The OMG Tune & Service Shop - Burke

At OMG we consider our service department the heart and soul of our shop. It is what keeps you biking, skiing, and riding. Without our service shop, and without you trusting us with your gear, we do not exist. With that being said, we have decided to honor our culture of the gnar by naming our tunes after people that we have lost and have affected our lives and our industry in a positive way.

Today we highlight Sarah Burke. 

Photo Courtesy of sarahburkefoundation.com

When thinking of pioneers in the world of skiing, Sarah Burke should be at the forefront. She grew up skiing moguls, but quickly discovered a knack for hitting big air. Sarah frequently snuck into the superpipe, which at the time was only a discipline for snowboarders. She was one of the first skiers to enter into ski superpipe competitions, and was typically the only female. Her determination didn’t stop there. Sarah was the first female to land a 720, 900, and 1080 in competition and quickly became a household name. She successfully pushed women’s events into the X Games, and she is credited for lobbying freeskiing into the Olympics. She was the face of women’s winter sports, and she is the reason women today earn the same prize money as men.

Photo Courtesy of sarahburkefoundation.com

Sarah tragically passed away after a training accident in Park City in 2012 at the age of 29. Her ashes were spread over the mountains at the Sochi Olympics as a thank-you for her work to have this inaugural freeskiing event. Her family members created the Sarah Burke Foundation in her honor, which gives scholarships to budding athletes. She opened doors for female skiers at a time when it didn’t seem possible, and women athletes will forever have a great deal of gratitude for the foundation she provided. Her enthusiastic nature and electric smile carries on in every girl who attempts her first jump on skis.

Photo Courtesy of The New York Times

(Get to know Sarah a little better with her X Games Women’s Superpipe Gold video.)