Ski champion Ellie Curtis dead at 26 after suffering tragic accident at vacation hotspot where 4 already died this year
A CHAMPION skier has died after a crash at a popular ski resort that has already seen multiple other deaths this year.
Ellery Curtis, 26, has been remembered as a “fearless” skier who effortlessly captained her college team.
Curtis was a second-team All-American skier in the giant slalom for Dartmouth College and placed eighth at the NCAA championships in March 2022.
The 26-year-old was skiing at the Palisades Tahoe resort in Olympic Valley, California, when she got into the fatal accident, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“Our ski patrol team responded immediately and provided on-site medical care, but the individual succumbed to their injuries,” Patrick Lacey, a spokesperson for the Palisades Tahoe resort, told the Boston Globe.
“Our thoughts go out to their loved ones during this difficult time.”
Lacey said the athlete hurt herself on terrain accessed from the popular KT-22 chairlift.
Curtis’ death marks the fourth death at the resort and the fifth death in the Sierra Nevada area this year.
Palisades Tahoe did not immediately reply to The U.S. Sun’s request for more information.
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The 26-year-old Vermont native graduated from Dartmouth College in 2022, where she was captain of the women’s alpine ski team and a three-time National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team member.
“She was an amazing person, on and off the snow,” John Dwyer, Curtis’ Dartmouth coach, told the Boston Globe.
“She was a tremendously hard worker, and I think she earned the respect of all her teammates.”
Dwyer described the skier as “fearless,” with a strong desire to win.
“It was either she was going to win every race she was in, on the podium, or she was going to blow up and fall,” he recalled.
“That’s what made her special. She did not hold back on anything she did.”
When not skiing at Dartmouth, Curtis was studying government and environmental policy.
She had interned with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs analyzing energy policy.
After graduating from Dartmouth, she moved to San Francisco to work as a regulatory analyst with the California Public Utilities Commission.
The Palisades Tahoe Resort's response
Patrick Lacey, a spokesperson for the Palisades Tahoe resort, told the Boston Globe:
“Our ski patrol team responded immediately and provided on-site medical care, but the individual succumbed to their injuries. Our thoughts go out to their loved ones during this difficult time.”
“She wanted to save the planet,” Dwyer recalled.
“That’s what she was passionate about … it’s a tragic loss, because she was going to do tremendous things in this world and she had a long life to live.”
Curtis continued her passion for adventure and the outdoors in California by joining Mikes Bikes, a competitive mountain biking team.
The team posted a heartfelt tribute to the 26-year-old, remembering her dedication to the team and her love for life.
“There was never a rest day for her,” the Instagram post reads.
“Oftentimes Ellie opted out of a shuttle or chairlift because ‘it’s like cheating if I don’t earn it’ then proceed to smoke us down the mountain in true Ellie fashion.
“Though, Ellie was taken from us far too soon, we know she’s still rippin on her bike or skis with a big ole smile on her face, making positive changes in the world.”