Friends and Colleagues plan vigils to remember the victims of Sunday’s Avalanche in Washington
Following the tragic death of three backcountry skiers in an avalanche in Washington on Sunday, February 19, their friends and colleagues are organising vigils to pay a tribute to their lives.
The casualty of Sunday’s Avalanche near Stevens Pass ski area included Jim Jack who served as a head judge in Freeskiing World Tour, Stevens Pass Director of Marketing Chris Rudolph and skier John Brenan.
In order to celebrate the life of the 46-year-old Jack, a large group of people gathered at Utah’s Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort on Monday. The Washington-based skier had been actively involved in the sport of freeskiing, serving as the head judge of the
Salt Lake City-based Subaru Freeskiing World Tour as well as hitting the backcountry himself from time to time.
Freeskiing World Tour had made arrangements for the gathering by stopping the downhill traffic at Hidden Peak and making the lifts free for the guests to conveniently reach the top. All the people associated with Jack were encouraged to participate in the
vigil to show their love and celebrate his life.
Rudolph’s close friend and former colleague at Stevens Pass Brian Allen from Seattle is also planning a candle-light vigil to celebrate the life and freeskiing spirit of his deceased friend with the help of resort representatives during Steven’s Pass night-skiing
operations this week. The 30-year-old Rudolph had served as the Marketing Director at Stevens Pass for eight years and managed to put the ski area on world map with his dedication and commitment. There was hardly anyone who was ignorant to this fact and thus
his colleagues were eager to show their love and appreciation for all that he had done and how much his life had meant for them.
“Chris touched me years ago just like he's touched thousands of people,” Allen said while talking to a reporter from ESPN. “I was the bar manager and Chris lived in the cabin next to me. I was going through a tough time and he treated me like a brother;
just picked me up and always checked in on me. He was a lifeline that way.”
A vigil is also being planned for the 41-year-old Brenan, who was a former ski patroller and skiing in Washington since a long time.
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