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Ricker ready to rebound

Veteran snowboarder wants to ride well at WSSF and has sites set on Olympics

Knee surgery is a phrase that would send a chill down the spine of any athlete because a lot of the time it can be career ending.

Most athletes can withstand two or three knee operations before their bodies start to clam up – but then there’s athletes such as Maelle Ricker.

Ricker has had seven knee operations but she can still sport a healthy smile and talk confidently about competing at the 2006 Olympics and in the World Ski and Snowboard Festival.

"I love this contest (WSSF) in spring time conditions with all my friends around," Ricker said.

"It’s definitely a great way to wrap up the season."

Her ability to recover from injury aside, Ricker is unique for several other reasons.

Ricker is among the original generation of female snowboarders who started going really big in the pipe and, unlike many professional snowboarders who shun mainstream competition, she is also openly passionate about competing in the Olympics.

"I went to Nagano in 1998 but I missed Salt Lake and I suppose I didn’t know how much I wanted it until I missed Salt Lake," she said.

Ricker’s single-mindedness for competing has gained her a lot of respect in Whistler, but the coach of the Canadian Freestyle Team, Tom Hutchinson, said it has also won her a lot of friends elsewhere.

"Maelle missed the last Olympics by one spot and that’s been eating at her," Hutchinson said.

"At the next Olympics I wouldn’t be surprised if she won gold medals in boardercross and pipe. And you know why? Because she wants it, and once she’s put something in her head good luck getting it out.

"Mentally she is one of the strongest athletes I’ve ever met, and I’ve coached all types of sports.

"She’s also one of the hardest working athletes on the men’s or women’s tour and she’s not only well liked in Whistler, it’s like that all over the world."

Hutchinson said Ricker’s performance in last year’s world championships in Austria was one of the most memorable things he’s ever seen in sport.

"At the world championships she could hardly walk her knee was so bad, but she competed and she qualified for the finals.

"All week when she did her runs the pain was so great she had tears in her eyes.

"To me that was probably the best thing I’ve seen in sport as far as somebody taking it from inside them and making it happen from shear determination."

Ricker’s attitude toward representing Canada will become more understood as the 2010 Whistler Olympics draw closer, but for now many elite skiers and snowboarders remain skeptical about the Olympics.

"Snowboarding is an individual sport and a lot of snowboarders are still against it even being in the Olympics," she said.

"But I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics, it’s something I’ve looked up to since I was little."

Ricker has been ripping down slopes since she was 18 months old, but despite her experience the 25-year-old admitted she still has a lot of improving to do prior to 2006.

"I’ve been doing some World Cup FIS events and the Vans Triple Crown this year but I haven’t had a very good year.

"It’s been one of my worst years ever actually, but I did have a turnaround in Quebec in March."

Ricker finished third in the pipe at the national championships and is currently 12th in the world in the FIS standings.

"I started riding well in Quebec so maybe I’m finally out of my slump."

A major contributing factor to Ricker’s performance this year has been further complications with her knees.

So far she has had three anterior cruciate ligament operations and four anthroscopic surgeries as well as one ankle operation.

"I had some more knee problems this summer and it took a while to get over the mental aspects of that.

"But in a lot of ways I’m happy to get my slump out of the way because next year is when we all have to do really well."

Next year Ricker and the other women vying for a place on the Canadian national team will be competing for team spots at the Torino Olympics in 2006.

"In Salt Lake we had no team quota," she said. "There was only one spot given to the women’s team so we’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again. "

But before she gets anywhere near the medal podium in 2006 Ricker wants to finish the season well with a strong performance at the WSSF.

"I definitely want to win the WSSF but I want to ride well more than anything.

"I’m not going to be happy if I don’t ride to the level I now I’m capable of."

Competition in the women’s Superpipe event will be extremely stiff despite the fact there is only 10 spots available in the final.

Olympic gold medallist Kelly Clark is scheduled to compete and so is teenage sensation Hannah Teter.

Ricker said Clark would be the crowd’s favourite if she competed but Ricker is a local and Whistler has inspired some amazing hometown victories… just ask Rob Boyd.