Photo by: John Cheney/Clarion
“SHE WAS HAVING fun. In fact, she said ‘it was the best day of my life,'”sophomore Liz Keltner said of Kathryne Ellington the day before a tragic ski accident took her life in February.
Ellington died on a ski trip to Telluride. According to Alpine Club President, Zack Taylor, Ellington was a first-time skier and was accompanied by two experienced skiers while she skied. She was going too fast and hit a tree. She died instantly.
Eight months later, members of the Alpine Club decided to honor her with a memorial fundraiser, Oct. 11, at the Hamilton Gymnasium. Nearly 400 people attended the event which began with a performance by Denver-based funk group, Bop Skizzum.
Booths for ski resorts, magazines and university clubs were present with promotional giveaways. A few professional snowboarders and skiers, such as Eddie Wall, signed posters for fans.
A booth for a quilt raffle sold tickets for the Kathryne Ellington Fund, which was started by her mother. Donations made to it will go toward giving lessons to first-time skiers during Alpine Club trips. The quilt was made by Ellington’s grandmother.
The highlight of the evening was a viewing of “The Prophecy,” a film produced by Teton Gravity Research, a company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The film examined extreme skiing and snowboarding and followed several amateur and professional skiers and snowboarders in places around the world.
Not only did the film show the dynamics of extreme skiing and snowboarding, but the dangers as well. There were numerous cheers from the crowd when skiers and snowboarders conquered steep cliffs and mountain peaks, but there were also moments of agitation when they ran into rocks or hit the ground hard.
“Those people were sick,” Colin Murphy said of the movie. An avid snowboarder for 17 years, Murphy has jumped out of helicopters onto mountain peaks, but doesn’t want to attempt anything like what he saw in the film.
Amateur snowboarder, Deb McCorvy agreed. “I thought the movie was totally sweet,” she said. “But I’d never do those crazy things. It scares me, but I guess it’s that fear that probably keeps me alive.”
Taylor said the Alpine Club and Teton Gravity Research showed the film to demonstrate that although skiing and snowboarding can be fun sports, there are always risks that come with them.
Members of the Alpine Club are made aware of the dangers and must sign insurance waivers in order to go on trips. Since Ellington’s death, the Alpine Club is putting more effort in preventing future accidents from happening. And a step towards that goal is providing enough funding to give ski lessons to first-timers.
“We were very pleased with the turnout and appreciate all the students who came out to support us,” said Taylor. “We are not sure of how much money we made because we have not received a bill for use of the facilities, but I do feel confident that we will make a significant contribution to the fund started by Kathryne’s mother.”
Tickets to the fundraiser were $7 prior and $10 at the door. All proceeds from the event will go to the Ellington Fund. For more information on how to make a donation, contact Zack Taylor at ztaylor@du.edu or 303-324-2772.
