OUT OF THE GATE
Colorado Hosts
Spencer Nelson
Memorial Race
By Susan Theis
Peggy Smith
and Peter Nelson
with the belt
buckle created for
podium finishers.
COURTESY SMITH-NELSON FAMILY; BE TSY KANIA
“No struggles, no progress” reads the yellow rubber
bracelets. As a student who struggled with dyslexia and
whose guidance counselors said it was doubtful that he
could ever get into the University of Colorado at Boulder,
Spencer Nelson adopted this motto, which his friends and
family members now wear in memory of the CU ski racer,
who died in a hiking accident in August 2010.
From January 6 to 8 this year, CU and Nelson’s family
coordinated to turn a yearly invitational at Colorado’s Eldora Mountain Resort into the first annual Spencer Nelson
Memorial Race.
“Spencer loved life and he loved ski racing,” said his mom,
Peggy Smith. The race was chosen because it was one at
which Spencer had his greatest success.
“He went from 60th to 10th in GS,” explained his father,
Peter Nelson. “I think that’s what really caught the coaches’ eyes, and then Spencer did it again two weeks later at
Winter Park at the DU invitational. All these guys need that
one race to get the breakthough to get that confidence, and
this race, three years ago, did it for him.”
Spencer Nelson’s NCAA dream was to ski for CU. Before
he began his freshman year, a spot opened up on the CU
team and he snagged a walk-on position as the seventh
skier. A week later he and friend Max Lamb went dirt biking. Spencer hit a tree at 40 miles per hour, ruptured his
spleen, lacerated his kidney, broke four bones in his back
and punctured both of his lungs. While the coaches thought
he would be unable to contribute anything that ski season,
he proved everyone wrong. Spencer came back as one of
CU’s best skiers, and was named Colorado athlete of the
year.
Nelson overcame not only physical challenges, but academic troubles, as well. “Besides being small, he had dyslexia, and school was a challenge for him,” said Smith.
“The school guidance counselors said it was wishful thinking, he’d never get into CU.” When Spencer died he held
a 3. 4 GPA in the business school at CU.
Instead of traditional medals or trophies, the podium finishers of the Spencer Nelson Memorial received awards
that were tailored to Nelson’s interest in country and western music — custom-made belt buckles.
Since the death of their son, Peggy Smith and Peter Nelson have focused their energy on furthering the sport of
ski racing. This past summer the family organized what will
become an annual climb, held in mid-August. The Hike for
Spencer raises money for local Winter Park athletes. “We
raised $30,000 dollars, which we gave to 30 kids to help
them pay for racing,” said Peter Nelson. “And it didn’t all go
to alpine racers; some went to freestyle skiers, snowboarders — anybody who was a competitive skier who had a
dream and was struggling financially.”
This support however, is nothing new from the Smith-Nelson family. During high school they opened their home to
aspiring ski racer Chris Acosta, a longtime friend of Nelson since they first met at the 2001 J4 Junior Olympics in
Steamboat. “They welcome anyone into their house, anyone who has a goal and a passion,” said Acosta. “Without
them I wouldn’t be where I’m at now.” Originally from the
Central Division, Acosta spent his high school years living
with the Nelsons and ski racing in Winter Park; he now
races on the University of New Mexico ski team.
“We were training partners, lived in the same room, drove
to high school, went to training together six days a week,”
said Acosta, “It was great; it couldn’t of been a better set-up.” Their camaraderie and combined enthusiasm pushed
them to the next level. “[The dirt bike accident] proves and
describes his determination.” said Acosta, “when we lived
together he’d always tune his skis the best, he’d do his
homework the best, it was infectious; I wanted to do everything he did. Every time I click on my skis, he’s in my
heart.”
CU held the lead after the giant slalom portion of the memorial race on Jan. 7; the slalom events were postponed to
later in the week at Breckenridge because of weather.
