Horrible news...



Words and Photos by Chris O’Connell

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In

my 15 years in the ski industry, it has become easy to recognize true

talent when I see it. Travis Steeger was a shinning star. His sponsor

me video was the best I have ever seen come across my desk at Armada:

double front flips off 50 foot cliffs, 40 foot cab 900s off cliffs with

his jacket open?!? His sponsor me video was more entertaining than many

pro skier’s video parts. We signed him up immediately.

Travis was a breath of fresh air in the ski industry and his potential was limitless.

Travis’

life ended too soon, victim of a hit and run in Fernie, BC while

crossing the street early Sunday morning. The car didn’t stop at the

cross walk and Travis was taken from us.

It was Travis’ birthday that night. He was 19 years young.

Having

just spent time with him on a trip with him at Baldface Lodge, I was

privileged to get to know him. He was the rock star of one of the

powder capitals of the world, Nelson, BC. I never met anyone there that

didn’t love him. His skiing to a casual observer surely would have

appeared crazy and maybe even a bit loose canon, but he was calculated

and smart, and so entertaining to watch.

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Travis

loved snow and he was never cold, he was a true powder child. He had to

tow out of Baldface behind a snowmobile for 15 miles in the freezing

dark, when we got to the bottom, I expected him to be so beat up and

bummed, but he was so stoked. “That was awesome!” He was just beginning

to experience the life of a sponsored skier and loving every minute of

it.

He was a quick learner and so stoked to be in the

mountains. He learned handplants in one day with Riley and JP, and

apparently he just did a switch backflip to 180 to front flip off a

natural cliff, which has never been done before.

Travis was

nice enough to drive me 4 hours to Spokane on a very snowy night last

month just so I could make my plane to fly home from Nelson. I got to

learn quite a bit about him on that drive, he had decided that he would

study medicine in University and wanted to be a doctor so he could

travel the world and help people without access to good medicine. Med

school would have been really easy for him cause he was so damn smart.

Some of his family friends said he was a certified genius. But he

really just loved hucking big cliffs into the famous powder of the

Kootenays and skiing lines at Whitewater, the local hill. He was

already a Nelson local legend at age 18. We talked for four hours

straight on that drive and our 45 minutes detained in the US Customs

Office, and we didn’t speak much about skiing at all. In the ski world,

that’s pretty rare, most 18 year old sponsored ski athletes don’t have

much to say about anything else but skiing. Travis had opinions on the

world, he read novels, and worked on the biggest puzzles I have ever

seen in his spare time.

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Travis

will always be a part of the Armada Family and we will miss him dearly.

We send our love and heartfelt regards to all of Travis’ Friends in

Nelson and his family in Ymir.

May the Fresh Breeze that is Travis Steeger blow through the Kootenay Mountains of British Columbia forever.

RIP man



 
Ah shit...thats just terrible news, particularly given the way he had to go..

Sounded like Travis had heaps going for him as well.

RIP + vibes to his family.
 
so sad a great kid like that had to go so early.

extremely well written article, though. O'connell, that was a fitting memorial for such an amazing skier and person.

Rest in Peace
 
That really sucks. I didn't know him but remember sitting next to in the lodge at Red during the freeskiing championships. Sounds like the kid had a future. +vibes to his family and friends.
 
RIP, sounds like he was a great kid that was stoked on life and on skiing. Sad to read this. Vibes to his family and close friends.
 
after reading chris' first words about how crazy a skier her was, i expected to see an avalanche or cliff 'tragedy' as the culprit, and i was going to be frustrated again. for self inflicted pain.

Hit and run is inexcusable and tragic. I hope they find the driver, and I hope his family finds comfort.

RIP dude
 
Yeah seriously, what a scumbag for running.

That's really terrible, at such a young age he had so much to experience. And being a sponsored skier just made things better. Armada should make a ski for him.
 
I feel so privileged and honored to have known Trav. I will miss his crazy stories and all round gnarlyness in general.

R.I.P.
 
A very sad read, he sounded like a top guy. RIP to him ++++vibes to his friends and family, and i hope they catch the wanker that did it.
 
rip in peace. Sorry to hear that, especially to something so stupid as a hit and run. Sounds like he had a great attitude and clearly alot of talent
 
that is absolutely terrible, crazy to think how young he was, scary aswell. really hope they find the driver.
+++ vibes to friends and family.RIP
 
I dident get to know him as much as i wanted to, but when i did talk to him he was the funniest most up-beat kids around. He had such a future in skiing and in everything else. horrible to see him go so soon and in the way he did. Its not goin to be the same at the hill without him, Rest in peace trav.
 
nooo, damn that is horrible, dont you guys remember watching the enhanced media trailers, and this kid threw down sooo hard. switch misty 9 off of like a 50-60 footer, horrible to hear things like this happen, sounds like he was a great person too, Rest In Peace
 
i just can't believe that human being as capable of doing what he did on mountains, was taken in such a sickening way. This kid could do things on skis that would kill 90% of the people that tried them, but he was so good and so skilled that it didnt even phase him. and then to meet mortality by a fucking hit and run? That driver did not know what he just did to the future of this sport. Anyone who considers themselves a member of this community should feel the impact of this loss.

Travis I have only met you a couple times, but I have been constantly impressed by the footage you had been getting, your enthusiasm, and your love for life. If I could meet one more person in my life with half of the energy and talent that you had, I would be surprised and delighted. I can only hope that you're resting in peace, skiing endless lines, and going to the best fucking parties up there.

Thoughts with the nelson boys and the steeger family. RIP.
 
we hear about people dying everyday, all over the world... but every once in awhile you read a story and you actually feel personally upset. it may be because he was a great skiier, a smart kid... hell a 19 year old kid period.. but reading this makes me realize how desensitized we all are to death in general, and how horrible one bit of news can actually make you feel. i cant imagine how close friends and relatives might feel, and it may be pointless to say " i hope they feel better "... but honestly i dont know wat else to say. + mad vibes. we need more people like this in the world.
 
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