Well respected member of the skiing community in Thunder Bay and the world has died, following an incident at Revelstoke Mountain Resort in B-C on March 10th.
69 year old Denis Beaupre was killed after avoiding a collision with another skier caused him to change course off of a small ledge.
Best friend Bill Smith describes what happened in the moments leading up to the incident.
“We were skiing on the access run to get to the other runs and a person kind of skied in front of him, not dangerously, but he changed course and went over a bit of a rise and it dropped off about 8 or 10 feet.”
Smith says when Beaupre landed both of his feet came out both of the heel pieces on the skis and he hit his chest really hard.
Despite the best efforts of the Ski Patrol efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Beaupre had 40 years of downhill skiing experience in all aspects of the sport, from racer all the way up to race official, and his influence in the community was known around the world.
“He was well loved by everybody, we’ve got messages coming in from all over the world, Italy, Hong Kong, Sweden, Norway…everywhere,” said Smith. “Its just amazing, he touched so many people.”
Following the incident Smith says he and the family have returned to where Beaupre was killed and had a moment of remembrance and reflection.
The group have also gone back out skiing, which Smith calls some of the best skiing he and the Beaupre’s family have ever experienced.
“We got 30 to 40 cm of fresh snow and it just turned into a winter wonderland, I think he sent that down for us.”
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