Torah Bright
Encyclopedia
Torah Jane Bright is an Australian snowboard
er. She turned pro at age 14 and finished fifth in snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Torino, Italy
. She lives and trains in the area of Salt Lake City, Utah
, USA. She won gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics
in the halfpipe.
after Marion Bright learned the word meant “bearer of great message” in addition to referring to the Five books of Moses. She grew up in Cooma, New South Wales
, and attended Cooma North Primary School at the base of the Snowy Mountains
, and initially started out as a downhill ski racer. Bright is married to American snowboarder Jake Welch, and got married in Salt Lake City, USA June 2010.
Bright uses a goofy stance
and is coached by brother Ben. Older sister Rowena competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics
.
Bright is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "For me it's just a way of life – I don't drink, smoke, drink tea or coffee, or have sex before marriage. I've never drunk or smoked but I'll go out to dance and stay up late and then drive home at the end of the night."
in Whistler
, Canada
and was runner up for the World Cup title during the 2003–04 season.
Bright entered only two World Cup events during the 2004–05 season, both in February at the 2006 Winter Olympic venue of Bardonecchia
. She placed third in both events, qualifying for the Australian Olympic team.
In 2006, Bright earned a silver medal at the Winter X Games
in Aspen, Colorado
. She returned the following year, winning the gold medal in the women's superpipe
event. She is the first Australian snowboarder to ever win gold at the Winter X Games (11), beating Winter Olympic medalists Gretchen Bleiler
and Hannah Teter
.
In 2007, Bright took first at the Nissan X-Trail Nippon Open in the women's halfpipe, giving her back-to-back wins in two consecutive competitions. At the 2007 World Super Pipe Championships in Park City, Utah
, Bright won first place, beating 2002 Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark
. In late 2007, she made the podium for both events in the Roxy Chicken Jam
, the final event in the TTR (Ticket to Ride) Snowboard Tour
, where she became the 2007 TTR world champion.
In 2010, at the Winter Olympics at Vancouver
, Bright was chosen to carry the flag for Australia
at the opening ceremonies, and qualified for the number one spot for the final of the Women's half-pipe, despite suffering two concussions beforehand in training. Crashing out in her first run in the final, Bright was the first competitor to make a second run. With a successful second run, she posted a score of 45.0, which remained the highest score through the field's second run. Bright became the fourth Australian to win a Winter Olympics Gold medal
.
. For the 2008–2009 season, in 2008, she worked to expand her career into design, working on a new addition to the Roxy's women's line, dubbed the "Bright Series", which includes her snowboard, the Roxy Eminence. Her other sponsors include Boost Mobile
.
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
er. She turned pro at age 14 and finished fifth in snowboarding at 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, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. She lives and trains in the area of Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, USA. She won gold in 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 the halfpipe.
Personal life
Born to parents Peter and Marion Bright, Bright is the fourth of five siblings. Her parents named her TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
after Marion Bright learned the word meant “bearer of great message” in addition to referring to the Five books of Moses. She grew up in Cooma, New South Wales
Cooma, New South Wales
-Education: is Cooma's only public high school, it serves the town and seven of the neighbouring rural towns and villages such as Berridale, Jindabyne, Nimmitabel, Bredbo and Dalgety....
, and attended Cooma North Primary School at the base of the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
, and initially started out as a downhill ski racer. Bright is married to American snowboarder Jake Welch, and got married in Salt Lake City, USA June 2010.
Bright uses a goofy stance
Footedness
Footedness, similar to handedness, is the natural preference of one's left or right foot for various purposes. While purposes vary, such as applying the greatest force in a kick or stomp, footedness is most commonly associated with the preference of a particular foot in the leading position while...
and is coached by brother Ben. Older sister Rowena competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City 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...
.
Bright is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "For me it's just a way of life – I don't drink, smoke, drink tea or coffee, or have sex before marriage. I've never drunk or smoked but I'll go out to dance and stay up late and then drive home at the end of the night."
Career
Bright finished 30th overall at the 2005 World ChampionshipsFIS Snowboarding World Championships
The FIS Snowboarding World Championships is the world championship organized by the FIS for Snowboarding. It was first held in 1996 and is now held every odd year...
in Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and was runner up for the World Cup title during the 2003–04 season.
Bright entered only two World Cup events during the 2004–05 season, both in February at the 2006 Winter Olympic venue of Bardonecchia
Bardonecchia
Bardonecchia is an Italian town and comune located in the Province of Turin, in the Piedmont region, in the western part of Susa Valley....
. She placed third in both events, qualifying for the Australian Olympic team.
In 2006, Bright earned a silver medal at the Winter X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
. She returned the following year, winning the gold medal in the women's superpipe
Superpipe
A superpipe is a large halfpipe structure used in extreme sports such as snowboarding, freestyle skiing, skateboarding, freestyle BMX and inline skating....
event. She is the first Australian snowboarder to ever win gold at the Winter X Games (11), beating Winter Olympic medalists Gretchen Bleiler
Gretchen Bleiler
Gretchen Bleiler is an American professional halfpipe snowboarder. She currently resides in Aspen, Colorado and is married to Chris Hotell.-Career:...
and Hannah Teter
Hannah Teter
Hannah Teter is an American snowboarder from Belmont, Vermont. She is an Olympic champion, having won the gold medal in halfpipe at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. She also won bronze at the 2005 FIS World Championships at Whistler, British Columbia, and has six World Cup victories...
