It was 2001 and Kristi Richards remembers watching a member of the Ontario freestyle team throw down a 1080 on the big air and impressing everyone with courage and fearlessness.
The event was the Canadian freestyle championship in Quebec and it was the first time the Summerland native met Sarah Burke.
“I think she was the only girl jumping on the big air, just one of the boys,” said Richards of her friend, who died on Jan. 19 after Burke sustained serious head injuries from crashing during a training session in Park City, Utah.
Since Burke’s tragedy, Richards said she has never seen such an outpouring of love and compassion.
“We all feel deeply saddened and at a great loss,” said Richards of Burke, who won a gold medal in the halfpipe FIS world cup event at Apex Mountain in 2006. “She was such an inspiration to us all, not only in her skiing abilities, but in the way she took on life every day with courage, grace and a smile.”
Richards got to know Burke more through their circle of friends. Richards also skied moguls on the national development team with Burke’s husband Rory, while Richards’ boyfriend Mark Abma spent time with Burke on the freeskiing tour. They also lived in the same complex in Squamish and shared memories of backyard barbecues, celebrations and Richards attended Burke’s wedding.
While Richards never trained with Burke, she remembers a moment when they were trying to convince Burke to move to B.C. and join the B.C. freestyle ski team.
“She was loved and respected globally, and transcended the realm of skiing and sport,” said Richards. “She was instrumental in pushing the sport in a positive direction, like the inclusion of women in halfpipe and slopestyle competitions and actively lobbying for the sport to get into the Olympics. Her legacy is incredibly strong and powerful and will live on forever in all of our hearts and our actions as we move forward.”
