Shannon Bahrke
Encyclopedia
Shannon Bahrke is an American Olympic freestyle skier
and entrepreneur
. Bahrke was the silver medalist in moguls
at the 2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City, the bronze medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, and in 2003 was the World Cup
Champion. With her bronze medal in 2010, she became the first US women's freestyle skier to win multiple Olympic medals. Bahrke was also the 2009 US National Champion in dual moguls. She has reached the podium twice at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships
, winning bronze in 2003 and silver in 2007, both in dual moguls. In 2008 she founded Silver Bean Coffee, a Salt Lake City based coffee roasting
company.
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 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.
. She went on to place fifth in dual moguls at the 1999 World Ski Championships. From 1999 through the 2001–2002 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 2004–2005 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 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 2007–2008 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 25.43, 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 26.63 dropped Bahrke to bronze and Heil to silver.
roasting company in Salt Lake City called Silver Bean Coffee. She offers a complete line of hand roasted earth friendly 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.
Shannon is an avid off road motorcyclist featured on the cover of American Motorcyclist Magazine March 2010.
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. Bahrke was the silver medalist in moguls
Mogul skiing
Mogul skiing is a type of freestyle skiing where skiers ski terrain characterized by a large number of different bumps, or moguls.-Moguls:...
at the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City, the bronze medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and in 2003 was the World Cup
FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup
The FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup is an annual freestyle skiing competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation since 1998. The events currently include Moguls, Aerials, and Ski cross competitions.-External links:** at FIS-Ski.com...
Champion. With her bronze medal in 2010, she became the first US women's freestyle skier to win multiple Olympic medals. Bahrke was also the 2009 US National Champion in dual moguls. She has reached the podium twice at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships
FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships
The FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships is the world championship organized by the FIS for Freestyle Skiing. It was first organized in 1986 and is now held every odd year. Currently, the events included in the world championships are Moguls, Dual Moguls, Aerials, Ski cross, Slopestyle and Half-pipe...
, winning bronze in 2003 and silver in 2007, both in dual moguls. In 2008 she founded Silver Bean Coffee, a Salt Lake City based coffee roasting
Coffee roasting
Roasting coffee transforms the chemical and physical properties of green coffee beans into roasted coffee products. The roasting process is what produces the characteristic flavor of coffee by causing the green coffee beans to expand and to change in color, taste, smell, and density...
company.
Early life and family
Bahrke was born in Reno, NevadaReno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
to Dick and Trilla Bahrke, and raised in Tahoe City, California
Tahoe City, California
Tahoe City is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California. Tahoe City is located on Lake Tahoe, southeast of Donner Pass. It lies at an elevation of 6250 feet ....
. The Bahrke family name originates in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
; her paternal grandparents
Grandparent
Grandparents are the parents of a person's own parent, whether that be a father or a mother. Every sexually-reproducing creature who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic grandparents, eight genetic great-grandparents, sixteen genetic great-great-grandparents, etc...
are from a town near Oslo. She began skiing at the age of three, and skied different resorts around Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
while growing up. When she was 13, her talent was recognized by the coach of the freestyle team at Squaw Valley Ski Resort
Squaw Valley Ski Resort
Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California, is one of the largest ski areas in the United States, and was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. It is the second-largest ski area at Lake Tahoe , with 33 chairlifts, and has the only funitel lift in the U.S...
who convinced her to join the team. Besides skiing, Bahrke also participated in soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and track, and played trumpet in her high school bands.
After high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, she moved to Salt Lake City and attended the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. In December 1998, she earned a spot on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team.
Her younger brother, Scotty Bahrke
Scotty Bahrke
Scotty Bahrke is an American freestyle skier specializing in aerial skiing. He is a member of the US ski team, and participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Bahrke was not originally named to the Olympic team, but was added to the team five days before the men's aerials event to...
, 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
Dylan Ferguson
Dylan Ferguson is an American freestyle skier who has competed since 2004. His best World Cup finish was sixth in an aerials event at Deer Valley, Utah in January 2010....
who was recovering from an emergency appendectomy shortly before the Games began.
