Clark Parkinson began skiing in 1945 at Snowbasin, Utah. His first job as a young boy was at Little Mountain Ski Area working as a lift operator in exchange for free ski passes. As teenagers, he and his brother Dave learned how to ski at Alta and Brighton, Utah. They both went on to teach skiing in the Alf Engen Deseret News Ski School.
After graduating from the University of Utah in 1962, Clark joined the ski school as a weekend instructor at the newly opened Treasure Mountain Ski Area in Park City, Utah. For 25 years, he served as Ski School Supervisor for the ski area's weekend mass ski school programs, and stayed on staff for over 46 years. Clark retired in 2009.
In 1966, he was certified with the Intermountain Ski Instructors Association (ISIA). He was appointed Secretary and established the office of Executive Secretary for ISIA in 1967, then was elected to the Board of Directors in 1968, serving on the Executive and Certification committees in 1969, and as President from 1970 to 1971.
In 1979, Clark was awarded a National Lifetime Membership with the Professional Ski Instructors of America-Intermountain Division (PSIA-I, formerly ISIA) for his contribution to ski teaching. In 1989, he established the PSIA-I Hall of Fame and has served as Chairman for many years. He is a charter member of the Veterans Ski Instructors Alliance Board of Directors and was honored in 2007 for his dedication to the sport of skiing.
He is a charter member of the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library Ski Archives Advisory Board. He received the Sue Ramer Memorial Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service from the Ski Archives in 2001, and their History Maker Award for Outstanding Accomplishments as a ski instructor in 2003.
