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Dallas LeBeau has been identified as the 21-year-old skier who died on April 9th on Highway 40 in Colorado, just west of the summit of Berthoud Pass, after attempting to cross the width of the highway with his skis. LeBeau did not have enough speed or distance to complete the jump and landed on the highway pavement, according to a preliminary incident report from the Grand County Sheriff's Office.
At approximately 3 p.m. on April 9, the Grand County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a skiing accident. Bystanders began CPR. However, LeBeau, who was wearing a helmet and other protective gear, lost consciousness and was not breathing. Emergency response units and the Grand County Coroner's Office arrived at the scene and closed Highway 40 to traffic in both directions while investigators processed the scene.
Valerie LeBeau, the victim's mother, who spoke to SKI via email, said her son was skiing with a friend at the time of the accident. Valerie said Dallas has been preparing for this jump for more than a month, checking out his runs and putting the jump together, she said. His challenge was delayed by about 10 days because he fell ill. Since the slope faced north, there should have been a good amount of snow, but she believes some of it has melted and may have slowed her down too much. Dallas didn't have a great competitive season, so he may have wanted to prove himself on skis, her mother said, and she submitted a video to GoPro's Line of the Year contest. She added that she wanted to. Dallas has previous experience with big jumps and was scheduled to perform a double backflip on Corbett's Couloir in Jackson Hole. However, he never tried to cross the road, there were only cat footprints.
Dallas grew up skiing in Colorado, primarily at Winter Park, Granby Ranch, and Steamboat. He started skiing at his competition center in Winter Park around the age of eight. At age 11, he shifted his focus to park skiing and pipe skiing. He participated in this competition until his 18th year, then Big He turned to mountain skiing and began competing in freeride world qualifiers as an adult. He achieved his fourth place finish at Aspen in his 18th year. It was his third year competing in FWQ. Dallas' younger brother, Dusty LeBeau (18), also played in the FWQ for the first time this season.
“Dallas put on his skis before walking down the driveway and we pulled him up and down,” Valerie recalled. “Dallas loved to ski all over the mountains. He would often go up to Wolf Creek chasing storms, looking for places with big snow. He competed in the FWT and skied all over the world. I dreamed of traveling to compete.”
Dallas worked this winter as a big mountain coach in Winter Park and was enjoying getting paid to ski. During the summers, he worked at marinas in Grand County and also did renovation work on homes and condominiums. He was skilled in construction and auto repair and was considering future options such as attending trade school or obtaining a pilot's license. Dallas leaves behind his longtime girlfriend and skiing partner, Sophia Morris.
Valerie said the family has received many wonderful messages of condolence sharing how Dallas touched so many people. One of the skiers he coached told his family:[Dallas] He was a great guy and my favorite coach. He has taught me so much and changed my life for the better in so many ways. Dallas helped me overcome my fears and made me a better person. He is the person I aspire to be. I can't tell you how much of an impact your son has had on not only me but the entire team in such a short season. ”
Jumping gaps in the road is part of a storied skiing tradition that involves significant risks. Many of these visually stunning jumps are captured in vintage images and modern ski movies. Iconic road gaps include Karl Forstvedt's Idaho highway jump in the 2019 film Return to Send'er, Washington's Mount Baker Road Gap, and several throughout Utah. Contains gaps.
Such feats have historically required significant planning and safety measures. Josh's backflip on his 50 on Lake Tahoe Highway in 2020, featured on “7 Stages of Blank,” highlighted the dedication and planning required. When the footage was released, Dyech wrote about the thought process behind making the jump on his own YouTube account. “I never understood the amount of work that goes into a job like that, the number of people I would have to rely on, the patience required, the weather required to line up, the stress… To be honest, I We were obsessed with this gap, always closely monitoring the landing and waiting for the right conditions.”
In light of the tragic accident, Valerie shared her belief that posting on social media or entering contests is not worth risking lives. “If your parents or friends try to tell you that something is a bad idea, you should listen,” she said. “I hope this tragedy will make you think before you do something and save someone's life.”
