Leif Borgeson
1961 – 2011
In celebration of a Legendary Life, Leif Borgeson. from Tin House Creative on Vimeo.
That all depends on how you measure your riches.
Leif Borgeson
This post has been on my website since almost day one. It will always be. The news of a former co-workers death is always sad. I worked with Leif at the National Ski Patrol during his time as the Education Director. He will be missed.
Thanks to Rex Lint for making this video, and to all who contributed.
Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Leif Eric Borgeson, 50, died Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, while hiking a ridge at the Aspen Highlands Ski Area in Colorado. He collapsed after the hike and was unable to be resuscitated.
Mr. Borgeson worked at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Dillon, Colo., starting in 1990, joining the ski patrol after patrolling at Keystone Resort for several years. He worked in various capacities including medical coordinator, paramedic, snow safety supervisor and, most recently, snow safety director. He was instrumental in creating Arapahoe Basin’s avalanche procedures and protocols and recognized nationally for his work on the study of avalanches, in particular wet slab avalanches.
Mr. Borgeson graduated from O’Gormon High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1979. Before joining Keystone in the 1980s, he worked as a patroller at Arizona Snowbowl and as a Mormon Lake hot shot forest firefighter in Flagstaff. In addition, Mr. Borgeson served as a Paramedic for Summit County Ambulance Service in the early 1990s in Summit County, Colo. In 1995, he was named as Colorado Ski Patroller of the Year. Between 2001-04, he worked for the National Ski Patrol as their training director.
Mr. Borgeson is survived by his wife, Denise Schmidt-Borgeson; his two sons, Ian and Aidan Borgeson; his parents, Flo and Borg Borgeson of Flagstaff; and his brother, Lars Borgeson of Seattle.
A celebration of life service will be in Dillon at the Keystone Resort Conference Center at 4:30 p.m. today. In lieu of flowers, a Leif Borgeson Memorial Fund has been set up at the Wells Fargo Bank in Frisco, Colo
