Mammoth is to snowboarding what Silicon Valley is to tech
By Elliott Almond, Bay Area News Group
MAMMOTH LAKES — Three-time Olympic medalist Kelly Clark left Vermont 17 years ago to cultivate her snowboarding talent on the powdery slopes of Mammoth Mountain.
Now 34, Clark is taking her high-flying circus act to the Winter Olympics for the fifth time as a long-time Mammoth local. Four other snowboarders competing in the Pyeongchang Games call Mammoth home, including halfpipe rock stars Shaun White and Chloe Kim.
The Eastern Sierra peak has become the triple-flip launching pad of American snowboarding as the sport celebrates its 20th anniversary as an Olympic discipline. The popular snow resort that on weekends feels like an L.A. suburb has been grooming airborne talent for decades because of supreme facilities, a long season with plenty of sun and snow and an innovative spirit.
