy to see Clark and Teter back at home on their own turf.

"When they're here in town the excitement and enthusiasm it creates is just remarkable," said Jim Andreotta of Stratton.

"I don't think Vermont could be happier having two medalists competing here," Clark said. "You know, it's fun in Canada when Canadians would go the stands would just go crazy and I think when the Vermonters go here it's going to be similar."

The US Open in Stratton is a familiar scene for these athletes.

"I don't think I made it past qualifications the first three years or so," Clark recalled. "But I know I've been in at least 10 U.S. Open finals now."

"When I was 13 I did the junior jams and I've been competing here since then, so like 10 years," Teter said.

Both snowboarders received some hardware at the Olympics-- Teter with silver and Clark with bronze-- but Clark said when she looks at her medals she doesn't see the color.

"For me knowing what I put in to each of those medals and all the hard work that went into them-- that's what I see when I see the medal and it makes me really appreciate it," she said.

Stratton Mountain was the first major resort to allow snowboarders on their slopes in the early 1980s, shortly after the U.S. Open at Stratton. Teter says they have the U.S. Open to thank for sparking interest in the sport.

"It kept growing and growing and then it became an Olympic sport and just blew up," Teter said. "I mean the U.S. Open is part of the reason snowboarding has made it so big. So thank you U.S. Open for doing that for us."

"I'm an old guy and I tried snowboarding about six years ago. I gave it two seasons, but it was just too darn painful so I can really appreciate what these young folks do," Andreotta said.

Both women have qualified for the halfpipe finals and will show their stuff Saturday afternoon.

This is the 26th year of the event but there is something new this year. Adaptive athletes are competing for the first time.

Molly Smith - WCAX News