The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Providing care at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup
By Kendra Walker
Our community is fortunate to experience the area’s incredible recreation access and endless outdoor playground that the Gunnison Valley has to offer. But, sometimes we get hurt playing out there, which is why we’re also fortunate to have some amazing local medical experts right here in the community. One such medical expert, Dr. Blake Clifton, works with the U.S. Ski Team and will be providing his expert care next week in another beautiful outdoor playground: Slovenia. He will accompany the U.S. Women’s Alpine Ski Team to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, for the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup taking place January 2-5, 2025.
An orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Gunnison Valley Orthopedics, Dr. Clifton has been a physician for the U.S. Ski Team for over eight years and has provided care to some of the world’s most celebrated athletes, including Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin.
“Working with the U.S. Ski Team is both a privilege and a responsibility,” says Dr. Clifton. “You’re working with the best skiers in the world. It’s a special opportunity to be able to work with them.”
In his role, Dr. Clifton will travel with the team as they train, prep and compete, ready to attend to an athlete if they need medical attention. “I am there as their team physician to help with anything if something happens. If an athlete goes down, I’m called down the slope. Hopefully it’s a boring job and nobody gets hurt.”
Dr. Clifton likes working with these high-caliber athletes. “I’m there with them for several days, we eat, train, do everything together and I get to know them quite well. It’s really a great work environment. I’m very happy and lucky to be there on the World Cup stage with such great athletes and great people.”
He continues, “It’s very inspiring to watch what they do and accomplish. The group of athletes I’ve worked with over the years are good people, and they are as down to earth and nice and accommodating as anybody I’ve ever met. They’re always so appreciative of what we do to help support them.”
For the past several years, Dr. Clifton has been working specifically with the women’s alpine ski team, including Shiffrin who could potentially achieve her 100th win in Kranjska Gora if she recovers from her current injury in time to compete.
“Working with her is fun because she’s winning a lot,” he says. “You’re working with the winningest skier in history.”
Past competitions with the U.S. Ski Team have taken Dr. Clifton to many international locations including Finland and Italy, but he says this will be his first time to Slovenia and looks forward to taking some opportunity to explore while over there.
Dr. Clifton has been in the Gunnison Valley for 10 years and has been at GVH for the past four years. He says his involvement with the U.S. Ski Team challenges him to stay on the cutting edge of orthopedic and sports medicine. “These experiences allow me to bring advanced techniques and knowledge back to the Gunnison Valley, where I can provide the same high-quality care to our local athletes and community members,” he says.
“Dr. Clifton’s dedication to the U.S. Ski Team underscores the world-class expertise available right here in the Gunnison Valley,” says Gunnison Valley Health CEO Jason Amrich. “His work with elite athletes directly benefits our community by ensuring our patients receive the same advanced care that supports the best in the world.”
Dr. Clifton is proud to represent the U.S. Ski Team and says he has enjoyed watching all the different types of alpine events over the years. “Downhill, slalom and of course halfpipe is fun with Aaron Blunck being one of our local athletes.”
As for his own recreation, “Skiing and biking is my thing,” he says. “I love the outdoors like everyone else out here. It’s a big part of our patient population, and I’m happy that I get to help people get over their injuries.”