.
In 2007, Bright took first at the Nissan X-Trail Nippon Open in the women's halfpipe, giving her back-to-back wins in two consecutive competitions. At the 2007 World Super Pipe Championships in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
, Bright won first place, beating 2002 Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark
Kelly Clark
Kelly Clark is a snowboarder born in the village of West Dover in the town of Dover, Vermont. She has been snowboarding since she was 8 years old, and began competing in 1999...
. In late 2007, she made the podium for both events in the Roxy Chicken Jam
Chicken Jam
The Roxy Chicken Jam is an all-female snowboarding competition that was started during the 2004-2005 season created by Roxy Clothing.- Events :...
, the final event in the TTR (Ticket to Ride) Snowboard Tour
Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour)
Founded by Terje Håkonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour is a rider-driven organization that aims to represent the progression of snowboarding...
, where she became the 2007 TTR world champion.
In 2010, at the Winter Olympics at Vancouver
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...
, Bright was chosen to carry the flag for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at the opening ceremonies, and qualified for the number one spot for the final of the Women's half-pipe, despite suffering two concussions beforehand in training. Crashing out in her first run in the final, Bright was the first competitor to make a second run. With a successful second run, she posted a score of 45.0, which remained the highest score through the field's second run. Bright became the fourth Australian to win a Winter Olympics Gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
.
Sponsorships
Bright has a head-to-toe sponsorship with Roxy, the female-specific brand of Action-sports company QuiksilverQuiksilver
Quiksilver, Inc. , is an American company based in Huntington Beach, California, one of the world's largest manufacturers of surfwear and other boardsport-related equipment...
. For the 2008–2009 season, in 2008, she worked to expand her career into design, working on a new addition to the Roxy's women's line, dubbed the "Bright Series", which includes her snowboard, the Roxy Eminence. Her other sponsors include Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile is a brand of wireless prepay service run by Sprint Nextel, operating within the Sprint Prepaid Group along with Virgin Mobile USA, Assurance Wireless, and payLo by Virgin Mobile. Boost Mobile uses GSMand iDEN networks...
.
Competition Results
2010- 1st – Halfpipe – Winter Olympics (2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 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...
)
2009
- 1st – SuperpipeSuperpipeA superpipe is a large halfpipe structure used in extreme sports such as snowboarding, freestyle skiing, skateboarding, freestyle BMX and inline skating....
– Toyota Championship (Winter Dew Tour) - 1st – Superpipe – EXPN Winter X games 13 (Aspen, ColoradoAspen, ColoradoThe City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
)
2008
- 2nd – TTR World Snowboard Tour 07/08Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour)Founded by Terje Håkonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour is a rider-driven organization that aims to represent the progression of snowboarding...
- 1st – Superpipe – World Superpipe Championships – Park City, UT.
- 2nd – Superpipe – EXPN Winter X Games 12 (Aspen)
- 1st – Superpipe – Nippon Open Japan
- 1st – Superpipe – Burton US Open, Vermont
- Burton Global Open Champion
2007
- Burton Global Open Champion
- TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion 06/07Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour)Founded by Terje Håkonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour is a rider-driven organization that aims to represent the progression of snowboarding...
- 1st – Halfpipe – Burton New Zealand Open
- 4th – SlopestyleSlopestyleSlopestyle is a popular type of competition for winter action sports; which originated as a snowboarding competition format. Today, there are many sports that are considered to have this style of competition, of which skiing and snowboarding are two of the most common...
– Burton New Zealand Open - 2nd – Halfpipe – Roxy Chicken Jam (USA)
- 3rd – Slopestyle – Roxy Chicken Jam (USA)
- 2nd – Slopestyle – Burton US Open
- 3rd – Halfpipe – Burton US Open
- 1st – Superpipe – World Superpipe Championships
- 1st – Halfpipe – X-Trail Nippon Open
- 1st – Halfpipe – EXPN Winter X Games 11
2006
- 1st – Halfpipe – US Open
- 1st – Superpipe – World Superpipe Championships Park City, Utah.
- 1st – Vans Cup
2005
- 1st – Arctic Challenge, Tromsø, Norway
- 2nd – US Open
- 1st – Nippon Open
- 3rd – FIS World Cup
- 3rd – Slopestyle – Roxy Chicken Jam (USA)
- 30th - 2005 World Championships in WhistlerWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
2004
- 1st – Half Pipe – FIS World Cup, Turin
- 2nd – World Cup, Whistler, British ColumbiaWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
- 2nd – FIS World Cup, Juetsu, Japan
- 3rd – FIS World Cup, Sapporo, Japan
- 2nd – Roxy pro, Les Arc, France
2003
- Runner Up for the World Cup Title - 2003–04 season