Bahrke is engaged
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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 JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She went on to place fifth in dual moguls at the 1999 World Ski Championships. From 1999 through the 2001–2002 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
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
. 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
Deer Valley
Deer Valley is an alpine ski resort in the Wasatch Range, located east of Salt Lake City, in Park City, Utah, United States. The resort, known for its upscale amenities, is consistently ranked among the top ski resorts in North America...
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
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
during a World Cup event in Japan, ending her season. Then, while training for the second event of the 2004–2005 season, she sustained a serious injury to her right knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
, with a torn ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
, a partially torn MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
and damage to the meniscus
Meniscus (anatomy)
In anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
.
Returning to the slopes in December 2005, she qualified for a spot on the US Team for the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
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
Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m...
World Championships, and placing second in World Cup standings for the season. Prior to the beginning of the 2007–2008 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
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
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
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, along with Hannah Kearney
Hannah Kearney
Hannah Kearney is an American mogul skier who won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.-Personal life:Born in a hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire, Kearney grew up and still lives in Norwich, Vermont. She is the daughter of Tom and Jill Kearney, who met while attending McGill University in...
, Heather McPhie
Heather McPhie
Heather McPhie is an American freestyle moguls skier. She competed for the US Olympic Team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. McPhie earned the Olympic team spot with a 2nd place finish at the FIS World Cup event at Deer Valley in January 2010...
, and Michelle Roark
Michelle Roark
Michelle Roark is an American freestyle skier who has competed since 1995, mainly in moguls. She won a silver medal in the moguls event at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships 2003 in Deer Valley, Utah....
. 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 at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's moguls
The women's moguls event in freestyle skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada took place February 13 at Cypress Bowl Ski Area...
freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
event at the Vancouver Olympics
Freestyle skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics
The freestyle skiing competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Cypress Mountain. The events took place between the 13 and 25 February 2010, and included a new event for these Olympics, ski cross.- Medal table :-Men's Events:- Women's Events :...
. She was in first place after her run with a score of 25.43, with 5 skiers left. Fellow teammate Heather McPhie
Heather McPhie
Heather McPhie is an American freestyle moguls skier. She competed for the US Olympic Team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. McPhie earned the Olympic team spot with a 2nd place finish at the FIS World Cup event at Deer Valley in January 2010...
fell on her run, as did Canadian skier Kristi Richards
Kristi Richards
Kristi Richards is a Canadian freestyle skier from Summerland, British Columbia. She pariticipates in moguls....
. Jennifer Heil
Jennifer Heil
Jennifer Heil is a Canadian freestyle skier from Spruce Grove, Alberta. Heil started skiing at age two. Jennifer Heil won the first gold medal for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics games in Turin, Italy and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which was also Canada's first...
, the penultimate skier, scored a 25.69, pushing Bahrke to second place, and second time Olympian Hannah Kearney
Hannah Kearney
Hannah Kearney is an American mogul skier who won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.-Personal life:Born in a hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire, Kearney grew up and still lives in Norwich, Vermont. She is the daughter of Tom and Jill Kearney, who met while attending McGill University in...
's gold medal winning run 26.63 dropped Bahrke to bronze and Heil to silver.
Silver Bean Coffee
While recovering from her 2007 knee injury, Bahrke and her fiancée Matt Happe founded a coffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
roasting company in Salt Lake City called Silver Bean Coffee. She offers a complete line of hand roasted earth friendly 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
Julia Mancuso
Julia Mancuso is an alpine ski racer with the U.S. Ski Team. She was the gold medalist in the giant slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the silver medalist in both downhill and combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She has also won four medals at the World Championships and five races in...
and 2009 Nordic combined world champion Bill Demong
Bill Demong
Bill Demong is an American Nordic combined skier and Olympic gold medalist. Demong is a four-time Olympian competing in Nagano, Salt Lake City, Torino and Vancouver.-Career:...
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.
Other Interests
Shannon is active in Motorsports as well. She holds a wheel to wheel racing license with NASA and Miller Motor Sports park. She currently races in the Spec Miata Class.Shannon is an avid off road motorcyclist featured on the cover of American Motorcyclist Magazine March 2010.